Safety Features of a Pressurized Water Reactor Utilizing Coated Fuel Particles With a Novel Composition

Abstract

In this research paper, a safety analysis has been carried out for the conceptual design of a compact sized pressurized water reactor (PWR) core that utilizes a tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) fuel particle with an inventive composition. The use of TRISO fuel in PWR technology improves integrity of the design due to its fission fragments retention ability, as this fuel provides first retention barrier within the fuel itself against the release fission fragments. Hence, addition of one more reliable barrier in well established PWR technology makes this design concept safer and environment friendly. A small amount of Pu-240 has been added in the fuel for excess reactivity control. This addition of Pu-240 in TRISO fuel reduces the number of burnable poison and control rods required for reactivity control, and completely eliminates the requirement of soluble boron system. The suggested design operates at much lower temperature and pressure than a standard PWR power reactor, and the presence of TRISO fuel ensures the retention of fission fragments at elevated temperatures. All reactivity coefficients were found negative for the designed core, and the shutdown margin has also been increased with the suggested TRISO fuel composition.