Determining the Sensitivity of Reactor Parameters in a Sodium Cooled Fast Reactor

Abstract: The sensitivity of two operational output parameters, criticality and isotopic composition during burnup, to specific design and operational reactor parameters in a Sodium Cooled Fast Reactor, is investigated. The computational simulation tool Serpent is used. The parameters varied include Uranium enrichment, Plutonium content, rod thickness, fuel temperature, and sodium density. In burnup, the development of the fraction of fissile isotopes, isotopes used for measurements, the isotopic composition of Plutonium, and isotopes that complicate fuel reprocessing is displayed. A surrogate model, optimized for use in determining how criticality develops between data points, is used. The results are displayed as plots created in Matlab. The results are discussed, with a focus on how large an effect varying different parameters have on different outputs related to the reactor's operation. It is concluded that the Plutonium content has the largest effect on the isotopic composition and that, based on the performed simulations, MOX fuel is potentially safer than Zirconium alloy fuel in a practical setting.