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A series of computational studies on the idea of a supercritical water (P = 25 MPa, T = 420 °C) cooled lightwater reactor operating in a thorium-uranium fuel cycle was conducted at the Physics and Power-Engineering Institute (FEI) in 2003-2010. These studies focused on the SKBR-T fast reactor. An integral breeding ratio 1.012, taking account of breeding in thorium screens, was obtained by optimizing the design parameters of the reactor. In this case, the reactor operates in a self-fueling regime and the neutron-physical characteristics satisfy the self-regulation and safety requirements. The principal characteristics of the fuel cycle were calculated. The design proposed for the reactor makes it possible to reach the indicated breeding ratio with current VVER fuel burnup and specific power. The economic performance is expected to be much improved over ordinary VVER power-generating units because of the single-loop thermal scheme and high efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The state of mineral reserves of thorium-bearing raw materials from the Kola Peninsula and other regions of Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States is examined. Schemes for secondary extraction of thorium during processing of the most accessible raw-material sources - loparite, baddeleyite, monazite, pyrochlore, and columbite-tantalites - are presented. In theory, ores of operating mines, thorium-bearing wastes obtained during decontamination of reprocessed concentrates, as well as raw materials sources best prepared for processing, for example, perovskite concentrate from the Afrikanda field, rare-metal raw material from the Tomtor field, baddeleyite concentrate, and others, can meet the demand. It is concluded that in the near future about 300 tons thorium/yr can be obtained from accumulated wastes of operating mines and as a by-product of processing rare-earth raw material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]