On Plutonium-241 and Americium in the Two-Component Nuclear Energy System

UDC: 621.039.5

The article concerns the influence of the strategy for using released plutonium from spent fuel of thermal and fast reactors, as well as homogeneous burning of americium in the core of a BN reactor on the balance of americium in the Russian nuclear fuel cycle throughout the 21st century. The assessment is carried out using mathematical modelling of nuclear materials movement including nuclide changes throughout nuclear power system by computer code CYCLE.

Modelling of the americium and Pu-241 accumulation in the two-component nuclear power system with thermal (VVER) and fast (BN) reactors was carried out. In so doing, SNF reprocessing was modeled in 2 options: as priority reprocessing of SNF from VVER reactors or SNF from BN reactors. In addition to the accumulation of americium in the system without burning, the accumulation of this actinide was studied taking into account its homogeneous burning in the MOX-fuel of fast reactors at the level of its equilibrium content of ~1%.

It has been shown that priority reprocessing of VVER spent fuel makes it possible to reduce the americium accumulation by ~8 tons by the end of the century, and the effect is achieved by using freshly separated plutonium with short cooling, thereby priority destroying the americium source – Pu-241 without directly handling it.

To prevent the americium accumulation, the option of its homogeneous addition to the core fuel of fast reactors of the BN-1200 type at the level of its equilibrium content was also considered. This makes it possible to stop the accumulation of americium in the two-component nuclear system by 2070, stabilizing it at the level of ~40 tons in the scenario with priority reprocessing of VVER SNF and ~50 tons in the scenario with priority reprocessing of BN SNF.

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two-component nuclear power system modelling fast neutron reactor spent nuclear fuel plutonium americium homogeneous burning

Link for citing the article: Troyanov V.M., Gulevich A.V., Gurskaya O.S., Dekusar V.M., Eliseev V.A., Moseev A.L. On Plutonium-241 and Americium in the Two-Component Nuclear Energy System. Izvestiya vuzov. Yadernaya Energetika. 2024, no. 2, pp. 8-18; DOI: https://doi.org/10.26583/npe.2024.2.01 (in Russian).

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