Fuel Management Simulations for a Plutonium-Thorium Fuel Cycle in a CANDU~? 6 Reactor

摘要

The unique combination of high neutron economy, on-power fuelling, and simple fuel bundle design gives the CANDU? reactor extraordinary flexibility in advanced fuel cycle applications. This paper describes full-core fuel management simulations for the implementation of a homogeneous plutonium-thorium fuel cycle in an existing CANDU 6 reactor. Enhanced inherent safety features are incorporated in the fuel design. This approach enables existing CANDU reactors, which are optimized for the natural uranium fuel cycle, to operate with full-core plutonium-thorium fuel without requiring a major upgrade of the control and safety systems.