Neutronic analysis and safety enhancement for small modular reactors using accident tolerant fuel and cladding

IF 2.8 3区物理与天体物理 Q3 CHEMISTRY, PHYSICAL

Radiation Physics and Chemistry Pub Date : 2025-03-11 DOI:10.1016/j.radphyschem.2025.112682

Moustafa Aziz, Hend M. Saad

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Abstract

The design and operation of small modular reactors require high levels of nuclear safety and a relatively long fuel cycle. Zirconium cladding have a significant safety risk of hydrogen generation due to strong oxidation and hydrogen release associated with temperature rises and accident conditions in light water moderated reactors. The idea of this research is based on replacement of zirconium with an alternative fuel cladding that does not react with water/steam, such as silicon carbide (SiC) and a steel alloy composed of iron, chromium and aluminum or coating zirconium cladding with a layer of chromium in addition to using another alternative of high density fuel, such as uranium carbide or nitride to increase the fuel cycle and optimize the economic return of the new materials. The results of the present model showed that using chromium-coated zirconium or FeCrAl alloy reduces the fuel cycle by 8.6 % and 34 % respectively, while silicon carbide achieves the same cycle as zirconium. The use of uranium carbide, uranium nitride and molybdenum-doped uranium fuels increases the fuel cycle by 17 %, 34 % and 25.7 % respectively.

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来源期刊

Radiation Physics and Chemistry 化学-核科学技术

CiteScore

5.60

自引率

17.20%

发文量

574

审稿时长

12 weeks

期刊介绍： Radiation Physics and Chemistry is a multidisciplinary journal that provides a medium for publication of substantial and original papers, reviews, and short communications which focus on research and developments involving ionizing radiation in radiation physics, radiation chemistry and radiation processing. The journal aims to publish papers with significance to an international audience, containing substantial novelty and scientific impact. The Editors reserve the rights to reject, with or without external review, papers that do not meet these criteria. This could include papers that are very similar to previous publications, only with changed target substrates, employed materials, analyzed sites and experimental methods, report results without presenting new insights and/or hypothesis testing, or do not focus on the radiation effects.