Searching for optimum design and burnable absorber for controlling the reactivity of u.s. Supper critical water reactor (SCWR)

Numerous research endeavours are currently underway to advance supercritical water reactors (SCWR), acknowledged as a cornerstone among Generation IV nuclear reactor designs. Evaluation and managing the reactivity of the reactor is a vital issue in the reactor operation. This research seeks to identify efficacious burnable absorber (BA) materials and determine an optimal spatial distribution within the fuel assembly to regulate reactivity levels effectively. Gadolinium, erbium and Lutetium have been suggested as BA in the form of integral burnable absorber (IBA) rods ((UO₂ + Gd₂O₃), (UO₂ + Er₂O₃) and (UO₂ + Lu₂O₃)). Two SCWR assembly models, each featuring varied quantities and distributions of BA, have been examined. Various concentrations of the suggested BAs have been examined in the suggested models to verify the optimum cases. Burnup analyses have been conducted to evaluate the proposed cases. Different alloys of BAs including B₄C+Dy₂O₃ and B₄C+Sm₂O₃ have been investigated in the control rod and compared with the standard alloy B₄C.