Fixed neutron absorbers for improved nuclear safety and better economics in nuclear fuel storage, transport and disposal
Current designs of both large reactor units and small modular reactors utilize a nuclear fuel with increasing enrichment. This increasing demand for better nuclear fuel utilization is a challenge for nuclear fuel handling facilities. The operation with higher enriched fuels leads to reduced reserves...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Nuclear Engineering and Technology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1738573323001341 |
| _version_ | 1797811087437987840 |
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| author | M. Lovecký J. Závorka J. Jiřičková Z. Ondráček R. Škoda |
| author_facet | M. Lovecký J. Závorka J. Jiřičková Z. Ondráček R. Škoda |
| author_sort | M. Lovecký |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Current designs of both large reactor units and small modular reactors utilize a nuclear fuel with increasing enrichment. This increasing demand for better nuclear fuel utilization is a challenge for nuclear fuel handling facilities. The operation with higher enriched fuels leads to reduced reserves to legislative and safety criticality limits of spent fuel transport, storage and final disposal facilities. Design changes in these facilities are restricted due to a boron content in steel and aluminum alloys that are limited by rolling, extrusion, welding and other manufacturing processes. One possible solution for spent fuel pools and casks is the burnup credit method that allows decreasing very high safety margins associated with the fresh fuel assumption in spent fuel facilities. This solution can be supplemented or replaced by an alternative solution based on placing the neutron absorber material directly into the fuel assembly, where its efficiency is higher than between fuel assemblies. A neutron absorber permanently fixed in guide tubes decreases system reactivity more efficiently than absorber sheets between the fuel assemblies. The paper summarizes possibilities of fixed neutron absorbers for various nuclear fuel and fuel handling facilities. Moreover, an absorber material was optimized to propose alternative options to boron. Multiple effective absorbers that do not require steel or aluminum alloy compatibility are discussed because fixed absorbers are placed inside zirconium or steel cladding. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T07:18:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ce02b06248ac4ac68362d5238237c9dd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1738-5733 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T07:18:28Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nuclear Engineering and Technology |
| spelling | doaj.art-ce02b06248ac4ac68362d5238237c9dd2023-06-05T04:12:45ZengElsevierNuclear Engineering and Technology1738-57332023-06-0155622882297Fixed neutron absorbers for improved nuclear safety and better economics in nuclear fuel storage, transport and disposalM. Lovecký0J. Závorka1J. Jiřičková2Z. Ondráček3R. Škoda4Research and Innovation Centre for Electrical Engineering, University of West Bohemia, Univerzitní 8, 301 00, Plzeň, Czech Republic; ŠKODA JS a.s., Orlík 266, 316 00, Plzeň, Czech Republic; Corresponding author. Regional Innovation Centre for Electrical Engineering, University of West Bohemia, Univerzitní 8, 306 14, Plzeň, Czech Republic.Research and Innovation Centre for Electrical Engineering, University of West Bohemia, Univerzitní 8, 301 00, Plzeň, Czech Republic; ŠKODA JS a.s., Orlík 266, 316 00, Plzeň, Czech RepublicResearch and Innovation Centre for Electrical Engineering, University of West Bohemia, Univerzitní 8, 301 00, Plzeň, Czech RepublicTES s.r.o., Pražská 597, 674 01, Třebíč, Czech RepublicResearch and Innovation Centre for Electrical Engineering, University of West Bohemia, Univerzitní 8, 301 00, Plzeň, Czech Republic; Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics, Czech Technical University in Prague, Jugoslávských partyzánů 1580/3, 160 00, Prague, Czech RepublicCurrent designs of both large reactor units and small modular reactors utilize a nuclear fuel with increasing enrichment. This increasing demand for better nuclear fuel utilization is a challenge for nuclear fuel handling facilities. The operation with higher enriched fuels leads to reduced reserves to legislative and safety criticality limits of spent fuel transport, storage and final disposal facilities. Design changes in these facilities are restricted due to a boron content in steel and aluminum alloys that are limited by rolling, extrusion, welding and other manufacturing processes. One possible solution for spent fuel pools and casks is the burnup credit method that allows decreasing very high safety margins associated with the fresh fuel assumption in spent fuel facilities. This solution can be supplemented or replaced by an alternative solution based on placing the neutron absorber material directly into the fuel assembly, where its efficiency is higher than between fuel assemblies. A neutron absorber permanently fixed in guide tubes decreases system reactivity more efficiently than absorber sheets between the fuel assemblies. The paper summarizes possibilities of fixed neutron absorbers for various nuclear fuel and fuel handling facilities. Moreover, an absorber material was optimized to propose alternative options to boron. Multiple effective absorbers that do not require steel or aluminum alloy compatibility are discussed because fixed absorbers are placed inside zirconium or steel cladding.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1738573323001341Criticality safetySpent fuelNeutron absorberGBC-32VVER |
| spellingShingle | M. Lovecký J. Závorka J. Jiřičková Z. Ondráček R. Škoda Fixed neutron absorbers for improved nuclear safety and better economics in nuclear fuel storage, transport and disposal Nuclear Engineering and Technology Criticality safety Spent fuel Neutron absorber GBC-32 VVER |
| title | Fixed neutron absorbers for improved nuclear safety and better economics in nuclear fuel storage, transport and disposal |
| title_full | Fixed neutron absorbers for improved nuclear safety and better economics in nuclear fuel storage, transport and disposal |
| title_fullStr | Fixed neutron absorbers for improved nuclear safety and better economics in nuclear fuel storage, transport and disposal |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fixed neutron absorbers for improved nuclear safety and better economics in nuclear fuel storage, transport and disposal |
| title_short | Fixed neutron absorbers for improved nuclear safety and better economics in nuclear fuel storage, transport and disposal |
| title_sort | fixed neutron absorbers for improved nuclear safety and better economics in nuclear fuel storage transport and disposal |
| topic | Criticality safety Spent fuel Neutron absorber GBC-32 VVER |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1738573323001341 |
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