Two-Dimensional Full Core Analysis of IFBA-Coated TRISO Fuel Particles in Very High Temperature Reactors

Abstract

The Prismatic-core Advanced High Temperature Reactor (PAHTR) is a very high temperature reactor type which is one of promising reactor type technologies classified as Generation IV by the International Forum. The new technology designs are identified as being proliferation resistant, safe, economical, efficient, and long fuel cycle. In this paper, the continuous-energy Monte Carlo method is capable of capturing all of the necessary reactor physics parameters using high fidelity two dimensional model with Serpent Monte Carlo code, and applied for a large scale reactor core loaded with TRi-structural ISOtropic (TRISO) particle by taking into account the double heterogeneity effect. These analyses were performed for PAHTR reactor core that utilizes TRISO particles fuel embedded in graphite matrix by applying a new innovative idea of adding Integral Fuel Burnable Absorber (IFBA) as an additional coating layer with a designated thickness. Adding IFBA coating could lead to compressed excess reactivity at the Beginning of Cycle (BOC), and extended burnup cycle. The additional IFBA coating layer is placed in the outer surface of the fuel kernel and covered by the buffer layers that compose the TRISO fuel particle. Neutronic calculations were performed for both TRISO particle unit cell and for full core with homogenous distribution of IFBA coating.