Parametric Study of Thorium Fuel Utilization on Small Modular Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR)

Abstract

Small Modular Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) can be used to overcome the problem of electricity shortages in remote areas with fewer populations. These reactors usually use uranium-based fuel. Currently, the use of thorium-based fuels for this type of reactor has received constant attention, leading to several investigations of fuel performance. This study aims to determine the performance of thorium-based fuel in the PWR core at a power level of 300 MWt. The analysis was carried out by varying the percentage of U-233 as fissile material in Thorium (Th-233U)O2 fuel by 3%-8% and Pa-231 variation as burnable poison 0.2%-5%. In addition, analysis of changes in the volume fraction of fuel ranging from 40%-60%, with the type of cladding used in the form of Zirlo. The calculation system uses the SRAC computer code with PIJ and CITATION modules for cell and core calculations, using JENDL-4.0 nuclide data. Parameters analyzed from the fuel cell calculation results are reactor criticality, excess reactivity, and power density profile. The analysis results show that the best fuel performance is found in fuel volume fraction of 60%, U-233 configuration on the fuel of 4-5-6%, and the addition of 2.5% Pa-231. This fuel configuration can achieve cycles of up to 19 years with excess reactivity at BOL of 2.57% dk/k and excess reactivity at EOL of 0.87% dk/k.