Minimize fission power peaking factor in radial direction of water-cooled and water-moderated thermionic conversion reactor core

The paper investigates the possibility for reducing the radial power peaking factor k_r inside the core of a water-cooled water-moderated thermionic converter reactor (TCR). Due to a highly nonuniform power density, the TCR generates less electric power and the temperature increases in components of the thermionic fuel elements, leading so to a shorter reactor life.

A TCR with an intermediate neutron spectrum has its thermionic fuel elements (TFE) arranged inside the core in concentric circles, this providing for a nonuniform TFE spacing and reduces k_r. The water-cooled water-moderated TCR under consideration has a much larger number of TFEs arranged in a hexagonal lattice with a uniform pitch. Power density flattening in a core with a uniform-pitch lattice can be achieved, e.g., through using different fuel enrichment in core or using additional in-core structures. The former requires different TFE types to be taken into account and developed while the latter may cause degradation of the reactor neutronic parameters; all this will affect the design's economic efficiency.

It is proposed that the core should be split into sections with each section having its own uniform lattice pitch which increases in the direction from the center to the periphery leading so to the radial power density factor decreasing to 1.06. The number of the sections the core is split into depends on the lattice pitch, the TFE type and size, the reflector thickness, and the reactor design constraints. The best lattice spacing options for each section can be selected using the procedure based on a genetic algorithm technology which allows finding solutions that satisfy to a number of conditions.

This approach does not require the reactor dimensions to be increased, different TFE types to be taken into account and developed, or extra structures to be installed at the core center.