Neutronic analysis of (ThO2-EnrichedUO2) replacement with natUO2 fuel in a typical heavy water research reactor

Document Type : Regular Paper

Authors

1 AEOI

2 atomic energy organization of Iran

Abstract

Theoretical and experimental investigations reveal that thorium-based fuel could potentially be a proper alternative in nuclear fuel cycle technology. Hence, the neutronic performance of an enriched uranium/thorium oxide fuel loading in a typical heavy water research reactor is computationally evaluated in the present study.
The obtained data shows that the thorium-based fuel has a less negative temperature coefficient in comparison with the natUO2 fuel loading. Meantime, the thorium-based fuel loading in the typical core configuration did not drastically reduce the β parameter. Rather higher conversion factor and less transuranic production of the thorium-based fuel cycle makes it favorable either to achieve higher cycle length or less dangerous and costly waste disposal.

Keywords

Main Subjects