Proliferation resistance potential and burnup characteristics of an equilibrium core of novel natural uranium fueled nuclear research reactor

Standard reactor simulation codes WIMS-D/4 and CITATION were employed to analyze the proliferation resistance potential and burnup characteristics of a novel natural uranium fueled nuclear research reactor [Annals of Nuclear Energy 31(12), 1331–1356]. It was found that the proposed core, which provides twice the flux per unit core power compared to similar natural uranium fueled, light water cooled, heavy water moderated and graphite reflected research reactors, NRX/CIR, is proliferation resistant almost by a factor of 2 as compared to NRX/CIR.