Neutronic evaluation of a small lead-cooled nuclear reactor as an actinides burner

Abstract

This study employs the Monte Carlo N-Particle code, version 6 (MCNP6), to simulate ELECTRA and investigate its neutronic parameters and the transmutation of spent fuel over a 15-year burnup period, as referenced. The primary objective is to evaluate actinide burning in a low-power fast reactor. The study consists of three phases: 1) validating Model 1 for MCNP6 code with results obtained by SERPENT code from previous studies, 2) conducting neutronic analysis of three ELECTRA models (1, 2, and 3) with varying levels of detail, and 3) assessing burnup using the most detailed ELECTRA MCNP6 model (Models 3). The neutronic calculations obtained from the MCNP6 code align with previous studies. Notably, including all core components in the simulation yields significant disparities in criticality and neutron flux compared to a simpler model. Despite its small size and low power, ELECTRA, as a research reactor, exhibits essential characteristics for effectively burning plutonium from Light Water Reactor (LWR) spent fuel. Therefore, ELECTRA contributes to developing LFRs and supports the GIF’s research goals for reactor development.