Effect of Hydrogen Generation of The Neutronic Performance in a Laser Inertial Fusion Reactor (LIFE) Fuelled Uranium

Year 2021, Volume: 24 Issue: 2, 609 - 617, 01.06.2021

Şulenur Asal , Adem Acır

https://doi.org/10.2339/politeknik.723884

Abstract

In this study, a neutronic analysis of the Laser Inertial Fusion Reactor (LIFE) fuelled uranium and this reactor’s hydrogen production potential were investigated. Neutronic calculations were performed with the help of MCNP nuclear code. As a nuclear fuel, 10 vol% uranium dioxide and as a coolant, 90 vol% natural lithium were used. In neutronic calculations, tritium breeding ratio (TBR), energy multiplication factor (M), fuel burnup (BU) and fissile fuel changes were obtained. In addition, hydrogen production potential was examined by high temperature electrolysis (HTE) method and sulfur-iodine (S-I) cycled thermochemical method of the reactor. As a consequence of the calculations, a good neutronic performance was obtained in the reactor and also it was observed that HTE method, which is the one of the hydrogen production methods, produced more hydrogen by using less power than the S-I method.  

Keywords

LIFE fusion reactor, nuclear hydrogen production, sulfur-iodine (S-I) thermochemical cycle, high temperature electrolysis

Uranyum Yakıtlı Bir Lazer Sürücülü Füzyon Reaktöründe (LIFE) Nötronik Performansın Hidrojen Üretimine Etkisi

Abstract

Bu çalışmada, uranyum yakıtlı bir lazer sürücülü füzyon reaktöründe (LIFE) nötronik analiz ve bu reaktörün hidrojen üretim potansiyeli araştırılmıştır. Nötronik hesaplamalar MCNP nükleer kodu yardımıyla yapılmıştır. Nükleer yakıt olarak %10 uranyum dioksit (UO2), soğutucu olarak ise %90 natural lityum kullanılmıştır. Nötronik hesaplamalarda, trityum üretim oranı (TBR), enerji çoğaltım faktörü (M), yakıt yanma oranı (BU) ve fisil yakıt değişimleri elde edilmiştir. Ek olarak, reaktörün yüksek sıcaklıkta elektroliz (HTE) yöntemi ve kükürt-iyot (S-I) döngülü termokimyasal yöntem ile hidrojen üretim potansiyeli araştırılmıştır. Yapılan hesaplamalar sonucunda, reaktörde iyi bir nötronik performans elde edilmiş ve ayrıca hidrojen üretim metotlarından HTE metodunun S-I metoduna göre daha az güç kullanarak daha fazla hidrojen ürettiği gözlemlenmiştir. 

Keywords

LIFE Füzyon reaktör, nükleer hidrojen üretimi, kükürt-iyot (S-I) termokimyasal çevrim, yüksek sıcaklıkta elektroliz (HTE)

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