Conceptual Design Study of 180 MWt Small-Sized Reduced-Moderation Water Reactor Core

Abstract

Conceptual design of a Small-sized Reduced-Moderation Water Reactor (S-RMWR) core, which has the thermal output of 180 MW, the conversion ratio of 1.0 and the void reactivity coefficient of negative value, has been constructed. S-RMWR is a technology demonstration reactor which also conducts material and fuel testing for commercial use of Reduced-Moderation Water Reactor (RMWR) in large-scale power plants. It has a very tight triangular fuel rod lattice and a high coolant void fraction. The RMWR core axially has two short and flat uranium plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) regions with an internal blanket region in between, in order to avoid a positive void reactivity coefficient. The MOX regions are sandwiched between upper and lower blanket regions, in order to increase a conversion ratio. In this small reactor core, leakage of neutrons is expected to be larger than in a large core. Therefore, a core design concept different from that for a large core is necessary. Core burnup calculations and nuclear and thermal-hydraulic coupled calculations were performed in the present study with SRAC and MOSRA codes. MVP code was also used to obtain control rod worth. Because of its large neutron leakage, keeping the void reactivity coefficient negative is easier for S-RMWR than RMWR. Thus, the heights of MOX region can be taller and the plutonium enrichment can be lower than in RMWR. On the other hand, to achieve the conversion ratio of 1.0, radial blanket and stainless steel reflector assemblies are necessary, whereas they are not needed for RMWR.