Kilopower空间堆燃料低浓化方案研究

Study on LEU Core Scheme for Kilopower Space Reactor

针对Kilopower高浓铀快堆方案(HEU-UMo)存在的核扩散和恐怖主义风险、政治风险、安保成本高昂、无法商业研发等问题,以及Kilopower低浓铀快堆方案(LEU-UMo)的质量和尺寸过大的问题,提出了一种采用低浓铀燃料板与氢化钇(YH 2)慢化剂板交叠布置的新方案(LEU-UMo-YH 2),并从物理、热工及特殊临界安全等方面对各方案进行了比较。结果表明:该方案相比LEU-UMo方案,堆芯尺寸得到了较大幅度的减小,其堆芯质量和U-235装量分别仅为LEU-UMo方案的40%和17%。若HEU-UMo被禁用,对于近期的任务,LEU-UMo具备最高的可实现性,对于远期的任务,LEU-UMo-YH 2具有很好的研究前景。

The Kilopower HEU fast reactor(HEU-UMo)possesses many disadvantages such as nuclear proliferation and terrorism risks,political risks,high security costs,and inability to develop commercially.While,Kilopower LEU fast reactor(LEU-UMo)has the problem of excessive mass and size.Therefore,a new reactor scheme(LEU-UMo-YH2)using the overlapping arrangement of LEU fuel plates and yttrium hydride(YH2)moderator plates was proposed.Comparing with the LEU-UMo scheme,the core size of the new scheme was greatly reduced.Meanwhile,the core mass and U-235 loading of the new scheme were only 40%and 17%of the LEU-UMo scheme,respectively.If HEU-UMo is prohibited in the future,LEU-UMo is considered to have the best feasibility for short-term missions,while LEU-UMo-YH2 possesses good research prospects for long-term missions.