Comparison of Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Reactor Cores Using Different Fuel Forms, Neutron Spectra, and Uranium Enrichments
A comparison of 300 MWt HEU and HALEU NTP cores using different fuel forms is presented to demonstrate trends and potentially inform fuel development. Compared to HEU, HALEU cores require additional in-core moderation. Beryllium was chosen as the reference in-core moderator material; metal hydrides may also be considered. Typical NTP fuel forms such as carbide […]
Advanced High-Temperature Sodium-Cooled Thermal Reactors Using Less Than 10% Enriched UO2 Fuel
This paper presents a 1200-MW(thermal) advanced sodium-cooled thermal reactor concept that uses online refueling of 3.5% to 9.95% enriched UO2 fuel pin bundles; uses either graphite or beryllium oxide (BeO) as a neutron moderator; reaches outlet temperatures of 650°C enabling a thermal efficiency of at least 45%; has a high specific power of 133 W/g […]
aLEU Fuel Trade Studies: Neutronics
The objective of the trade study presented in this report is to identify configurations for a water-cooled reactor system that satisfies a set of constraints. In this report we have illustrated the neutronics results for a trade study aiming at sorting among different choices in terms of geometries and components given a certain number of […]
INL Analysis and Recommendations to Framatome FMEA and PIRT for UZr2 Fuel
A fuel design being proposed by Framatome includes an annular fuel rod that consists of a 50 wt.% Zr uranium-zirconium (U-50Zr) alloy enriched to less than 20% U235 with an external zircaloy cladding while maintaining other aspects of the typical LWR fuel rod design. The rods are in a rectangular array supported and positioned by […]
Measurements of Effective Actinides Neutron Capture Cross-Sections in a Cadmium-Filtered Epithermal Neutron Spectrum
A total of 20 actinide samples were irradiated in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL): 233U (1), 235U (1), 236U (1), 238U (1), 237Np (2), 239Pu (1), 240Pu (1), 242Pu (2), 244Pu (2), 241Am (2), 243Am (2), 244Cm (2), and 248Cm (2). The samples were loaded in a basket containing a […]