FLi/FLiBe盐中7Li富集度对熔盐快堆钍铀转换性能的影响研究

锂(Li)元素是液态熔盐堆中冷却剂熔盐的重要组成成分,由于6Li相对~7Li具有较大的中子吸收截面,其在冷却剂熔盐中的摩尔含量会影响液态熔盐堆的钍铀转换性能,因此研究~7Li富集度对液态熔盐堆钍铀转换性能的影响十分必要。基于熔盐快堆(Molten Salt Fast Reactor,MSFR)的堆芯结构,分别采用FLi和FLiBe两种不同的冷却剂熔盐,选取范围在99.5%～99.995%的一系列~7Li富集度,借助熔盐堆后处理程序MSR-RS(Molten Salt Reactor Reprocessing Sequence),针对能谱、233U初装量、钍铀转换比、233U净产量和倍增时间、Li的演化以及氚产量等一系列参数进行分析。研究结果表明:在MSFR的堆芯中,较FLiBe而言,采用FLi作载体盐能够获得更好的钍铀转换性能;当~7Li富集度由99.995%变为99.9%时,堆芯钍铀转换比降低约1.6%,氚产量增加约8%。综合考虑燃料制造成本和钍铀转换性能等因素,对于分别采用FLi和FLiBe作载体盐的熔盐快堆MSFR,推荐的~7Li富集度都为99.9%。     

氢化锆慢化熔盐堆钍铀转换性能初步分析

中子能谱对钍基燃料在熔盐堆中的利用效率及温度反馈系数等安全问题有较大影响,所以对熔盐堆新型慢化剂的研究具有重要意义。本工作基于SCALE6计算程序,对不同几何栅元结构的氢化锆栅元组件在熔盐堆的物理性能进行了研究,分别计算了中子能谱、钍铀转换比、~(233)U浓度、总温度反馈系数以及燃耗等中子物理参量。结果表明,减小六边形栅元对边距或者增加熔盐占栅元体积比可以增加钍铀转换比和改善温度反应性系数;当加入的氢化锆慢化剂体积份额为0.1时就可以将熔盐堆~(233)U初始浓度降低到2.5×10~(-2)以内;氢化锆慢化熔盐堆在超热谱条件下,其~(233)U初装载量和超铀核素产量较小,同时堆芯较为紧凑。     

熔盐燃料对加速器驱动的次临界堆中子学性能的影响

加速器驱动的次临界熔盐堆(Accelerator-Driven Subcritical Molten Salt Reactor,ADS-MSR)结合了熔盐堆与ADS的许多优点,在先进核燃料利用方面有独特的优势。为了研究熔盐燃料的使用对ADS系统堆芯的中子学性能的影响,基于MCNP(Monte Carlo N Particle Transport Code)程序,分别计算并分析了熔盐燃料对加速器驱动的次临界堆的外源质子效率、中子能谱以及钍铀转换比等参数的影响。结果表明:相较于氧化物燃料,熔盐燃料的使用将会增加对外源中子和裂变中子的慢化,并且会提高堆芯的入射质子效率。同时,由于熔盐燃料的慢化效应,FLi Be和FLi熔盐燃料燃耗初期的钍铀转换比(CR)分别为1.023和1.062,略低于氧化物燃料的1.068。另一方面,熔盐燃料的在线处理会极大降低燃耗过程中的反应性损失。通过在线燃料处理和在线添料,FLi熔盐和FLi Be熔盐燃料的CR分别在燃耗运行的第1年和第3年超过氧化物燃料,并且能够长期稳定在1.06和1.00左右。     

熔盐堆堆芯分区结构对钍燃料增殖性能的影响

熔盐堆作为第四代先进核能系统,具有在线处理和利用钍燃料等各种优势。我们主要参考法国国家科学研究院(Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique,CNRS)的相关研究,该单位对熔盐堆堆芯结构进行优化,提高其钍铀转换率。利用SCALE(Standardized Computer Analyses for Licensing Evaluation)大型蒙特卡洛程序针对超热中子谱熔盐堆进行堆芯结构优化。从计算数据分析,Blanket增殖区在堆芯的不同位置可以提高Blanket中的钍铀增殖率,但是并不能提高整个堆芯的钍铀增殖率。对于超热谱的熔盐堆,单熔盐石墨孔道可以提供CNRS设计几乎相当的钍铀增殖率,同时可以极大地降低慢化剂石墨内的中子通量水平,延长更换堆芯石墨周期,提高整个熔盐堆的运行经济性。     

使用离散钍铀燃料组件的CANDU6堆物理特性初步研究

为研究钍铀燃料在CANDU6堆中的应用,采用DRAGON/DONJON程序,对使用离散型钍铀燃料37棒束组件的CANDU6堆进行时均堆芯分析。结果表明,组件采用235U富集度为2.5%的铀棒以及第1、2、3圈布置钍棒的37棒束组件,堆芯在8棒束换料、3个燃耗分区的方案下,组件的冷却剂空泡反应性较使用天然铀的37棒束组件（NU-37组件）与采用混合钍铀元件棒的37棒束组件更负;堆芯最大时均通道/棒束功率满足小于6700?kW/860?kW的限值;燃料转化能力比采用NU-37组件时更高;卸料燃耗可到达13400?MW·d/t(U)。研究表明,所设计的离散型钍铀燃料37棒束组件可用于现有CANDU6堆芯,且无需对堆芯结构及控制机构作重大改造;燃料组件和堆芯设计方案可为钍铀燃料在CANDU6堆芯的应用提供参考。      

无铍钍基熔盐堆堆芯设计与安全研究

为解决传统熔盐堆在核燃料增殖、安全性等方面的不足,提出了采用氧化铍慢化剂、无铍(BeF2)燃料熔盐的新型钍基熔盐堆(TMSR)堆芯设计。在此基础上,利用多物理计算程序开展了TMSR稳态及瞬态初步安全特性分析。通过对反应堆启动、熔盐泵超速及降速、丧失热阱等典型瞬态的计算,分析了各种工况下堆芯功率与温度的变化情况。结果表明,在各种运行瞬态及事故情况下,新型的TMSR设计具有良好的安全特性。     

重水冷却钍基长寿命模块化小堆概念设计研究

基于传统压水堆（PWR）技术,提出一种重水冷却的钍基长寿命模块化小堆（RMSMR）的概念设计方案,采用二维模型系统分析并对比了PWR和RMSMR的燃料类型、慢化剂类型等参数,获得反应堆各项中子学参数的变化机理;然后基于二维计算结果提出了最终的三维堆芯设计方案,并开展了初步的中子物理和热工安全分析。研究表明,RMSMR在设计上采用三区燃料布置来展平功率,采用钍-铀燃料维持了负空泡系数,通过布置增殖包层提高了堆芯的转换比（CR）;RMSMR采用了重水冷却剂可以使中子能谱硬化,从而提高CR,减小寿期反应性波动,增加堆芯寿期;RMSMR能够在100 MW电功率下维持6 a的安全运行。本文研究可为新型反应堆的设计发展提供借鉴。      

10 MW固态燃料钍基熔盐堆稳态物理-热工耦合

固态燃料钍基熔盐堆(Thorium Molten Salt Reactor-Solid Fuel,TMSR-SF1)作为第四代先进核反应堆堆型之一,继承了熔盐冷却剂和球形燃料元件的许多优点和技术基础,具有良好的经济性、设计上的固有安全性、钍铀燃料的可持续性和防核扩散性。本文以10 MW固态燃料钍基熔盐堆为模型,利用MCNP(Monte Carlo N Particle Transport Code)和ANSYS Fluent等模拟程序对其进行多物理耦合分析,同时利用C++语言编写了堆芯活性区的物理-热工耦合计算程序,实现了MCNP计算结果与Fluent程序的对接,并且通过对比耦合前后结果,分析了堆芯功率密度分布、有效增殖因子、温度分布等主要参数,为熔盐堆的设计、安全性评估和操作运行提供了参考依据。     

钍基熔盐堆燃料循环与启动策略研究

研究了熔盐燃料在堆内外循环以及考虑特殊核素的添加、提取等在线处理过程的熔盐堆燃耗计算模型,在多功能组件计算程序SONG的基础上开发了相应的燃料循环计算功能并进行了初步验证。在此基础上,分别针对氧化铍慢化的热谱熔盐堆和无慢化的快谱熔盐堆进行计算,并根据堆芯反应性长期稳定的基本要求,分析了利用²³³U和工业Pu启动熔盐堆时配套的在线处理方案以及相应的易裂变核添加要求。通过对核素添加、提取以及燃料内核密度的平衡计算,分析了不同的在线处理方案与启动策略对钍-铀燃料循环效率的影响,并据此提出了初步的熔盐堆燃料循环技术路线。结果表明：压水堆乏燃料提取的工业Pu较²³³U更适宜用于钍铀燃料循环启动,因工业Pu启动的快谱熔盐堆的²³³U产率明显高于²³³U启动熔盐堆,而当有了足够的²³³U积累后,²³³U启动的热谱熔盐堆是更好的选择,因其燃料倍增时间更短且燃料初装量也小得多。     

熔盐堆栅格参数优化

针对新型的采用无铍熔盐燃料的氧化铍慢化钍基熔盐堆,利用上海核工程研究设计院自主开发的SONG/TANG-MSR程序系统,通过大量的方案分析,在熔盐堆栅格尺寸、P/D(栅距与燃料孔道直径的比值)、233 U含量等关键栅格参数上对钍基熔盐堆进行优化。计算结果表明,采用较低的233 U浓度的小栅距栅格设计,新型的熔盐堆设计具有很高的增殖比,并保持负功率系数。与传统熔盐堆相比,新型钍基熔盐堆具有更高的核燃料增殖能力。经过栅格优化的新型钍基熔盐堆可满足下一代核能系统可持续性和安全性要求。     

Burnup optimization of once-through molten salt reactors using enriched uranium and thorium

The advantages of once-through molten salt reactors include readily available fuel,low nuclear proliferation risk,and low technical difficulty.It is potentially the most easily commercialized fuel cycle mode for molten salt reactors.However,there are some problems in the parameter selection of once-through molten salt reactors,and the relevant burnup optimization work requires further analysis.This study examined once-through graphitemoderated molten salt reactor using enriched uranium and thori...     

Reactor physics ideas for large scale utilization of thorium in gas cooled reactors

The physics principles for maximizing the fertile to fissile conversion were used in developing reactor concepts for large scale utilization of thorium in thermal and fast reactors (Jagannathan & Pal, 2006; Jagannathan et al., 2008). It is recognized that these principles are very well suited for ‘He’ gas cooled reactors with graphite moderator since both helium gas coolant and the graphite moderator have low neutron absorption characteristics and thus gives better neutron economy. In this paper, these ideas are applied to the High Temperature Test Reactor (HTTR) core of Japan to assess its advantage over the present day gas cooled reactors. HTTR is helium cooled and graphite moderated system. Significant amount of thorium has been loaded in the HTTR core with some minimal changes in the existing core design. The modified design is called HTTR-M core.In the HTTR-M core, the fuel is changed from enriched UO₂ fuel to Pu in ThO₂ fuel. The locations of boron type burnable poison rods within each fuel assembly of HTTR are replaced by one cycle irradiated thoria rods. Also, the B₄C type control assembly around the HTTR core is replaced by fresh seedless thorium assembly. The fertile thoria assembly are scattered uniformly in the HTTR-M core. The equilibrium core of HTTR-M shows very small burnup reactivity swing. The core excess reactivity is ∼18 mk at BOC and reduces to 1 mk at 660 days. It is interesting to note that this small reactivity change is intrinsically achieved by the choice of seed and fertile dimensions and their contents without the use of burnable poison rods or mechanical control rods which are used in HTTR core. The burnup reactivity swing in the latter after using burnable poison is ∼100 mk. The fissile seed inventory ratio (FIR) in a fuel cycle is 0.90 as compared with 0.717 of HTTR core. Since ²³³U is a better fissile nuclide with highest ‘η’ value in thermal range, the above conversion ratio can be regarded as quite good.     

Neutron excess method for performance assessment of thorium-based fuel in a breed-and-burn reactor with various coolants

Fertile fuel, such as thorium or depleted uranium, can be bred into fissile fuel and burnt in a breed-andburn(BB) reactor. Modeling a full core with fertile fuel can assess the performance of a BB reactor with exact quantitative estimates, but costs too much computation time. For simplicity, performing the recently developed neutron balance method with a zero-dimensional(0-D)model can also provide a reasonable result. Based on the0-D model, the feasibility of the BB mode for thorium fuel in a fast reactor cooled by sodium was investigated by considering the(n, 2n) and(n, 3n) reaction rates of fuel and coolant in this work, and compared with that of depleted uranium fuel. Afterward, the performance of the same thorium-based fuel core, but cooled by helium, lead-bismuth, and FLi Be, respectively, is discussed. It is found that the(n, 2n) and(n, 3n) reactions should not be neglected for the neutron balance calculation for thorium-based fuel to sustain the BB mode of operation.     

Study of thorium–uranium based molten salt blanket in a fusion–fission hybrid reactor

Not only solid fuels, but also liquid fuels can be used for the fusion–fission symbiotic reactor blanket. The operational record of the molten salt reactor with F–Li–Be was very successful, so the F–Li–Be blanket was chosen for research. The molten salt has several features which are suited for the fusion–fission applications.The fuel material uranium and thorium were dissolved in the F–Li–Be molten salt. A combined program, COUPLE, was used for neutronics analysis of the molten salt blanket. Several cases have been calculated and compared. Not only the influence of the different fuels have been studied, but also the thickness of the molten salt, and the concentration of the ⁶Li in the molten salt.Preliminary studies indicate that when thorium–uranium–plutonium fuels were added into a F–Li–Be molten salt blanket and with a component of 71% LiF–2% BeF₂–13.5% ThF₄–8.5% UF₄–5% PuF₃, and also with the molten salt thickness of 40 cm and natural concentration of ⁶Li, the appropriate blanket energy multiplication factor and TBR can be obtained.The result shows that thorium–uranium molten salt can be used in the blanket of a fusion–fission symbiotic reactor. The research on the molten salt blanket must be valuable for the design of fusion–fission symbiotic reactor.     

Preliminary study on feasibility of large and small water cooled thorium breeder reactor in equilibrium states

Fuel breeding is one of the essential performances for a self-sustaining reactor system which can maintains the fuel sustainability while the reactor produces energy and consumes the fissile materials during operation. Thorium cycle shows some advantageous on higher breeding characteristics in thermal neutron spectrum region as shown in the Shippingport reactor and molten salt breeder reactor (MSBR) project. In the present study, the feasibility of large and small water cooled thorium breeder reactors is investigated under equilibrium conditions where the reactors are fueled by ²³³U–Th oxide and they adopts light water coolant as moderator. The key properties such as required enrichment, breeding capability, and initial fissile inventory are evaluated. The conversion ratio and fissile inventory ratio (FIR) are used for evaluating breeding performance. The results show the feasibility of breeding for small and large reactors. The breeding performance increases with increasing power output and lower power density. The small reactor may achieve the breeding condition when the fuel pellets' power density of about 22.5 W/cm³ and burnup of about 20 GWd/t.     

TOPAZ-Ⅱ反应堆慢化剂温度效应分析

TOPAZ-Ⅱ反应堆是以高富集度铀为燃料,以氢化锆为慢化剂的空间发电用反应堆。与一般采用氢化锆作为慢化剂的反应堆不同,TOPAZ-Ⅱ反应堆呈现正的慢化剂温度效应,且其值较大。本工作采用MCNP程序对TOPAZ-Ⅱ反应堆的慢化剂温度效应进行计算,通过分析氢化锆升温前后主要区域中子能谱和中子产生率、中子吸收率及泄漏率的变化,得出产生正慢化剂温度效应的原因：氢化锆升温后,中子产生率增加较大,而泄漏率增加较小,且吸收率减少,从而产生正的慢化剂温度效应。