Nuclear reactor (variants), fuel assembly consisting of driver-breeding modules for nuclear reactor (variants) and fuel cell for fuel assembly

Abstract

The invention relates to a structural design for light-water-moderated nuclear reactors using a thorium fuel, in particular to the structural design for caseless fuel assemblies constituting the cores of water moderated power-producing reactors, such as a WWER-1000 reactor. A thorium fuel in a breeding module together with a conventional reactor fuel containing unshaped enriched uranium or power producing plutonium in a driver module are burned in the core of a nuclear reactor which comprises a fuel assembly consisting of a driver and breeding modules. The driver module comprises a bundle of three leaf-shaped fuel cells forming screw spacer ribs. The driver and breeding modules can be coupled to each other by means of a spigot joint or be free of a rigid mechanical coupling. The inventive structural design of the fuel assembly provides the total compatibility thereof with existing fuel assemblies used in the WWER-1000 reactors. The fact that the two-section fuel assembly can be disassembled makes it possible to individually reload the driver module.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates generally to the design of light water reactors in which thorium is used as fuel, and in particular to the design of unjacketed fuel assemblies forming the core of a pressurized water reactor (PWR), such as VVER-1000. Background technique [0002] Nuclear energy is an important source of energy throughout the world. Many countries that lack sufficient local fossil fuel resources rely primarily on nuclear energy to generate electricity. In many other countries, nuclear energy is used as a competing source of power, which also increases the diversity of energy types used. In addition, nuclear energy makes an important contribution to goals such as controlling fossil fuel pollution (such as acid rain and global warming) and preserving fossil fuels for future generations. [0003] While safety is of course a major concern in the design and operation of nuclear reactors, another critical concern is the danger of a proliferati...

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Problems solved by technology

[0020] However, all fuel elements in this assembly are made of fissile material traditionally used in reactors such as VVER-1000; thus, the production of large amounts of reactor-grade plutonium is a specific disadvantage of reactors with such assemblies

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