View in EDS PDF Full Text

On the use of high-assay low-enriched uranium–thorium fuel cycles in pressurised heavy water reactors.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: On the use of high-assay low-enriched uranium–thorium fuel cycles in pressurised heavy water reactors.
Authors: Singh, K. P.1 kpsingh@barc.gov.in, Thakur, Amit1, Gupta, Anurag1
Source: Current Science (00113891). 1/25/2026, Vol. 130 Issue 2, p126-135. 10p.
Subjects: Fuel cycle, Mixed oxide fuels (Nuclear engineering), Spent reactor fuels, Burnup (Nuclear chemistry), Nuclear fuels, Pressurized water reactors, Uranium enrichment
Abstract: High-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel has a 235U enrichment range of 5% to 20%. The Indian 220 MWe pressurised heavy water reactor (PHWR-220) uses natural uranium (0.7% 235U and 99.3% 238U) as fuel. The energy extracted per unit mass of fuel or burn-up in these PHWRs is ∼7 GWd/t. In the case of pressurised water reactors (PWRs), which use close to 5% enriched 235U fuel, the burn-up is ∼50 GWd/t. Therefore, the irradiated spent fuel discharged from PHWRs is ∼7 times more than that of PWRs. To reduce the annual spent fuel generation, a HALEU-Th based fuel is being suggested, where HALEU is mixed with Thorium to make a mixed oxide fuel with an average fissile 235U content in the range of 3-4% and with a target discharge burn-up of ∼50 GWd/t, similar to the one attained in standard PWRs. The present article explores the features of the HALEU-Th fuel cycle in 220 MWe PHWRs, based on core-level analysis, to determine the benefits and challenges of transitioning from the NU fuel cycle to HALEU-Th. In addition, the use of slightly enriched uranium (SEU, with ∼1.1% of 235U in U) in PHWRs has also been studied for comparison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Current Science (00113891) is the property of Indian Academy of Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Engineering Source
FullText Links:
  – Type: pdflink
Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: egs
DbLabel: Engineering Source
An: 191439790
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: On the use of high-assay low-enriched uranium–thorium fuel cycles in pressurised heavy water reactors.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Singh%2C+K%2E+P%2E%22">Singh, K. P.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><i> kpsingh@barc.gov.in</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Thakur%2C+Amit%22">Thakur, Amit</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Gupta%2C+Anurag%22">Gupta, Anurag</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Current+Science+%2800113891%29%22">Current Science (00113891)</searchLink>. 1/25/2026, Vol. 130 Issue 2, p126-135. 10p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subjects
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Fuel+cycle%22">Fuel cycle</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mixed+oxide+fuels+%28Nuclear+engineering%29%22">Mixed oxide fuels (Nuclear engineering)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Spent+reactor+fuels%22">Spent reactor fuels</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Burnup+%28Nuclear+chemistry%29%22">Burnup (Nuclear chemistry)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Nuclear+fuels%22">Nuclear fuels</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pressurized+water+reactors%22">Pressurized water reactors</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Uranium+enrichment%22">Uranium enrichment</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: High-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel has a 235U enrichment range of 5% to 20%. The Indian 220 MWe pressurised heavy water reactor (PHWR-220) uses natural uranium (0.7% 235U and 99.3% 238U) as fuel. The energy extracted per unit mass of fuel or burn-up in these PHWRs is ∼7 GWd/t. In the case of pressurised water reactors (PWRs), which use close to 5% enriched 235U fuel, the burn-up is ∼50 GWd/t. Therefore, the irradiated spent fuel discharged from PHWRs is ∼7 times more than that of PWRs. To reduce the annual spent fuel generation, a HALEU-Th based fuel is being suggested, where HALEU is mixed with Thorium to make a mixed oxide fuel with an average fissile 235U content in the range of 3-4% and with a target discharge burn-up of ∼50 GWd/t, similar to the one attained in standard PWRs. The present article explores the features of the HALEU-Th fuel cycle in 220 MWe PHWRs, based on core-level analysis, to determine the benefits and challenges of transitioning from the NU fuel cycle to HALEU-Th. In addition, the use of slightly enriched uranium (SEU, with ∼1.1% of 235U in U) in PHWRs has also been studied for comparison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Current Science (00113891) is the property of Indian Academy of Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=egs&AN=191439790
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.18520/cs/v130/i2/126-135
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 10
        StartPage: 126
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Fuel cycle
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mixed oxide fuels (Nuclear engineering)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Spent reactor fuels
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Burnup (Nuclear chemistry)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Nuclear fuels
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Pressurized water reactors
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Uranium enrichment
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: On the use of high-assay low-enriched uranium–thorium fuel cycles in pressurised heavy water reactors.
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Singh, K. P.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Thakur, Amit
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Gupta, Anurag
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 25
              M: 01
              Text: 1/25/2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 00113891
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 130
            – Type: issue
              Value: 2
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Current Science (00113891)
              Type: main
ResultId 1