COMPLETE DOCUMENT (1862 kb) - OECD Nuclear Energy Agency

manufacture is 2 years. 12×24 targets are loaded-unloaded each year and are irradiated for three
successive campaigns of each 43 GWd/tHM.
Table II.6 Mass balances for heterogeneous recycling in thermal reactors
PWR-UO 2 PWR 900 (TIGRE)
Irradiation time EFPD(*) 2460 1120
Content (%) (mass) 20 70
Initial mass (kg) 736 236
Specific consumption (kg/TWhe) 4.2 15
Np Depletion (% of initial mass) 42 38
Fissioned fraction (% of initial mass) 7 3
Fissioned mass (kg) 52 7
Content (%) (mass) 20 30
Initial mass (kg) 726 71
Specific consumption (kg/TWhe) 5.8 8.6
Am Depletion (% of initial mass) 58 74
Fissioned fraction (% of initial mass) 10 13
Fissioned mass (kg) 73 9
(*) Effective Full Power Days
The results from these calculations show a relative stabilisation of performances between the
second and third campaign. The annual neptunium consumption decreases from 37% to 27% between
the first and third irradiation campaign because of the increase in the neptunium content in the targets.
During the third campaign, the annual neptunium consumption of 166 kg gives rise to 140 kg of
plutonium. The fissile Pu content in the total plutonium is 15.7% at the end of the irradiation period.
The annual americium consumption at equilibrium is 60%. As the resulting plutonium is
recycled, the results are similar to those of neptunium except for a production of curium (of about 20%
of the loaded americium amount) which is directly disposed of.
2.3.2.2 Molten salt reactor
The preliminary design of a TRU burner utilising a molten salt fuel and a graphite moderator
has been performed. The molten salt reactor will be able to burn transuranic material at a rate of
1.2 kg/MWe-y [80]. The transuranic inventory of the molten salt reactor at a thermal power of
1 600 MWth is about 700 kg. Therefore, the time to reduce an amount equal to this transuranic
inventory is about 10 years.
154