Feasibility study of boiling water reactor core based on thorium–uranium fuel concept

Abstract

The design of a boiling water reactor (BWR) equilibrium core using the thorium–uranium (blanket–seed) concept in the same integrated fuel assembly is presented in this paper. The lattice design uses the thorium conversion capability to 233U in a BWR spectrum. A core design was developed to achieve an equilibrium cycle of one effective full power year in a standard BWR with a reload of 104 fuel assemblies designed with an average 235U enrichment of 7.5 w/o in the seed sub-lattice. The main core operating parameters were obtained. It was observed that the analyzed parameters behave like those obtained in a standard BWR. The economic analysis shows that the fuel cycle cost of the proposed core design can be competitive with a standard uranium core design. Finally, a comparison of the toxicity of the spent fuel showed that the toxicity is lower in the thorium cycle than in other fuel cycles (UO 2 and MOX uranium and plutonium) in the case of the once through cycle for light water reactors (LWR).