Utilising 241Am as burnable poison in proliferation resistant PWR

The increased need for energy, as well as the necessity for energy-intensive solutions to tackle climate change, has increased interest in nuclear power generating as a low-carbon energy source. While nuclear energy offers substantial benefits in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, it also raises concerns regarding nuclear proliferation. In this study, the viability of utilising nuclear proliferation-resistant fuel in a PWRs without the need for an additional burnable absorber was assessed by integrating 241Am into the fuel composition. When 241Am was used as a burnable absorber instead of IFBAs, the potential changes in reactivity feedback parameters, peaking factors, and power profiles were investigated. The influence of 241Am-doped fuel on the cycle's duration and the shutdown margin was also explored. It is shown that using 241Am-doped fuel can enable a PWR to operate safely and reliably within its design boundaries. Moreover, it offers a proliferation-resistant fuel cycle without requiring any additional burnable absorbers.