Numerical and Statistical Analysis of FR Spent Fuel Transmutation in a Thorium Fusion Breeder

摘要

In this study, a numerical analysis and an analysis of variance (ANOVA) are applied to find the best suitable neutronic parameters for the performance analysis in a thorium fusion rector. The numerical and ANOVA approach are employed to investigate the neutronic characteristics of a fusion reactor using ThO_2 90% + FR spent fuel 10% fuel mixtures. Three different neutronic parameters for the ANOVA and numerical approach, namely, moderator/fuel volume fractions (V_m/V_f), plasma chamber dimensions (PCD) and neutron wall loading (NWLs) as time dependent are selected for neutronic performance characteristics including tritium breeding ratio (TBR), multiplication factor (M), total fission rate (Σ_f), ~(232)Th(n,γ) reaction, burn up and/or transmutation (B/T) and fissile fuel breeding (FFBR). Moreover, effects of the NWLs, V_m/V_f fractions and PCD in the B/T of FR spent fuel mixed thorium are investigated. Numerical and statistics approach results are evaluated for TBR, M, Σ_f fission rate, ~(232)Th(n,γ) reaction, B/T and FFBR.