2024 - Sustainable Industrial Processing Summit
SIPS 2024 Volume 8. Monteiro Intl. Symp / Composite, Ceramic and Nano Materials Processing
| Editors: | F. Kongoli, P. Assis, H.A.C. Lopera, S. Diaz, V. Scarpini Candido |
| Publisher: | Flogen Star OUTREACH |
| Publication Year: | 2024 |
| Pages: | 288 pages |
| ISBN: | 978-1-998384-18-1 (CD) |
| ISSN: | 2291-1227 (Metals and Materials Processing in a Clean Environment Series) |
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COMPARATIVE CRITICALITY ASSESSMENT OF A HYPOTHETICAL FUEL ELEMENT WITH 316 STAINLESS STEEL-CLAD RODS DOPED WITH Nb THROUGH COMPUTATIONAL SIMULATION
Ary Machado de Azevedo1; Marcos Paulo Cavaliere de Medeiros1; Thomaz Jacintho Lopes2; Fernando Manuel Araújo Moreira1; Sergio Monteiro1; André Ben-Hur da Silva Figueiredo1;1MILITARY INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; 2MILITARY INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING, Duque de Caxias, Brazil;
Type of Paper: Regular
Id Paper: 218
Topic: 18
Abstract:
Several applications were investigated, including fuel rod coatings, structural alloys, and cooling materials in nuclear reactors, with an emphasis on enhancing performance, safety, and durability [1]. The results demonstrated that niobium doping offers numerous benefits, such as improved corrosion resistance, increased stability in high-temperature and radiation environments, and a reduction in criticality of nuclear fuel elements [2-3]. These findings highlight the potential of niobium as a strategic material in the nuclear industry, providing promising solutions to the challenges of safe and efficient nuclear reactor operations, including those of small modular reactors (SMRs)[4]. The effective multiplication factor (keff) for a rod coated with 10% niobium was keff = 1.10807 ± 0.00058. Compared to the undoped reference value of keff = 1.12086 ± 0.00064, there is a relative reduction in criticality of approximately 1.14%. The computational simulation using MCNP5 with kcode provided a detailed analysis of nuclear fuel criticality. The results showed that doping Stainless Steel 316[5-6] with niobium reduced the effective multiplication factor (keff) by about 1.14%. This suggests that adding niobium significantly affects neutron production, crucial for PWR nuclear reactor operation. This reduction indicates niobium's effectiveness in controlling nuclear reactions and mitigating reactor operation risks[7-8]. Thus, niobium plays a key role in optimizing the performance and safety of nuclear fuel elements. The potential application of niobium in small modular reactors (SMRs) will be studied, as it could significantly enhance the safety, efficiency, and durability of next-generation nuclear energy systems. Its unique properties make it a valuable material for a wide range of applications in the nuclear industry.