Evaluation of the Thermodynamics of Deep Burnup HTGR Fuel With Plutonium Kernels

Rosatom of the Russian Federation and the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration are developing the Gas-Turbine Modular Helium Reactor (GT-MHR) for the disposition of weapons-grade plutonium. Cost effective disposition of this plutonium material can be achieved by use of very high burnup coated particle fuel in the GT-MHR. In this way essentially all of the valuable energy of the Pu can be efficiently converted to electricity in one pass of the fuel through the GT-MHR.