Basic design parameter optimization on water cooled thorium breeder reactor

Abstract

Basic study on optimization of heavy water cooled thorium breeding reactor has been investigated to estimate the feasible design region of breeding and negative void reactivity coefficient. Those parametric surveys are moderator to fuel ratio, fuel pin diameter, fuel pellet power density, and void faction. A fuel pin diameter of 14.5 mm shows the optimum feasible fuel breeding and less required U-233 fissile content. The systems require the enrichment less than 8% and it gives some possible area of breeding. The effect of moderator is essential to make the negative void reactivity. Void fraction effect is still good enough to make more negative void reactivity, however, for no more heavy water as moderator, it obtains less negative void reactivity or becomes slightly positive. It has been shown that several significant parameters affect to the feasibility breeding windows and potential negative void reactivity based on heavy water-cooled thorium reactor.