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60 Years of U: Perspectives on resources, demand, and the evolving role of nuclear energy
Recent years have seen growing global interest in nuclear energy and rising confidence in the sector. For the first time since the early 2000s, there is renewed optimism about the industry’s future. This change is driven by several major factors: geopolitical developments that highlight the need for secure energy supplies, a stronger focus on resilient energy systems, national commitments to decarbonization, and rising demand for clean and reliable electricity.
Antonino Romano, Pavel Hejzlar, Neil E. Todreas
Nuclear Technology | Volume 147 | Number 3 | September 2004 | Pages 368-387
Technical Paper | Medium-Power Lead-Alloy Reactors | doi.org/10.13182/NT04-1
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Fertile-free fast lead-cooled modular reactors are proposed as efficient incinerators of plutonium and minor actinides (MAs) for application to advanced fuel cycles devoted to transmutation. Two concepts are presented: (1) an actinide burner reactor, designed to incinerate mostly plutonium and some MAs, and (2) a minor actinide burner reactor, devoted to burning mostly minor actinides and some plutonium. These transuranics are loaded in a fertile-free Zr-based metallic fuel to maximize the incineration rate. Both designs feature streaming fuel assemblies that enhance neutron leakage to achieve favorable neutronic feedback and a double-entry control rod system that reduces reactivity perturbations during seismic events and flattens the axial power profile. A detailed neutronic analysis shows that both designs have favorable neutronic characteristics and reactivity feedback mechanisms that yield passive safety features comparable to those of the Integral Fast Reactor. A safety analysis presents the response of the burners to anticipated transients without scram on the basis of (1) the integral parameter approach and (2) simulations of thermal-hydraulic accident scenario conditions. It is shown that both designs have large thermal margins that lead to safe shutdown without structural damage to the core components for a large spectrum of unprotected transients. Furthermore, the actinide destruction rates are comparable to those of the accelerator transmutation of waste concept, and a fuel cycle cost analysis shows the potential for economical accomplishment of the transmutation mission compared to other proposed actinide-burning options.