VVER-1000 Reaktöründe Nanoakışkan Soğutucu ve Toryum İlaveli Yakıtın Yanmaya Bağlı İzotopik Kompozisyonlara Etkisi

Year 2024, Volume: 24 Issue: 4, 986 - 992, 20.08.2024

Yasin Genç , Sinem Uzun , Adem Acır

https://doi.org/10.35414/akufemubid.1403049

Abstract

Son zamanlarda nükleer teknolojide güvenlik faktörlerine dikkat edilerek reaktör verimliliğinin artırılmasına yönelik çalışmalarda nanoakışkanların kullanımı önem kazanmıştır. Geleneksel UO2 yakıtlarını kullanan güç reaktörlerinde, soğutma suyuna farklı tür ve oranlarda nanopartiküller eklenerek termal ve nötronik karakteristikler üzerine etkilerinin incelendiği çalışmalar bulunmaktadır. Toryum kaynaklarının uranyum kaynaklarından çok daha fazla olduğu göz önüne alındığında toryum bazlı yakıtlara yönelik çalışmalar giderek önem kazanmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, yakıt olarak kütlece %5 ThO2 ve %95 UO2 ve soğutucu olarak hacimce %0,1 Al2O3, CuO ve TiO2 nanopartikülleri yüklenen VVER-1000 reaktöründeki kritiklik ve izotop değişiklikleri araştırılmıştır. Analizlerde MCNP5 ve MONTEBURNS2.0 nötronik analiz kodları kullanılmıştır. Analiz sonucu, nanopartiküllerin etkisiyle sadece su soğutucu ve toryum bazlı yakıtın bulunduğu reaktörün çalışma süresinin kısaldığını göstermiştir. Ayrıca 235U ve 238U izotop miktarında önemli bir değişiklik olmadığı ancak nanopartiküllerin soğutucuya eklenmesiyle reaktörde tüketilen 232Th izotop miktarının arttığı gözlemlenmiştir.

Keywords

VVER-1000, Kritiklik, İzotop, Nanoparçacık, Toryum tabanlı yakıt

The Effect of Nanofluid Coolant and Thorium-added Fuel on Burnup Dependent Isotopic Compositions in VVER-1000 Reactor

Abstract

Recently, the use of nanofluids has gained importance in studies aimed at increasing reactor efficiency while also addressing safety concerns in nuclear technology. Various studies have investigated the effects of adding nanoparticles of different types and proportions to the coolant water on the thermal and neutronic characteristics of power reactors using conventional UO2 fuels. Given the abundance of thorium compared to uranium, research on thorium-based fuels has become increasingly significant. In this study, the criticality and isotope changes in a VVER-1000 reactor loaded with 5% ThO2 and 95% UO2 by mass as fuel, and 0.1% by volume of Al2O3, CuO, and TiO2 nanoparticles as the coolant, were investigated. Neutronic analysis was performed using the MCNP5 and MONTEBURNS2.0 codes. The analysis results indicated that the operational lifespan of the reactor with only water coolant and thorium-based fuel was shortened due to the presence of nanoparticles. Furthermore, it was observed that while there was no significant change in the amount of fissile 235U and fertile 238U isotopes, the consumption of fertile 232Th isotope in the reactor increased with the insertion of nanoparticles into the coolant.

Keywords

VVER-1000, Criticality, ; Isotope, Nanoparticle, Thorium-based fuel

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