Studying The importance of using Tungsten as a clad for MOX fuel in Gen. IV nuclear reactors

Abstract

A study on the advantages that Tungsten can offer, as a clad for MOX fuel, when used as a substitute of the SS-316 in a reactor of Gen. IV nuclear reactors called ALLEGRO. Useless to say that this reactor is still being designed and constructed on the European level, but practically is not existing in the reality

Results obtained by the use of MALBRN computer system  show that Tungsten, as a fuel clad, is thermally a bit better than the SS-316 in the case ALLEGRO is operated following the European criteria for the maximum fuel and clad temperatures, where the maximum temperature drop between the fuel center and the coolant decreases by about 3 °C, in cace use the Tungsten as a clad for fuel instead substitute of the SS-316  .

The highest advantages of using Tungsten in ALLEGRO reactor appear when operating ALLEGRO without applying those criteria. In this case the thermodynamic efficiency of the coolant of the first cycle of the reactor increases from about 60 to 71.2 by  just increasing the outlet temperature of the coolant from about 651.2 to 901.6 . To be noted that SS-316 is neutronically better than Tungsten