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Conference Article: Radwaste transmutation in nuclear reactors

Shmelev, A.N.; Kulikov, G.G.; Apse, V.A.; Glebov, V.B. (Moskovskij Inzhenerno-Fizicheskij Inst., Moscow (Russian Federation)); Tsurikov, D.F.; Morozov, A.G. (Gosudarstvennyj Komitet po Ispol'zovaniyu Atomnoj Ehnergii SSSR, Moscow (Russian Federation). Inst. Atomnoj Ehnergii)

Abstract

The burnup of minor actinides may be realized both in fast and thermal reactors. The principal difference of minor actinides burn-up in thermal and fast reactors concerns with the neutron balance: in thermal reactor the neutron balance is negative with neutron consumption and otherwise in fast reactor the neutron balance is positive with production of excessive neutrons. Applying of fuel containing minor actinides in FBRs leads to degradation of safety characteristics, namely to decreasing of effective fraction of delayed neutrons Bef and to high positive sodium void effect of reactivity to upgrade the value of Bef it is supposed the addition of the fissile nuclides characterized by high fraction of delayed neutrons in fuel composition. The decreasing of sodium void reactivity may be achieved by use of potassium as a coolant (or potassium alloys Na-K, K-Pb).

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key words: Fast Neutron Spectrum Systems, Nuclear Technology
Reference:
Use of fast reactors for actinide transmutation. Proceedings of a specialists meeting, Obninsk, Russian Federation, 22-24 September 1992. Mar 1993.
International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria)
IAEA-TECDOC--693, pp:77-86