METHOD OF OPERATION OF THE NUCLEAR REACTOR IN THE URANIUM-THORIUM FUEL CYCLE WITH THE WORK OF ISOTOPE U Russian patent published in 2017 - IPC G21C1/00 

FIELD: physics.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to a method for operating a nuclear reactor in an uranium-thorium fuel cycle with the development of an isotope ²³³U and is intended for the initial loading of the reactor core with oxide uranium-thorium fuel. The fuel used is (²³⁵U_α²³⁸U_β²³²Th_1-α-β)O₂ high-enriched fuel ²³⁵U (²³⁵U_0.9²³⁸U_0.1) and the choice of water/fuel volumes in the range of 1.5-1.7 using heavy water as a moderator and coolant (D₂O). At the same time, the intensity of the neutron flux and its energy distribution is formed at the beginning of the reactor campaign in the spectrum, in which the fraction of fast neutrons prevails over the thermal ones, and controlling the operation of the reactor at power by keeping it in a critical state, providing a balance between the isotope ²³³U and neutron absorbers by continuous dilution during the heavy water reactor campaign with light water (H₂O) until the moment when light water will take half of the composition.

EFFECT: possibility of extending the campaign time, the possibility of ensuring a deep burnup of the starter isotope ²³⁵U and effective production of the isotope ²³³U.

2 cl, 6 dwg