Alternative Thorium Fuel Cycle for LWRs
19th Symposium of AER on VVER Reactor Physics and Reactor Safety (2009, Varna, Bulgaria)
Actinide Transmutation and Spent Fuel Disposal
Abstract
In the paper, different thorium nuclear fuel cycles are examined and compared under light water reactor conditions, especially VVER-440. Two investigated thorium based fuels include one solely plutonium-thorium based fuel and the second one plutonium-thorium based fuel with initial uranium U-233 content. Both of them are used to carry and burn or transmute plutonium created in the classical UOX cycle. Different thorium fuel distribution in fuel assemblies is modeled – homogeneous and heterogenous.