Comparative Reactor Physics Study on Accident-tolerant Fuel for the CANDU Reactor

Abstract

Many studies have been performed on the feasibility of ATF for LWRs, but few studies exist for CANDU reactors. In this paper, we investigate the reactor physics properties for ATF in a CANDU lattice using Serpent 2, along with comparing fuel temperatures using FlexPDE to model heat transfer. Adding SiC to UO₂ can bring temperatures down significantly with only modest changes in other properties. Other types of ATF result in lower temperatures, but require greater enrichment. ATF cladding can slow down oxidation in steam, but a FeCrAl coating also requires slight fuel enrichment.