Study on Ultra-Long Life Ores Lolled with Transuranium Fuels

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As some of the trans-uranium elements such as ^<237>Np and ^<241>Am, which are treated as the nuclear wastes, have large neutron capture cross section, they have large potential to reduce the initial excess reactivity and also to establish the high burn-up reactor core if they are loaded in the core. The feasibility study on the long-life cores loaded with trans-uranium elements has been performed. It was found that the reactor core loaded with ^<237>Np allow the burn-up value up to 150-200 GWd/t in the light water and heavy water reactors. Based on the analysis of the neutron spectrum effects on the long-life core characteristics and safety characteristics of the reactor cores with six coolants such as light water, heavy water, He gas CO_2 gas, Na and steam, it was concluded that He gas cooled reactor with graphite moderator loaded with ^<237>Np gives excellent their characteristics. It was found that the reactor core loaded with ^<241>Am gives the high burn-up of about 100 GWd/t. It was also confirmed that those fuels loaded tans-uranium elements such as ^<237>Np and ^<241>Am produce ^<238>Pu, which is known as good protector of Plutonium against uncontrolled proliferation. A new reactor burn-up concept, where relative shapes neutron flux, nuclide densities and power density are constant but move to an axial direction with constant velocity during the whole life of the reactor operation, were also studied. It was proposed the very long-life fast reactor with high burn-up of about 400 GWd/t in this new concept.