Impact of Materials on CANDU-SCWR Lattice Physics

Abstract

One of the key challenges in the development of a CANDU® pressure-tube supercritical water- cooled reactor (SCWR) is the selection of materials appropriate for in-core use. Such materials must be able to withstand the high-temperature, corrosive environment, and effects of irradiation encountered in the core, while at the same time minimizing parasitic neutron absorption. Achieving the appropriate balance between reactor physics and materials requirements necessitates knowledge of both materials properties of candidate alloys and their impact on lattice physics. In this paper, lattice physics calculations have been performed for the CANDU- SCWR for several categories of candidate in-core materials. In addition, a simple relation is derived that can be used to estimate the relative influence of in-core materials on lattice reactivity and fuel discharge burnup, based on material chemical composition and density.