UC Berkeley

Breed and Burn reactors (B&B), also referred to Traveling Wave Reactors, are fast spectrum reactors that can be fed indefinitely with depleted uranium only, once criticality is achieved without the need for fuel reprocessing.

Radiation damage to the fuel cladding limits the fuel utilization of B&B reactors to ~ 18-20% FIMA (Fissions of Initial Metal Atoms) - the minimum burnup required for sustaining the B&B mode of operation. The fuel discharged from this type of cores contain ~ 10% fissile plutonium. Such a high plutonium content poses environmental and proliferation concerns, but makes it possible to utilize the fuel for further energy production.

The objectives of the research reported in this dissertation are to analyze the fuel cycle of B&B reactors and study new strategies to extend the fuel utilization beyond ~ 18-20% FIMA.

First, the B&B reactor physics is examined while recycling the fuel every 20% FIMA via a limited separation processing, using either the melt refining or AIROX dry processes. It was found that the maximum attainable burnup varies from 54% to 58% FIMA - depending on the recycling process and on the fraction of neutrons lost via leakage and reactivity control. In Chapter 3 the discharge fuel characteristics of B&B reactors operating at 20% FIMA and 55% FIMA is analyzed and compared. It is found that the 20% FIMA reactor discharges a fuel with about ~ 80% fissile plutonium over total plutonium content. Subsequently a new strategy of minimal reconditioning, called double cladding is proposed to extend the fuel utilization in specifically designed second-tier reactors. It is found that with this strategy it is possible to increase fuel utilization to 30% in a sodium fast reactor and up to 40% when a subcritical B&B core is driven by an accelerator-driven spallation neutron source. Lastly, a fuel cycle using Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR) to reduce the plutonium content of discharged B&B reactors is analyzed. It was found that it is possible to burn the B&B discharged fuel up to an additional 105.6 GWd/MT_IHM and 66 GWd/MT_IHM , for melt refining and AIROX, respectively.