Merk Bruno, Rohde Ulrich, Glivici-Cotruţă Varvara, Litskevich Dzianis, Scholl Susanne
Department of Reactor Safety, Institute of Resource Ecology, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany.
PLoS One. 2014 Apr 1;9(4):e92776. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0092776. eCollection 2014.
In the view of transmutation of transuranium (TRU) elements, molten salt fast reactors (MSFRs) offer certain advantages compared to solid fuelled reactor types like sodium cooled fast reactors (SFRs). In the first part these advantages are discussed in comparison with the SFR technology, and the research challenges are analyzed. In the second part cycle studies for the MSFR are given for different configurations--a core with U-238 fertile, a fertile free core, and a core with Th-232 as fertile material. For all cases, the transmutation potential is determined and efficient transmutation performance for the case with thorium as a fertile material as well as for the fertile free case is demonstrated and the individual advantages are discussed. The time evolution of different important isotopes is analyzed. In the third part a strategy for the optimization of the transmutation efficiency is developed. The final aim is dictated by the phase out decision of the German government, which requests to put the focus on the determination of the maximal transmutation efficiency and on an as much as possible reduced leftover of transuranium elements at the end of the reactor life. This minimal leftover is achieved by a two step procedure of a first transmuter operation phase followed by a second deep burning phase. There the U-233, which is bred in the blanket of the core consisting of thorium containing salt, is used as feed. It is demonstrated, that transmutation rates up to more than 90% can be achieved for all transuranium isotopes, while the production of undesired high elements like californium is very limited. Additionally, the adaptations needed for the simulation of a MSFR, and the used tool HELIOS 1.10 is described.
鉴于超铀（TRU）元素的嬗变，与钠冷快堆（SFR）等固体燃料反应堆类型相比，熔盐快堆（MSFR）具有一定优势。在第一部分中，将这些优势与SFR技术进行了比较讨论，并分析了研究挑战。在第二部分中，给出了MSFR在不同配置下的循环研究——一个含有U-238可转换材料的堆芯、一个无可转换材料的堆芯以及一个以Th-232作为可转换材料的堆芯。对于所有情况，确定了嬗变潜力，证明了以钍作为可转换材料的情况以及无可转换材料情况的高效嬗变性能，并讨论了各自的优势。分析了不同重要同位素的时间演变。在第三部分中，制定了优化嬗变效率的策略。最终目标由德国政府的逐步淘汰决定所决定，该决定要求将重点放在确定最大嬗变效率以及在反应堆寿期末尽可能减少超铀元素的剩余量上。通过先进行第一阶段的嬗变器运行，然后进行第二阶段的深度燃烧的两步程序来实现这种最小剩余量。在那里，在由含钍盐组成的堆芯包层中产生的U-233用作进料。结果表明，所有超铀同位素的嬗变率可达90%以上，而诸如锎等不希望产生的高原子序数元素的产量非常有限。此外，还描述了模拟MSFR所需的调整以及所使用的工具HELIOS 1.10。
