Burnable Absorbers in Pebble-Bed High-Temperature Reactor Designs

Kód výsledku v IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F46747885%3A24210%2F26%3A00013631" target="_blank" >RIV/46747885:24210/26:00013631 - isvavai.cz</a>

Výsledek na webu

<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969806X25007613?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" >https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969806X25007613?via%3Dihub</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.radphyschem.2025.113269" target="_blank" >10.1016/j.radphyschem.2025.113269</a>

Jazyk výsledku

angličtina

Název v původním jazyce

Burnable Absorbers in Pebble-Bed High-Temperature Reactor Designs

Popis výsledku v původním jazyce

Pebble-bed high-temperature reactors (HTRs) that operate with an OTTO (Once-Through-Then-Out) fuel cycle face challenges such as strong initial reactivity excess and axial power peaking, which can compromise safety margins. This study evaluates the integration of burnable absorbers (BAs) directly into TRISO particle coatings as a strategy for controlling reactivity and flattening power distribution. A comprehensive neutronic analysis was performed using the Serpent 2 Monte Carlo code, which explicitly modelled the double heterogeneity of pebble fuel. All elements with natural abundance were screened and categorized based on their required mass loading and depletion behavior. At the pebble level, boron, indium, and gold provided significant initial reactivity suppression with stable burnup characteristics, while lithium and europium were effective for long-term reactivity control. At the core level, erbium, boron, iridium, mercury, and protactinium were successful in reducing axial and pebble-level power peaking, effectively shifting the axial maximum downward. The results demonstrate that optimized configurations of burnable absorbers can both control reactivity and improve power distribution in OTTO-cycle HTRs, offering a practical approach to designing safer and more efficient reactors.

Název v anglickém jazyce

Burnable Absorbers in Pebble-Bed High-Temperature Reactor Designs

Popis výsledku anglicky

Pebble-bed high-temperature reactors (HTRs) that operate with an OTTO (Once-Through-Then-Out) fuel cycle face challenges such as strong initial reactivity excess and axial power peaking, which can compromise safety margins. This study evaluates the integration of burnable absorbers (BAs) directly into TRISO particle coatings as a strategy for controlling reactivity and flattening power distribution. A comprehensive neutronic analysis was performed using the Serpent 2 Monte Carlo code, which explicitly modelled the double heterogeneity of pebble fuel. All elements with natural abundance were screened and categorized based on their required mass loading and depletion behavior. At the pebble level, boron, indium, and gold provided significant initial reactivity suppression with stable burnup characteristics, while lithium and europium were effective for long-term reactivity control. At the core level, erbium, boron, iridium, mercury, and protactinium were successful in reducing axial and pebble-level power peaking, effectively shifting the axial maximum downward. The results demonstrate that optimized configurations of burnable absorbers can both control reactivity and improve power distribution in OTTO-cycle HTRs, offering a practical approach to designing safer and more efficient reactors.

Druh

J_imp - Článek v periodiku v databázi Web of Science

CEP obor

—

OECD FORD obor

20305 - Nuclear related engineering; (nuclear physics to be 1.3);

Projekt

—

Návaznosti

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Rok uplatnění

2026

Kód důvěrnosti údajů

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Název periodika

Radiation Physics and Chemistry>

ISSN

1879-0895

e-ISSN

—

Svazek periodika

239

Číslo periodika v rámci svazku

February

Stát vydavatele periodika

GB - Spojené království Velké Británie a Severního Irska

Počet stran výsledku

11

Strana od-do

—

Kód UT WoS článku

001565274500001

EID výsledku v databázi Scopus

2-s2.0-105014512641