Reflector design issues for innovative small light water reactors

摘要

The use of a stainless steel reflector may provide improved fuel usage in a small reactor core, where neutron leakage is significant. For the MASLWR core, fuel burnup in the outer fuel assemblies could increase by up to 200% compared to the standard PWR water reflector.rnHeating rates in the stainless steel reflector and structures could be as high as 580 kW, requiring proper heat removal mechanisms. Also different reflector materials provide different levels of protection of the reactor vessel against neutrons and photons, which could affect the reactor vessel lifetime and plant lifetime management. The calculation of the radiation fluence on the reactor vessel with CASMO-4E and other codes should be a next step of the current research.rnThis research provides an illustration of the advantages and disadvantages of the different reflector types for a small LWR and a comparison of reflector heating rates.