On Use of Hydride Fuel in HPLWR

Hydride fuels have features which could make their use attractive in future advanced power reactors. The feasibility of the use of the metallic hydride fuel U-ZrH1.6 in the current concept of the High-Performance Light Water Reactor (HPLWR) has been assessed. Neutronics and thermal hydraulic analyses were performed for a single assembly model of HPLWR with oxide and hydride fuels. The hydride assembly shows higher moderation with softer neutron spectrum and more uniform axial power distribution. It achieves a cycle length of 18 months with sufficient excess reactivity. The burnup in the hydride assembly is about a factor 2 higher than in the oxide assembly. The Doppler coefficient of the hydride assembly is higher whereas the moderator and void coefficients are lower. The thermal hydraulic results show that the achievable cladding temperature in the hydride assembly is well below the design limits. Due to the high thermal conductivity of hydride fuel, the pellet peak temperature remains below the hydride fuel temperature normal operation limit.

TSIGE-TAMIRAT Haileyesus;  AMMIRABILE Luca;  FUETTERER Michael; 

2009-11-03

Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe

JRC54364