An Initial Study on Modeling the United States Thermal Fuel Cycle Mass Flow Using Vensim

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Brinton ◽  
Akira Tokuhiro
Keyword(s):  
Mass Flow ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Nuclear Energy ◽  
Flow Model ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Uranium Ore ◽  
Plant Construction ◽  
Mox Fuel ◽  
Fuel Fabrication

According to current forecasts, nuclear power plant construction and nuclear-generated electricity production is projected to increase in the next half-century. This is likely due to the fact that nuclear energy is an ‘environmental alternative’ to fossil fuel plants that emit greenhouse gases (GHG). Nuclear power also has a much higher energy density output than other alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, and biomass energies. There is also growing consensus that processing of low- and high-level waste, LLW and HLW respectively, is a political issue rather than a technical challenge. Prudent implementation of a closed fuel cycle not only curbs build-up of GHGs, but can equally mitigate the need to store nuclear used fuel. The Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) is promoting gradual integration of fuel reprocessing, and deployment of fast reactors (FRs) into the global fleet for long-term uranium resource usage. The use of mixed oxide (MOX) fuel burning Light Water Reactors (LWR) has also been suggested by fuel cycle researchers. This study concentrated on modeling the construction and decommissioning rates of six major facilities comprising the nuclear fuel cycle, as follows: (1) current LWRs decommissioned at 60-years service life, (2) new LWRs burning MOX fuel, (3) new (Gen’ III+) LWRs to replace units and/or be added to the fleet, (4) new FRs to be added to the fleet, (5) new reprocessing and MOX fuel fabrication facilities and (6) new LWR fuel fabrication facilities. Our initial work [1] focused on modeling the construction and decommissioning rates of reactors to be deployed. This is being followed with a ‘mass flow model’, starting from uranium ore and following it to spent forms. The visual dynamic modeling program Vensim was used to create a system of equations and variables to track the mass flows from enrichment, fabrication, burn-up, and the back-end of the fuel cycle. Sensible construction and deployment rates were benchmarked against recent reports and then plausible scenarios considered parametrically. The timeline starts in 2007 and extends in a preliminary model to 2057; a further mass flow model scenario continues until 2107. The scenarios considered provide estimates of the uranium ore requirements, quantities of LLW and HLW production, and waste storage volume needs. The results of this study suggest the number of reprocessing facilities necessary to stabilize and/or reduce recently reported levels of spent fuel inventory. Preliminary results indicate that the entire national spent fuel inventory produced over the next ∼50 years can be reprocessed by a reprocessing plant construction rate of less than 0.07 plants/year (small capacity) or less than 0.05 plants /year (large capacity). Any larger construction rate could reduce the spent fuel inventory destined for storage. These and additional results will be presented.

Transmutation and the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership

2006 ◽  
Vol 985 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Bresee
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Energy ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Closed Fuel Cycle ◽  
State Of The Union ◽  
Foreign Countries ◽  
The U.S

AbstractIn the January 2006 State of the Union address, President Bush announced a new Advanced Energy Initiative, a significant part of which is the Global Nuclear Energy Initiative. Its details were described on February 6, 2006 by the U.S. Secretary of Energy. In summary, it has three parts: (1) a program to expand nuclear energy use domestically and in foreign countries to support economic growth while reducing the release of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. (2) an expansion of the U.S. nuclear infrastructure that will lead to the recycling of spent fuel and a closed fuel cycle and, through transmutation, a reduction in the quantity and radiotoxicity of nuclear waste and its proliferation concerns, and (3) a partnership with other fuel cycle nations to support nuclear power in additional nations by providing small nuclear power plants and leased fuel with the provision that the resulting spent fuel would be returned by the lessee to the lessor. The final part would have the effect of stabilizing the number of fuel cycle countries with attendant non-proliferation value. Details will be given later in the paper.

scholarly journals Study of Minor Actinides Transmutation in PWR MOX Fuel

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shengli Chen ◽  
Cenxi Yuan ◽  
Jingxia Wu ◽  
Yaolei Zou
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Energy ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Minor Actinides ◽  
Pressurized Water Reactor ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Pressurized Water ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Closed Nuclear Fuel Cycle ◽  
Mox Fuel ◽  
Management Method

The management of long-lived radionuclides in spent fuel is a key issue to achieve the closed nuclear fuel cycle and the sustainable development of nuclear energy. Partitioning-Transmutation is supposed to treat efficiently the long-lived radionuclides. Accordingly, the study of transmutation for long-lived Minor Actinides (MAs) is a significant work for the post-processing of spent fuel. In the present work, the transmutations in Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) Mixed OXide (MOX) fuel are investigated through the Monte Carlo based code RMC. Two kinds of MAs are incorporated homogeneously into two initial concentrations MOX fuel assembly. The results indicate an overall nice efficiency of transmutation in both initial MOX concentrations, especially for two MAs primarily generated in the UOX fuel, 237Np and 241Am. In addition, the inclusion of 237Np has no large influence on other MAs, while the transmutation efficiency of 237Np is excellent. The transmutation of MAs in MOX fuel depletion is expected to be an efficient nuclear spent fuel management method.

Opportunity and Challenge of MOX Fuel Application in China

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Li ◽  
Yuemin Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Economic Effect ◽  
Design Procedure ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Closed Fuel Cycle ◽  
Mox Fuel ◽  
Spent Fuel Reprocessing ◽  
The Government ◽  
Fuel Reprocessing

In this paper, the opportunity and challenge for application of MOX fuel in China are discussed. With the great demand of energy to develop economy of China, the government plans to achieve 58GW installed capacity and 30GW installing capacity in nuclear power before 2020. China needs about 81,306t～102,613t nature Uranium to support the nuclear power developing project at that time. For the obvious reason, China should insist on closed fuel cycle to recover the fissionable materials in the spent fuel. China will build its first spent fuel reprocessing factory to supply MOX fuel to PWRs and FRs. Both government and nuclear companies put more and more enthusiasm into the application of MOX fuel. However, China is also suffered from great challenges of MOX fuel application, such as the spent fuel reprocessing technique roadmap, the manufacture technology of MOX fuel, the modification of PWRs to accommodate the MOX fuel, and the recalculation of nuclear parameters by design procedure. The economic effect of applying MOX fuel is also considered. At last, the prospect of MOX fuel application is predicted in this paper.

Transport of MOX Fuel: A Continuous Challenge

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Je´roˆme Galtier
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Radioactive Materials ◽  
Mox Fuel ◽  
Increasing Demand

For 45 years TN International has been involved in the radioactive materials transportation field. Since the beginning the spent nuclear fuel transportation has been its core business. During all these years TN International, now part of AREVA, has been able to anticipate and fulfill the needs for new transport or storage casks designed to fit the nuclear industry evolutions. A whole fleet of casks able to transport all the materials of the nuclear fuel cycle has been developed. In this presentation we will focus on the casks used to transport the fresh and used MOX fuel. To transport the fresh MOX BWR and PWR fuel, TN International has developed two designs of casks: the MX 6 and the MX 8. These casks are and have been used to transport MOX fuel for French, German, Swiss and in a near future Japanese nuclear power plants. A complete set of baskets have been developed to optimize the loading in terms of integrated dose and also of course capacity. MOX used fuel has now its dedicated cask: the TN112 which certificate of approval has been obtained in July 2008. This cask is able to transport 12 MOX spent fuel elements with a short cooling time. The first loading of the cask has been performed in September 2008 in the EDF nuclear power plant of Saint-Laurent-des-Eaux. By its continuous involvement in the nuclear transportation field, TN International has been able to face the many challenges linked to the radioactive materials transportation especially talking of MOX fuel. TN International will also have to face the increasing demand linked to the nuclear renaissance.

Nuclear Power in Latin America: An Overview of Its Present Status

1983 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 377-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margarete K. Luddemann
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Nuclear Energy ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Energy Agency ◽  
Self Sufficiency ◽  
Policy Concern ◽  
Alternative Sources

The pivotal role energy plays in national economics not only converts the access to sources of supply into a vivid issue of foreign policy concern, but also causes an understandable preoccupation with investment capabilities and self-sufficiency. A report prepared by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 1974 predicted a bright future for nuclear energy in the i developing countries and encouraged use of this form of energy after numerous field studies.A nation that commits itself to nuclear energy by purchasing nuclear power-generating technology but not fuel cycle facilities incurs the risk of becoming dependent upon the supplier country because a quick switch to alternative sources of supply is difficult in cases of curtailment of fuel.

Scenario Analysis on the Benefits of Multi-National Cooperation for the Development of a Common Nuclear Energy System Based on PWR and LFR Fleets

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Ciotti ◽  
Jorge L. Manzano ◽  
Vladimir Kuznetsov ◽  
Galina Fesenko ◽  
Luisa Ferroni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Energy ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Proper Time ◽  
Nuclear Fuel Cycle ◽  
Levelized Cost Of Electricity ◽  
Base Load

Financial aspects, environmental concerns and non-favorable public opinion are strongly conditioning the deployment of new Nuclear Energy Systems across Europe. Nevertheless, new possibilities are emerging to render competitive electricity from Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) owing to two factors: the first one, which is the fast growth of High Voltage lines interconnecting the European countries’ national electrical grids, this process being triggered by huge increase of the installed intermittent renewable electricity sources (Wind and PV); and the second one, determined by the carbon-free constraints imposed on the base load electricity generation. The countries that due to public opinion pressure can’t build new NPPs on their territory may find it profitable to produce base load nuclear electricity abroad, even at long distances, in order to comply with the European dispositions on the limitation of the CO2 emissions. In this study the benefits from operating at multinational level with the deployment of a fleet of PWRs and subsequently, at a proper time, the one of Lead Fast Reactors (LFRs) are analyzed. The analysis performed involves Italy (a country with a current moratorium on nuclear power on spite that its biggest utility operates NPPs abroad), and the countries from South East and Central East Europe potentially looking for introduction or expansion of their nuclear power programmes. According to the predicted evolution of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) a forecast of the electricity consumption evolution for the present century is derived with the assumption that a certain fraction of it will be covered by nuclear electricity. In this context, evaluated are material balances for the front and the back end of nuclear fuel cycle associated with the installed nuclear capacity. A key element of the analysis is the particular type of LFR assumed in the scenario, characterized by having a fuel cycle where only fission products and the reprocessing losses are sent for disposition and natural or depleted uranium is added to fuel in each reprocessing cycle. Such LFR could be referred to as “adiabatic reactor”. Owing to introduction of such reactors a substantive reduction in uranium consumption and final disposal requirements can be achieved. Finally, the impacts of the LFR and the economy of scale in nuclear fuel cycle on the Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) are being evaluated, for scaling up from a national to a multinational dimension, illustrating the benefits potentially achievable through cooperation among countries.

The Crucial Importance of the Back-End in Multinational Initiatives to Enhance Fuel Cycle Security

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles McCombie ◽  
Neil Chapman ◽  
Thomas H. Isaacs
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Tier 2 ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Front End ◽  
Comprehensive Service ◽  
Small Countries ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Security Concerns

There have been repeated proposals for establishing multinational cooperation approaches that could reduce the security concerns of spreading nuclear technologies. Most recently, there have been initiatives by both Russia (GNPI) and the USA (GNEP) – each aimed at promoting nuclear power whilst limiting security concerns. In practice, both initiatives place emphasis on the supply of reactors and enriched fuel but neither has made clear and specific proposals about the back-end part of the arrangement. The primary incentive offered to the user countries is “security of supply” of the front end services. However, there is no current shortage of supply of front end services, so that the incentives are not large. A much greater incentive could be the provision of a spent fuel or waste disposal service. The fuel supplied to Tier 2 countries could be shipped back (with no return of wastes) to the supplier or else to an accepted third party country that is trusted to operate safe and secure disposal facilities. If a comprehensive service that obviates the need for a national deep repository is offered to small countries then there will be a really strong incentive for them to sign up to GNEP or GNPI type deals.

Lessons Learned From the Operation of Large-Scale Reprocessing-Recycling Facilities in France: What Is in It for China?

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Pierre Gros
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Public Information ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
The Impact

AREVA has been running since decades nuclear reprocessing and recycling installations in France. Several industrial facilities have been built and used to this aim across the time. Following those decades and with the more and more precise monitoring of the impact of those installations, precise data and lessons-learned have been collected that can be used for the stakeholders of potential new facilities. China has expressed strong interest in building such facilities. As a matter of fact, the issue of accumulation of spent fuel is becoming serious in China and jeopardizes the operation of several nuclear power plants, through the running out of space of storage pools. Tomorrow, with the extremely high pace of nuclear development of China, accumulation of spent fuel will be unbearable. Building reprocessing and recycling installations takes time. A decision has to be taken so as to enable the responsible development of nuclear in China. Without a solution for the back end of its nuclear fuel cycle, the development of nuclear energy will face a wall. This is what the Chinese central government, through the action of its industrial CNNC, has well understood. Several years of negotiations have been held with AREVA. Everybody in the sector seems now convinced. However, now that the negotiation is coming to an end, an effort should be done towards all the stakeholders, sharing actual information from France’s reference facilities on: safety, security, mitigation measures for health protection (of the workers, of the public), mitigation measures for the protection of the environment. Most of this information is public, as France has since years promulgated a law on Nuclear transparency. China is also in need for more transparency, yet lacks means to access this public information, often in French language, so let’s open our books!

The Development and Innovation of Spent Fuel Reprocessing in Fuel Cycle

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guang Jun Chen ◽  
Yu Lin Cui ◽  
Guo Guo Zhang ◽  
Hong Jun Yao
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Fission Products ◽  
Purex Process ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Spent Fuel Reprocessing ◽  
Long Life ◽  
Fuel Reprocessing

With an increased population and an increasing demand for power, nuclear power has attracted an increasing attention and mass nuclear power plant have been built in different countries in the past several decades. At present, about ten thousands ton spent fuels are discharged from nuclear power plant every year and the estimated capacity will approximately add up to 5×105 ton. Therefore, spent fuel reprocessing, by which the co-extraction and separation as well as purification of Uranium and Plutonium could be realized and ensure the recycle of uranium resources and the management of nuclear waste, is a vital step in nuclear fuel cycle including two major strategies, i.e. once-through cycle and closed fuel cycle. It is worth noting that the utilization of MOX fuel made by plutonium mixed with uranium has been successfully achieved in thermal reactor. Fortunately, the middle experiment plant of china spent fuel reprocessing has been being debugged and will be operated completely in future two years. Various reprocessing schemes have been proposed for the extraction of actinides from fission products and other elements presented in spent nuclear fuel. However, after numerous studies of alternate reprocessing methods and intensive searches for better solvents, the PUREX process remains the prime reprocessing method for spent nuclear fuels throughout the world. High burning and strong radioactive spent fuel resulting from the evolution of various reactors drive the development of the advanced PUREX technology, which emphasizes the separation of neptunium and technetium besides the separation of the Uranium and Plutonium from the majority of highly active fission products. In addition, through Partitioning and Transmutation method, some benefits such as segregating the actinides and long life fission products from the high level waste can be obtained. The GANEX process exploited by CEA, which roots in COEX process belonged to advanced PUREX process, considers the separation of the actinides and long life fission products. The study on the pyro-chemical processing such as the method of electro-deposition from molten salts has still not replaced the traditional PUREX process due to various reasons. In conclusion, the future PUREX process will focus on the modified process including predigesting the technical flowsheets and reducing reprocessing costs and using salt-less reagent in order to minimize the waste production.

scholarly journals International cooperation in the sphere of peaceful uses of nuclear energy as a resolution of energy supply and nuclear proliferation problems

2009 ◽  
pp. 163-174
Author(s):  
M. V. Zharkih
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
International Cooperation ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Nuclear Energy ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Nuclear Proliferation ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
The Us ◽  
Made In

Comparative analysis of the Russian and the US initiatives. The article gives an outline of such a promising branch of international cooperation as cooperation in the sphere of peaceful uses of nuclear energy, in particularly its multilateral aspects – initiatives of States based on the multilateral principle of uses of nuclear power. The comparative analysis of the two large-scale initiatives in the field ofmultilateral approaches to the nuclear fuel cycle – these are the Russian initiative on the development of the Global infrastructure of nuclear energy and the American Global nuclear energy partnership –made in the article discloses the main principles of work of the abovementioned mechanisms of interaction as well as their advantages and disadvantages. The goal of such an analysis is to figure out which one has a greater potential for international security and future development of the nuclear energy sector.

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