Evaluation of neutronic performance for the VVER-1000 reactor core with regenerated uranium-plutonium fuel

Abstract

The possibility has been considered for the VVER-1000 reactor fuel loading to be formed based on regenerated fuel with the use of the spent fuel accumulated in reactors of the same type. A study was undertaken to investigate the change in the isotopic composition of the plutonium discharged from a thermal reactor in the course of its multiple reprocessing and recycle in a thermal neutron reactor. To obtain an equilibrium isotopic composition of the reactor-grade plutonium, 3D neutronic calculations were performed for the stationary fuel cycles of a VVER-1000 serial reactor with conventional oxide fuel and oxide fuel based on regenerated uranium and based on an undivided mixture of uranium and plutonium oxides from SNF. The neutronic performance of reactor cores was compared for the above mentioned fuel types in the course of the fuel company, including the following: in-core radial power density shaping, values of reactivity coefficients for various thermal parameters, reactivity control system efficiency, etc.