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Prospects for Using Nitride Fuel in Fast Reactors with a Closed Nuclear Fuel Cycle

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Atomic Energy Aims and scope

The present status of research on dense nitride fuel for liquid-metal cooled fast reactors is examined. It is noted that within the framework of project Proryv nitride fuel is to be used in reactors with sodium (BN-1200) as well as lead coolant (BREST). Carbothermal synthesis of nitride from oxide powders has been chosen to fabricate the experimental fuel elements. Several experimental assemblies with mixed uranium-plutonium nitride fuel have been fabricated for tests in BOR-60 and BN-600. It is shown that the existing global experience in studying nitride fuel is insufficient for validating such fuel for use in BN-1200 and BREST. A complex program for computational-experimental validation of fuel elements is being implemented for validating the serviceability of fuel elements.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Innovation and Technology Center for Proryv Project, Moscow, Russia

    V. M. Troyanov, A. F. Grachev & L. M. Zabud’ko

  2. Bochvar All-Russia Research Institute for Inorganic Materials (VNIINM), Moscow, Russia

    M. V. Skupov

Authors
  1. V. M. Troyanov
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  2. A. F. Grachev
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  3. L. M. Zabud’ko
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  4. M. V. Skupov
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Translated from Atomnaya Énergiya, Vol. 117, No. 2, pp. 69–75, August, 2014.

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Troyanov, V.M., Grachev, A.F., Zabud’ko, L.M. et al. Prospects for Using Nitride Fuel in Fast Reactors with a Closed Nuclear Fuel Cycle. At Energy 117, 85–91 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10512-014-9893-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10512-014-9893-1

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