Application of the TRANSURANUS code for the fuel pin design process of the ALFRED reactor

Abstract

The Advanced Lead Fast Reactor European Demonstrator (ALFRED) is the 300 MWth pool-type reactor aimed at proving the feasibility of the design concept adopted for the European Lead-cooled Fast Reactor (ELFR) of Generation-IV, whose preliminary design has been proposed within the LEADER (Lead Cooled European Advanced Demonstration Reactor) EURATOM Project. In the frame of investigating different options to optimize the conceptual fuel pin design of ALFRED, the fuel performance analysis of the reactor core is carried out by means of the TRANSURANUS code, which is presented in this paper. Results of the average and the hottest reactor conditions are discussed concerning both fuel and cladding performance on the basis of indicative design limits. A sensitivity analysis is performed in order to assess the impact of models and parameters affected by a larger uncertainty, and to identify a “worst case” scenario. This strategy allows identifying some design parameters which could be modified to improve safety of the fuel pin behaviour, in order to gain benefits mainly in terms of maximum fuel temperature. The results of the present work are useful for giving feedback to the conceptual design of the ALFRED reactor and, in perspective, to improve the safety-by-design characteristics of the LFR systems.