Analyzing (Th-233U-235U)O2 fuel performance in various assembly configurations: A comparative neutronic study

Abstract

This article investigates alternate fuel options for Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs), focusing on thorium use to address safety, efficiency, and waste issues associated with standard UO2 fuel. Challenges in thorium utilization, such as the lack of a fissile isotope, are handled using approaches such as homogeneous mixtures and heterogeneous arrangements, promoting the exploration of (Th-233U-235U)O2 fuel in various assembly configurations. According to recent research, the annular dual-cooled assembly design has promising results in terms of fuel efficiency and safety while lowering the requirement for higher fissile enrichment levels. Studies additionally demonstrate that annular dual-cooled duplex fuel configurations can produce higher discharge burnup and lower power peaking factors than traditional UO2 fuel. The purpose of this work is to analyze and compare the performance of (Th-233U-235U)O2 fuel in various configurations against conventional UO2 fuel, focusing on key characteristics such as reactivity change, criticality, discharge burnups, and reactivity feedback coefficients.