Advanced Recycling Core Accommodating Oxide Fuel and Metal Fuel for Closed Fuel Cycle

This report presents a unique core capable of accommodating oxide fuel and metal fuel and easy to change oxide core to metal core conforming to the design requirements. For the homogeneous oxide fueled core containing TRU (transuranics) fuel with 12% of the moderator pins, the results of calculation show the TRU conversion ratio (ratio of loss of TRU to loss of heavy metal) of 0.33 and the TRU burning capability (ratio of loss of TRU per electric generation) of 67 kg/TWeh. On the other hand, the calculations replacing from oxide fuel assemblies to metal fuel assemblies have demonstrated the TRU transmutation capability of 69 kg/TWeh with the TRU conversion ratio of 0.30. As the result of simulation calculations, three ordinary fuel exchanges the oxide equilibrium core to full metal core by way of transitional cores, where the maximum linear heat rates are still equal to the metal equilibrium core or less. With this, the presented core concept is concluded that a full oxide core, a full metal core, mixed fueled cores can be materialized in the presented ARR’s first unit (ARR1).