GCFR Coupled Neutronic and Thermal-Fluid-Dynamics Analyses for a Core Containing Minor Actinides
Problems about future energy availability, climate changes, and air quality seem to play an important role in energy production. While current reactor generations provide a guaranteed and economical energy production, new nuclear power plant generation would increase the ways and purposes in which n...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2009-01-01
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| Series: | Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2009/573481 |
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| author | Diego Castelliti Eleonora Bomboni Nicola Cerullo Guglielmo Lomonaco Carlo Parisi |
| author_facet | Diego Castelliti Eleonora Bomboni Nicola Cerullo Guglielmo Lomonaco Carlo Parisi |
| author_sort | Diego Castelliti |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Problems about future energy availability, climate changes, and air quality seem to play an important role in energy production. While current reactor generations provide a guaranteed and economical energy production, new nuclear power plant generation would increase the ways and purposes in which nuclear energy can be used. To explore these new technological applications, several governments, industries, and research communities decided to contribute to the next reactor generation, called “Generation IV.” Among the six Gen-IV reactor designs, the Gas Cooled Fast Reactor (GCFR) uses a direct-cycle helium turbine for electricity generation and for a CO2-free thermochemical production of hydrogen. Additionally, the use of a fast spectrum allows actinides transmutation, minimizing the production of long-lived radioactive waste in an integrated fuel cycle. This paper presents an analysis of GCFR fuel cycle optimization and of a thermal-hydraulic of a GCFR-prototype under steady-state and transient conditions. The fuel cycle optimization was performed to assess the capability of the GCFR to transmute MAs, while the thermal-hydraulic analysis was performed to investigate the reactor and the safety systems behavior during a LOFA. Preliminary results show that limited quantities of MA are not affecting significantly the thermal-fluid-dynamics behavior of a GCFR core. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fdad8a9e80e347da9346fb3e3bc37866 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1687-6075 1687-6083 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2009-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations |
| spelling | doaj-art-fdad8a9e80e347da9346fb3e3bc378662025-02-03T06:01:47ZengWileyScience and Technology of Nuclear Installations1687-60751687-60832009-01-01200910.1155/2009/573481573481GCFR Coupled Neutronic and Thermal-Fluid-Dynamics Analyses for a Core Containing Minor ActinidesDiego Castelliti0Eleonora Bomboni1Nicola Cerullo2Guglielmo Lomonaco3Carlo Parisi4Dipartimento di Ingegneria Meccanica, Nucleare e della Produzione (DIMNP), Università di Pisa (UNIPI), CIRTEN, Largo Lucio Lazzarino n. 1, 56126 Pisa, ItalyDipartimento di Ingegneria Meccanica, Nucleare e della Produzione (DIMNP), Università di Pisa (UNIPI), CIRTEN, Largo Lucio Lazzarino n. 1, 56126 Pisa, ItalyDipartimento di Ingegneria Meccanica, Nucleare e della Produzione (DIMNP), Università di Pisa (UNIPI), CIRTEN, Largo Lucio Lazzarino n. 1, 56126 Pisa, ItalyDipartimento di Ingegneria Meccanica, Nucleare e della Produzione (DIMNP), Università di Pisa (UNIPI), CIRTEN, Largo Lucio Lazzarino n. 1, 56126 Pisa, ItalyGruppo di Ricerca Nucleare San Piero a Grado (GRNSPG), Università di Pisa (UNIPI), Largo Lucio Lazzarino n. 1, 56126 Pisa, ItalyProblems about future energy availability, climate changes, and air quality seem to play an important role in energy production. While current reactor generations provide a guaranteed and economical energy production, new nuclear power plant generation would increase the ways and purposes in which nuclear energy can be used. To explore these new technological applications, several governments, industries, and research communities decided to contribute to the next reactor generation, called “Generation IV.” Among the six Gen-IV reactor designs, the Gas Cooled Fast Reactor (GCFR) uses a direct-cycle helium turbine for electricity generation and for a CO2-free thermochemical production of hydrogen. Additionally, the use of a fast spectrum allows actinides transmutation, minimizing the production of long-lived radioactive waste in an integrated fuel cycle. This paper presents an analysis of GCFR fuel cycle optimization and of a thermal-hydraulic of a GCFR-prototype under steady-state and transient conditions. The fuel cycle optimization was performed to assess the capability of the GCFR to transmute MAs, while the thermal-hydraulic analysis was performed to investigate the reactor and the safety systems behavior during a LOFA. Preliminary results show that limited quantities of MA are not affecting significantly the thermal-fluid-dynamics behavior of a GCFR core.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2009/573481 |
| spellingShingle | Diego Castelliti Eleonora Bomboni Nicola Cerullo Guglielmo Lomonaco Carlo Parisi GCFR Coupled Neutronic and Thermal-Fluid-Dynamics Analyses for a Core Containing Minor Actinides Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations |
| title | GCFR Coupled Neutronic and Thermal-Fluid-Dynamics Analyses for a Core Containing Minor Actinides |
| title_full | GCFR Coupled Neutronic and Thermal-Fluid-Dynamics Analyses for a Core Containing Minor Actinides |
| title_fullStr | GCFR Coupled Neutronic and Thermal-Fluid-Dynamics Analyses for a Core Containing Minor Actinides |
| title_full_unstemmed | GCFR Coupled Neutronic and Thermal-Fluid-Dynamics Analyses for a Core Containing Minor Actinides |
| title_short | GCFR Coupled Neutronic and Thermal-Fluid-Dynamics Analyses for a Core Containing Minor Actinides |
| title_sort | gcfr coupled neutronic and thermal fluid dynamics analyses for a core containing minor actinides |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2009/573481 |
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