Fast Reactors and Accelerator Driven Systems Knowledge Base

Conference Article: MOX fuels for reduced actinide generation

Anantharaman, K.; Krishnani, P.D.; Purandare, H.D.; Purushotham, D.S.C. (Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Bombay (India))

Abstract

The Indian Nuclear Power Programme at present is mainly based on Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) with the exception of two Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs) at the Tarapur Atomic Power Station (TAPS), which was the first to start generating commercial nuclear power in India. Reprocessing and recycling of spent fuel and recycling of plutonium (Pu) has been adopted to improve utilization of fissile materials and to shrink the spent fuel inventory. Plutonium utilization has been contemplated mainly in our fast reactor programme. In addition, studies have been in progress to use Pu as MOX fuel and in combination with thorium (Th) in thermal reactors. This is in line with global trends to reduce actinide generation in reactors and for developing Pu fuels in combination with Th. Development of UO2-PuO2 fuel was initiated in the 70s with the objective of establishing a fuel fabrication process flow-sheet, followed by verification of the process through experimental irradiations. Simultaneously, studies were undertaken on the physics end engineering aspects of utilization of Pu in both PHWRs and BWRs. The successful irradiation testing of UO2-PuO2 rod clusters in a research reactor gave confidence in the design and fabrication procedures which in turn led to the setting up a fabrication plant for the manufacture of MOX fuel assemblies for our power reactors. Introduction of MOX fuel assemblies has been made in a BWR, with plans for progressively increasing the fraction of Pu in the core. A study was also made for using MOX fuel in the PHWRs of 235 MWe size, using 19 rod fuel bundles. As india has abundant thorium reserves, fuel cycles utilizing Th have been under consideration. Studies are under way on various fuel cycles involving Th. This paper highlights the studies on the schemes mentioned above which facilitate reduction of actinide inventories and reduce their generation.

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key words: Fast Neutron Spectrum Systems, Nuclear Technology
Reference:
Advanced fuels with reduced actinide generation.Technical committee meeting, Vienna (Austria). 21-23 Nov 1995
International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria)
IAEA-TECDOC--916, pp:105-114