All the laws, decrees and public debates relating to the energy
transition, emphasizes the importance of the study of electronuclear
fleet evolution scenarios. One of the reference strategies for the
French electronuclear fleet evolution considers the step by step
deployment of Generation IV Sodium-cooled Fast Reactors (SFR). A proper
assessment of the possible transitions scenarios requires a thorough
study of the different possible trajectories and its associated
consequences on the entire fuel cycle.
In this framework, this
Ph.D. work aims at analyzing the impact on plutonium and minor actinide
dynamic management, of ASTRID-like reactor deployment scenarios, a
Generation IV SFR developed by the CEA and its industrial partners. The
modeling of two ASTRID-like reactor configurations, one plutonium
break-even, and one burner, allow the validation of the calculation
hypothesis, the quantification of associated bias and the verification
of reactor safety coefficients. It was observed that the variation of
initial fuel composition had a drastic impact on the system
configuration. Within the framework of this research, the dynamic fuel
cycle simulator CLASS, developed by the CNRS/IN2P3 and the IRSN was
further modified, to meet the requirement of new dedicated complex
physics models. These new developments using multidimensional and
nonlinear interpolators allow modeling of the fresh fuel fabrication and
irradiation while maintaining the reactor heterogeneity throughout the
simulations. With these multizone models, effects of SFR deployment is
studied, and potential constraints on in-cycle materials are identified
by the simulation of transition scenarios, from a Pressurized Water
Reactor fleet to a mixed fleet integrating SFRs. An academic analysis of
the scenarios presented within the energy transition law is proposed to
extend this work.