Basic design analysis of a heavy water-cooled thorium breeder reactor

Abstract

Core design evaluation of heavy water cooled thorium breeding reactor has been investigated based on optimum basic design criteria such as fuel breeding capability and negative void reactivity coefficient value by adopting triangular fuel lattice and hexagonal core arrangement. Core burnup calculation and some thermal hydraulic parameters have been analyzed to evaluate the reactor core performances and to confirm the feasible design region based on the optimum results. Core burnup evaluation has confirmed the feasibility of heavy water-cooled thorium breeder reactor with negative void reactivity. Three batches refueling scheme is employed for 23-month refueling period. This system shows the breeding condition at the end of cycle for average core burnup of 38 GWd/t and it always gives negative void reactivity coefficient during reactor operation. In relation to thermal hydraulic analysis, the system achieves the maximum linear heat rate of 18.2 kW/m, maximum fuel temperature of 1066 °C and friction pressure drop of 0.046 MPa. The reactor has large margins due to the limitation of thermal hydraulic design point of view and some comparable result with the conventional reactor based on the obtained thermal hydraulic properties.