Preliminary analysis of the impact of fuel density on the research reactor fuel cycle

Abstract

Several major considerations related to the impact of uranium density of LEU fuel on the cost of research reactor fuel cycle are analyzed in order to identify significant factors affected by adopting higher uranium density fuel in research reactors, as a result of a cooperative activity of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Because of the complex character of multiple overarching factors of the fuel cycle, it is difficult for potential users of high density fuel to clearly understand what benefits are expected, for example, when U-Mo fuel with a uranium density higher than 4.8 g-U/cm3 is used instead of U3Si2 fuel. While several studies on the impact of high density fuels are available for generic reactors and existing reactors, it is necessary to provide a comprehensive overview by considering potential benefits and limitations of using high density fuel. In this study, the impact of the use of increased density fuel on the annual consumption of fuel assemblies, the costs for the manufacturing and spent fuel management, the reactor performance parameters and irradiation capabilities are discussed.