• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.7
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• pp.2095-2103
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• 2021

A small power ADS design using thorium oxide and diluent matrix reprocessed fuel is proposed for a high transmutation rate, small reactivity swing, and strong safety features. Two fuel matrices (CERCER and CERMET) and different recycled fuel compositions recovered from UO₂ spent fuels with 45 GWd/tU and 60 GWd/tU burnup were investigated to determine the suitable fuel for the ADS. It was found that the transmutation of each isotope depends on TRU initial loading amount. After examining the cores, the results show that CERCER fueled ADS has a negative coolant void reactivity (CVR) and a smaller radiotoxicity at discharge compared to that of CERMET core. It implies that CERCER fuel has enhanced safety features and more flavor in terms of radiotoxicity management. To increase fuel utilization and core operation efficiency, a simple assembly shuffling pattern for the CERCER fueled ADS is also proposed. Eigenvalue and burnup calculations were conducted using Serpent 2 with ENDF/B-VII.0 library in both kcode and external source modes, and it indicates that the results of transmutation analyses obtained by kcode only is reliable to discuss the transmutation potential of ADS. Burnup calculation with the fixed-source mode is essential to be used for more practical results of the transmutation by ADS.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.1762-1776
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• 2024

A spent nuclear fuel (SNF) analysis module for the Vodo-Vodyanoi Energetichesky Reactor (VVER) was developed and validated in this study. This advancement expands the application area of the existing nodal diffusion code, RAST-V, and reduces the need for additional code during 3D core simulations for SNF analysis, leading to increased efficiency in simulation time. RAST-V uses Lagrange interpolation and a power correction factor derived from the Bateman equation to bypass the re-depletion calculations, which are used to solve the microdepletion chain. This approach improved the efficiency of analysis. To mirror the conditions during the 3D core simulations, the module used history indices related to the moderator temperature, fuel temperature, and boron concentration. The module can predict 1620 isotopes. This paper presents the validation of this isotope inventory prediction and the application of burnup credit. The VVER analysis module was validated using 28 samples discharged from the Novovoronezh-4. Most isotopes were within 10 % of the boundaries of the measurements. This study successfully offers verification results using VVER benchmarks and discusses the application of burnup credit using a VVER-440 cask.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.225-232
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• 2008

An estimation has been made for inventories and characteristics of spent nuclear fuel(SNF) to be generated from existing and planned nuclear power plants based on the 3rd Basic Plan for Electric Power Demand and Supply. The characteristics under consideration in this study are dimensions, a fuel rod array, a weight, $^{235}U$ enrichment, and the discharge burnup in terms of fuel assembly. These are essentially needed for designing a pyroprocessing facility. It is appeared that the anticipated quantity by the end of 2077 is about 23,000 tU for PWR spent nuclear fuel. It is revealed that the proportion of SNF with the initial $^{235}U$ enrichment below 4.5 weight percent(wt.%) is approximately 95 % in total. For SNF with 16$\times$16 fuel rod array the proportion is expected approximately 74% in total. It appears that the average burnup of SNF will be 55 GWd/tU after the medium and/or latter part of 2010s while the average burnup is 45 GWd/tU at present. Finally, a requirement in terms of reference SNF for designing the pyroprocessing facility has been derived from the above-mentioned results. The anticipated SNF seems to be 16$\times$16 Korean Standard Fuel Assembly with a cross section of 21.4 cm$\times$21.4 cm, a length of 453 cm, a mass of 672 kg, the initial $^{235}U$ enrichment of 4.5 wt.%, and the discharge burnup of 55 GWd/tU.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.113-119
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• 2005

The Methodology of burnup calculation with EPMA test set up in this study. The spent fuel from PWR nuclear power plant was used as specimen. This $UO_2$ fuel with 3.2% of enrichment had been irradiated up to 35,000 MWd/MTU. The burnup is very important factor for nuclear fuel to estimate all fuel behaviors in reactor. To measure amounts of fission products and actinides for the burnup calcualation, destructive method analysis has been used but it makes long experimental time and second radio-wastes. In this study, EPMA test was available to measure amount of fission products. Neodymium is able to be detected and quantified. It can be compared with the results from chemical analysis and ORIGEN-2 code calculation. Concentration of Nd from EPMA test showed good agreement with result of ORIGEN-2 code in the same burnup.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 2001.05a
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• pp.66-66
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• 2001

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1998.10a
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• pp.251-251
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• 1998

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1999.10a
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• pp.60.2-60
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• 1999

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.117-121
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• 1986

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.155-162
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• 2009

Since the 90's, EDF and AREVA-NP have irradiated, up to very high burnups, lead assemblies housing $M5^{(R)}$ cladded fuels. Post-irradiation examination of high burnup $UO_2$ pellets show an increase in the fission-gas release rate, an increase in fuel swelling, and formation of fission-gas bubbles throughout the pellets. Xenon abundances were quantified, and phenomena leading to this bubble formation were identified. All examinations provided valuable data on the complex state of the fuel during irradiation. They show the good behavior of these fuels, exhibiting various microstructures at very high burnups, none of which is likely to lead to problems during irradiation.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.23-38
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• 1999

This study addresses the reference spent fuel and its characteristics for developing a geological repository concept. As a disposal capacity of the reference repository system to be developed, spent fuel inventories were projected based on the basis of the Nuclear Energy Plan of the Long-term National Power Program. The reference spent fuel encompassing a variability in characteristics of all existing and future spent fuels of interest was defined. Key parameters in the reference fuel screening processes were the nuclear and mechanical design parameters and the burnup histories for existing spent fuels as of 1996 and for future spent fuels with the more extended burnup the initial enrichment and its expected turnup. The selected reference fuel was characterized in terms of initial enrichment, bumup, dimension, gross weight and age. Also the isotopic composition and the radiological properties are quantitatively identified. This information provided in this study could be used as input for repository system development and performance assessment and applied in fuel material balance evaluation for the various types of back-end fuel cycle studies.