Advances in the conceptual design of a gas-cooled Accelerator Driven System (ADS) transmutation device for a sustainable nuclear energy development

The possibilities of a nuclear energy development are considerably increasing with the world energetic demand increment. However, the management of nuclear waste from conventional nuclear power plants and its inventory minimization are the most important issues that should be addressed. Fast reactor...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Progress in nuclear energy (New series) 2013-11, Vol.69, p.2-8
Main Authors: Rosales, J., García, L., Pérez, J., Muñoz, A., García, C., Escrivá, A., Sanchez, D., Abánades, A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accelerator Driven System
Nuclear fission
Packing fraction
Very High Temperature Reactor
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Summary:The possibilities of a nuclear energy development are considerably increasing with the world energetic demand increment. However, the management of nuclear waste from conventional nuclear power plants and its inventory minimization are the most important issues that should be addressed. Fast reactors and Accelerator Driven Systems (ADS) are the main options to reduce the long-lived radioactive waste inventory. Pebble Bed Very High Temperature advanced systems have great perspectives to assume the future nuclear energy development challenges. The conceptual design of a Transmutation Advanced Device for Sustainable Energy Applications (TADSEA) has been done in preliminary studies. The TADSEA is an ADS cooled by helium and moderated by graphite that uses as fuel small amounts of transuranic elements in the form of TRISO particles, confined in 3 cm radius graphite pebbles forming a pebble bed configuration. It would be used for nuclear waste transmutation and energy production. In the paper, the results of a method for calculating the number of whole pebbles fitting in a volume according to its size are showed. From these results, the packing fraction influence on the TADSEAs main work parameters is studied. In addition, a redesign of the previous configuration, according to the established conditions in the preliminary design, i.e. the exit thermal power, is made. Additionally, the heterogeneity of the TRISO particles inside the pebbles is not negligible. In the paper, a study of the power density distribution inside the pebbles using a detailed model of the TRISO particles and a homogeneous composition of the fuel is addressed. •Neutronic and thermal-hydraulic studies for an ADS Pebbled Bed type were made.•An analytical method to obtain the number of whole pebbles in the core was shown.•The packing fraction influence in the TADSEA's main working parameters was studied.•Temperature profiles were obtained from the radial–axial power density distributions.•Influence of fuel detailed geometric simulation on neutronic parameters was studied.
ISSN:0149-1970
DOI:10.1016/j.pnucene.2013.04.011