Coupled Analysis of Thorium-based Fuels in the High-Performance Light Water Reactor Fuel Assembly

One of the six selected concepts to be part Generation IV nuclear reactors is Supercritical Light Water Cooled Reactor. The High-Performance Reactor (HPLWR) European version and it a very promising design. In recent years, interest in study thorium-based fuel cycles has been renewed its possibilities for current LWRs have evaluated. use fuels will fundamental future sustainability energy, since addition abundance nature, thorium an important group advantages. this paper, performance typical assembly HPLWR reactor evaluated, using computational model based on CFD Monte Carlo codes neutronic/thermal-hydraulic coupled analysis. volumetric power density profiles, coolant temperature profiles others are compared with those obtained standard UO 2 fuel. When used, infinite multiplication coefficients smaller than value when 232 Th isotope lower contribution multiplicative properties medium 238 U. As result, difference approximately 12 000 pcm was observed. results verified that thermal hard spectrum. There no notable changes neutron spectrum if mass fraction slightly varied. With analysis, potential benefits utilization were verified. Moreover, significant decrease by 136 K center line elements increases oxides mixture, weighted average decreases .