Fast reactors containing heterogeneous minor actinide target rods are now being modeled. When studying transmutation in these rods, helium production from α-decay must be considered since helium is produced in substantial quantities. This research utilized an innovative method to calculate gas production by modifying the CINDER90 depletion code used by MCNPX 2.6.0 to include helium production from α-decay. It was tested using the Sodium-Cooled Heterogeneous Innovative Burner Reactor (SCHIBR) model created at the University of South Carolina. Following gas production analysis, an innovative recycling strategy was developed to increase plutonium utilization in the SCHIBR model. The innovative recycling strategy offers improvements over the previous once-through SCHIBR model by further reducing the radiotoxicity of the discharged waste and making plutonium available for use in additional SCHIBR reactors.
","abstract_html":"<p>Fast reactors containing heterogeneous minor actinide target rods are now being modeled. When studying transmutation in these rods, helium production from α-decay must be considered since helium is produced in substantial quantities. This research utilized an innovative method to calculate gas production by modifying the CINDER90 depletion code used by MCNPX 2.6.0 to include helium production from α-decay. It was tested using the Sodium-Cooled Heterogeneous Innovative Burner Reactor (SCHIBR) model created at the University of South Carolina. Following gas production analysis, an innovative recycling strategy was developed to increase plutonium utilization in the SCHIBR model. The innovative recycling strategy offers improvements over the previous once-through SCHIBR model by further reducing the radiotoxicity of the discharged waste and making plutonium available for use in additional SCHIBR reactors.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Read Jr., Carey McIlwaine"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"M.S.","degree_level":"Campus Access Thesis","degree_discipline":"Nuclear Engineering","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Travis W Knight"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2011,"date_issued":"2011-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2011-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:37:34Z","subjects":["Engineering","Nuclear Engineering","Fuel Cycle","Helium Production","Heterogeneous Burner Reactor","Minor Actinide","SCHIBR","Transmutation"],"languages":[],"rights":["© 2011, Carey McIlwaine Read Jr."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/1670","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Travis W Knight"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Read Jr., Carey McIlwaine"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Nuclear Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Campus Access Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["M.S."]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Engineering","Nuclear Engineering","Fuel Cycle","Helium Production","Heterogeneous Burner Reactor","Minor Actinide","SCHIBR","Transmutation"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["© 2011, Carey McIlwaine Read Jr."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/1670"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Fast reactors containing heterogeneous minor actinide target rods are now being modeled. When studying transmutation in these rods, helium production from α-decay must be considered since helium is produced in substantial quantities. This research utilized an innovative method to calculate gas production by modifying the CINDER90 depletion code used by MCNPX 2.6.0 to include helium production from α-decay. It was tested using the Sodium-Cooled Heterogeneous Innovative Burner Reactor (SCHIBR) model created at the University of South Carolina. Following gas production analysis, an innovative recycling strategy was developed to increase plutonium utilization in the SCHIBR model. The innovative recycling strategy offers improvements over the previous once-through SCHIBR model by further reducing the radiotoxicity of the discharged waste and making plutonium available for use in additional SCHIBR reactors.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Fuel Cycle Modeling Improvements and Multi-Tiered Recycling With A Sodium-Cooled Heterogeneous Innovative Burner Reactor"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Travis W Knight"],"dc:creator":["Read Jr., Carey McIlwaine"],"dc:description.abstract":["Fast reactors containing heterogeneous minor actinide target rods are now being modeled. When studying transmutation in these rods, helium production from α-decay must be considered since helium is produced in substantial quantities. This research utilized an innovative method to calculate gas production by modifying the CINDER90 depletion code used by MCNPX 2.6.0 to include helium production from α-decay. It was tested using the Sodium-Cooled Heterogeneous Innovative Burner Reactor (SCHIBR) model created at the University of South Carolina. Following gas production analysis, an innovative recycling strategy was developed to increase plutonium utilization in the SCHIBR model. The innovative recycling strategy offers improvements over the previous once-through SCHIBR model by further reducing the radiotoxicity of the discharged waste and making plutonium available for use in additional SCHIBR reactors.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/1670"],"dc:rights":["© 2011, Carey McIlwaine Read Jr."],"dc:subject":["Engineering","Nuclear Engineering","Fuel Cycle","Helium Production","Heterogeneous Burner Reactor","Minor Actinide","SCHIBR","Transmutation"],"dc:title":["Fuel Cycle Modeling Improvements and Multi-Tiered Recycling With A Sodium-Cooled Heterogeneous Innovative Burner Reactor"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Nuclear Engineering"],"thesis:degree_level":["Campus Access Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["M.S."]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:37:34Z"}