Fast Thorium Molten Salt Reactors started with Plutonium

E. Merle-Lucotte (1) , D. Heuer (1) , C. Le Brun (1) , L. Mathieu (1) , R. Brissot (1) , E. Liatard (1) , O. Méplan (1) , A. Nuttin (1)

1 LPSC - Laboratoire de Physique Subatomique et de Cosmologie

One of the pending questions concerning Molten Salt Reactors based on the 232Th/233U fuel cycle is the supply of the fissile matter, and as a consequence the deployment possibilities of a fleet of Molten Salt Reactors, since 233U does not exist on earth and is not yet produced in the current operating reactors. A solution may consist in producing 233U in special devices containing Thorium, in Pressurized Water or Fast Neutrons Reactors. Two alternatives to produce 233U are examined here: directly in standard Molten Salt Reactors started with Plutonium as fissile matter and then operated in the Th/233U cycle; or in dedicated Molten Salt Reactors started and fed with Plutonium as fissile matter and Thorium as fertile matter. The idea is to design a critical reactor able to burn the Plutonium and the minor actinides presently produced in PWRs, and consequently to convert this Plutonium into 233U. A particular reactor configuration is used, called unique channel configuration in which there is no moderator in the core, leading to a quasi fast neutron spectrum, allowing Plutonium to be used as fissile matter. The conversion capacities of such Molten Salt Reactors are excellent. For Molten Salt Reactors only started with Plutonium, the assets of the Thorium fuel cycle turn out to be quickly recovered and the reactors characteristics turn out to be equivalent to Molten Salt Reactors operated with 233U only. Using a combination of Molten Salt Reactors started or operated with Plutonium and of Molten Salt Reactors started with 233U, the deployment capabilities of these reactors fully satisfy the condition of sustainability.

Domaines: Physique Nucléaire Expérimentale [nucl-ex]

E. Merle-Lucotte, D. Heuer, C. Le Brun, L. Mathieu, R. Brissot, et al.. Fast Thorium Molten Salt Reactors started with Plutonium. ICAPP '06 : International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants, Jun 2006, Reno, Nevada, United States. 6132 (9 p.). ⟨in2p3-00135141⟩