233U Breeding in a Modified Prometheus-L IFE Reactor

Abstract

In this study. neutronic analysis of a hybrid version of the PROMETHEUS-LIFE reactor is investigated by using thorium fuels namely, ThN, ThC2 and ThF4. Calculations of neutronic data per DT fusion neutron are performed by using SCALE 4.3 Code. Despite a partial replacement of the tritium breeding zone by the fissile fuel breeding zone, tritium breeding remains still > 1.05, which will be required for a self-sustaining fusion driver. Energy multiplication 1.44 to 1.50 depending on the fuel types in the blanket. Therefore, the investigated reactor can produce substantial electricity in situ. Substantial amount of fissile material will be produced at start-up conditions with a fissile fuel breeding rate of 233U = 0.154, 0.126 and 0.077 for ThN, ThC2 and ThF4 per incident fusion neutron, which correspond to 1858, 1521, 934 kg 233U/year, respectively, by a full fusion power of 2807 MW.