Design study on power flattening to sodium cooled large-scale CANDLE burning core with using thorium fuel

Abstract

The CANDLE (Constant Axial shape of Neutron flux, nuclide densities and power shape During Life of Energy production) burnup strategy is a unique and new burnup concept. The previous CANDLE cores feature a relatively large peak-to-average power density and discharge burnup distribution. Peaked power and burnup distribution are undesirable, as they deteriorate economical performance. The objective of this paper is to study the feasibility of power flattening of sodium cooled large scale CANDLE reactors toward commercial use by using thorium fuel loading into the inner core zone. If we choose the amount of thorium proper, net radial current of neutrons in the inner core becomes zero in the inner core, and at the boundary between inner and outer core enough neutrons leak from the uranium region and the net radial current is still zero at this point. In the outer region the neutrons leak outward. By this way, we can make the power density distribution flat in the inner core. In the present work, the power density profile is intended flatten for the metallic fuel CANDLE reactors by adding thorium uniformly in the inner core region. We also evaluate that the core radius and height have an effect on power flattening. The maximum axially integrated power density (radial peaking factor) decreases from 1.87 with only uranium fuel to 1.44 with uranium and thorium fuels. The power flattening with loading thorium fuel in the inner core zone creates higher power density and lower coolant velocity that allow higher thermal power and smaller pressure drop.