Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Seyedeh Leila Mirmohammadi ¹
• JAber Safdari ²
• Mohammad Hassan Mallah ³

¹ Material and Nuclear Fuel Research School, Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, Atomic Energy Organization, P.O. Box: 11365-8486, Tehran, Iran

² NSTRI

³ Member of the Faculty of Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran

Abstract

This paper aims to produce uranium with 20% enrichment for research reactor fuel directly from natural uranium with waste xw≤0.3% through a cascade. For this purpose, five strategies have been used, including single-optimized tapered, square, 2-section squared-off, 3-section squared-off, and 4-section squared-off cascades. To design and optimize the cascades, five software codes, "STC-PSOA" and "SQC-PSOA," "2SQC-PSOA," "3SQC-PSOA," and "4SQC-PSOA," have been developed, and the PSO optimization algorithm is employed to optimize them. Using one arrangement and one step, it is not possible to produce uranium with a 20% enrichment level in the first strategy. The maximum product enrichment level is 3.73%. 2. In the other four strategies, uranium with a 20% enrichment level can be produced in two steps with a single arrangement. If uranium with a higher enrichment level is needed, the number of steps must be increased without changing the arrangement. 3. With the strategy of using 4-section squared-off cascades at a certain time, product production is 11.1%, 3.1%, and 1.0% higher than square, 2-section, and 3-section squared-off cascades.

Keywords

• Optimized tapered cascades
• Optimized square and squared-off cascades
• Fuel of research Reactors
• Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm (PSO)

Main Subjects

• NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS