Variants of the Perspective Closed Fuel Cycle, Based on REMIX-Technology

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evgeniy Bobrov ◽  
Pavel Teplov ◽  
Pavel Alekseev ◽  
Alexander Chibinyaev ◽  
Anatoliy Dudnikox
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Natural Uranium ◽  
Depleted Uranium ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Fissile Material ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Closed Fuel Cycle ◽  
New Variant ◽  
Enriched Uranium

In the traditional closed fuel cycle, based on REMIX-technology (REgenerated MIXture of U and Pu oxides) the fuel composition is produced on the basis of a uranium and plutonium mixture from spent Light Water Reactor (LWR) fuel and additional natural uranium. In this case, there is some saving in the amount of natural uranium used. The basic features of the WWER-1000 fuel loadings with a new variant REMIX-fuel during multiple recycle in the closed nuclear fuel cycle are described in this paper. Such fuel compositions are produced on a basis of a uranium and plutonium mixture allocated at processing the spent fuel after irradiation in the WWER-1000 core, depleted uranium and fission material such as: 235U as a part of high-enriched uranium from the warheads superfluous for defense. Also here variants are considered of the perspective closed fuel cycle in which fissile feed materials for fuel manufacture is produced in the blankets of fast breeder reactors. The fissile material is 233U or Pu. The raw material is depleted uranium from the stocks of enrichment factories, or thorium. Natural uranium is not used in this case. The minimum feed material required for the REMIX technology in a closed fuel cycle was determined through calculations of different types of fissile and raw materials, with different cycle lengths and fuel-water ratios.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Breeding Performance of a NaCl-UCl-Based Reactor System

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (20) ◽  
pp. 3853 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Merk ◽  
Anna Detkina ◽  
Seddon Atkinson ◽  
Dzianis Litskevich ◽  
Gregory Cartland-Glover
Keyword(s):  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Salt System ◽  
Fissile Material ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Breeding Performance ◽  
Closed Fuel Cycle ◽  
Term Operation ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Innovative Solution

The energy trilemma forms the key driver for the future of energy research. In nuclear technologies, molten salt reactors are an upcoming option which offers new approaches. However, the key would be closed fuel cycle operation which requires sufficient breeding for a self-sustained long term operation ideally based on spent fuel. To achieve these attractive goals two challenges have been identified: achieving of sufficient breeding and development of a demand driven salt clean up system. The aim is to follow up on previous work to create an initial approach to achieving sufficient breeding. Firstly, identification of a salt system with a high solubility for fertile material and sufficiently low melting point. Secondly, evaluation of the sensitivity of the breeding performance on the sort of fissile material, the fissile material loading, and the core dimension all based on a realistic salt system which provides the solubility for sufficient fertile material to achieve the required breeding in a homogeneous reactor without breeding blanket. Both points are essential to create an innovative solution to harvest the fruits of a closed fuel cycle without the penalty of the prohibitively huge investments. It is demonstrated that the identified and investigated NaCl-UCl based systems are feasible to deliver the requested in-core breeding within the given solubility limits of fertile material in the salt system using either uranium as start-up fissile component or plutonium. This result is enriched by the analysis of the achievable full power days per inserted mass of plutonium. These new insights support reactor optimization and lead to a first conclusion that systems with lower power density could be very attractive in the case of low fuel cost, like it would be given when operating on spent nuclear fuel.

Achieving Resource Sustainability in China Through the Thorium Fuel Cycle in the Candu Reactor

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter G. Boczar ◽  
Bronwyn Hyland ◽  
Keith Bradley ◽  
Sermet Kuran
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Close Approach ◽  
Natural Uranium ◽  
Fissile Material ◽  
Energy Potential ◽  
Candu Reactors ◽  
Fuel Cycles ◽  
Resource Sustainability ◽  
Enriched Uranium

The CANDU® reactor is the most resource-efficient reactor commercially available. The features that enable the CANDU reactor to utilize natural uranium facilitate the use of a wide variety of thorium fuel cycles. In the short term, the initial fissile material would be provided in a “mixed bundle”, in which low-enriched uranium (LEU) would comprise the outer two rings of a CANFLEX® bundle, with ThO2 in the central 8 elements. This cycle is economical, both in terms of fuel utilization and fuel cycle costs. The medium term strategy would be defined by the availability of plutonium and recovered uranium from reprocessed used LWR fuel. The plutonium could be used in Pu/Th bundles in the CANDU reactor, further increasing the energy derived from the thorium. Recovered uranium could also be effectively utilized in CANDU reactors. In the long term, the full energy potential from thorium could be realized through the recycle of the U-233 (and thorium) in the used CANDU fuel. Plutonium would only be required to top up the fissile content to achieve the desired burnup. Further improvements to the CANDU neutron economy could make possible a very close approach to the Self-Sufficient Equilibrium Thorium (SSET) cycle with a conversion ratio of unity, which would be completely self-sufficient in fissile material (recycled U-233).

scholarly journals Pu multi-recycling scenarios towards a PWR fleet for a stabilization of spent fuel inventories in France

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 23
Author(s):  
Fanny Courtin ◽  
Camille Laguerre ◽  
Philippe Miranda ◽  
Christine Chabert ◽  
Guillaume Martin
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Natural Uranium ◽  
Energy Planning ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Cycle Simulation ◽  
Waste Production ◽  
Enriched Uranium ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Alternative Solutions ◽  
Fuel Reprocessing

Nuclear scenario studies are performed to explore the impact of possible evolutions of nuclear fleets. The nuclear fuel cycle simulation tool COSI, developed by CEA, is used to model these dynamic scenarios and to evaluate them with respect to uranium and plutonium management, fuel reprocessing and waste production. In recent years, scenarios have focused on transitions from the current nuclear French fleet to a deployment of SFR. However, the French Multi-annual Energy Planning has recently postponed the deployment of this technology to the second half of the 21st century. Alternative solutions of plutonium management in PWR are investigated to stabilize total inventories of spent nuclear fuels. The MIX concept is based on homogeneous fuel assemblies where fuel rods are composed of plutonium blended with enriched uranium. In this study, a transition from the current French fleet to an EPR™ fleet is simulated. Two power capacities of the future EPR™ fleet are considered. A progressive deployment of fuel multi-recycling in the EPR™ fleet is implemented to enable stabilization of all spent fuels and plutonium inventories. Natural uranium consumption is also minimized thanks to ERU fuel batches in EPR™. Results are compared with plutonium and uranium mono-recycling in a PWR fleet.

TRU Recycling Options for Environmentally Friendly and Proliferation-Resistant Nuclear Fuel Cycle of FBR

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sidik Permana ◽  
Mitsutoshi Suzuki
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Operation Time ◽  
Nuclear Nonproliferation ◽  
High Level Waste ◽  
Minor Actinide ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Closed Fuel Cycle ◽  
The Core ◽  
High Level

The embodied challenges for introducing closed fuel cycle are utilizing advanced fuel reprocessing and fabrication facilities as well as nuclear nonproliferation aspect. Optimization target of advanced reactor design should be maintained properly to obtain high performance of safety, fuel breeding and reducing some long-lived and high level radioactivity of spent fuel by closed fuel cycle options. In this paper, the contribution of loading trans-uranium to the core performance, fuel production, and reduction of minor actinide in high level waste (HLW) have been investigated during reactor operation of large fast breeder reactor (FBR). Excess reactivity can be reduced by loading some minor actinide in the core which affect to the increase of fuel breeding capability, however, some small reduction values of breeding capability are obtained when minor actinides are loaded in the blanket regions. As a total composition, MA compositions are reduced by increasing operation time. Relatively smaller reduction value was obtained at end of operation by blanket regions (9%) than core regions (15%). In addition, adopting closed cycle of MA obtains better intrinsic aspect of nuclear nonproliferation based on the increase of even mass plutonium in the isotopic plutonium composition.

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 A new approach to the recycling of spent nuclear fuel in thermal reactors within the REMIX concept

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-98
Author(s):  
Nikita V. Kovalev ◽  
Boris Ya. Zilberman ◽  
Nikolay D. Goletsky ◽  
Andrey B. Sinyukhin
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Nuclear Fuel Cycle ◽  
Natural Uranium ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Energy Potential ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Reprocessed Uranium

A review of simulated nuclear fuel cycles with mixed uranium-plutonium fuel (REMIX) was carried out. The concept of REMIX fuel is one of the options for closing the nuclear fuel cycle (NFC), which makes it possible to recycle uranium and plutonium in VVER-1000/1200 thermal reactors at a 100% core loading. The authors propose a new approach to the recycling of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in thermal reactors. The approach implies a simplified fabrication of mixed fuel when plutonium is used in high concentration together with enriched natural uranium, while reprocessed uranium is supposed to be enriched and used separately. The share of standard enriched natural uranium fuel in this nuclear fuel cycle is more than 50%, the share of mixed natU+Pu fuel is 25%, the rest is fuel obtained from enriched reprocessed uranium. It is emphasized that the new approach has the maximum economic prospect and makes it possible to organize the fabrication of this fuel and nuclear material cross-cycling at the facilities available in the Russian Federation in the short term. This NFC option eliminates the accumulation of SNF in the form of spent fuel assemblies (SFA). SNF is always reprocessed with the aim of further using the primary reprocessed uranium and plutonium. Non-recyclable in thermal reactors, burnt, reprocessed uranium, the energy potential of which is comparable to natural uranium, as well as secondary plutonium intended for further use in fast reactors, are sent as reprocessing by-products to the storage area.

scholarly journals Nuclear Fuel Transmutation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akbar Abbasi
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Electric Energy ◽  
Computer Code ◽  
Natural Uranium ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Used Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Front End

Nuclear power plants to generates electric energy used nuclear fuel such as Uranium Oxide (UOX). A typical VVER−1000 reactor uses about 20–25 tons of spent fuel per year. The fuel transmutation of UOX fuel was evaluated by VISTA computer code. In this estimation the front end and back end components of fuel cycle was calculated. The front end of the cycle parameter are FF requirements, enrichment value requirements, depleted uranium amount, conversion requirements and natural uranium requirements. The back-end component is Spent Fuel (SF), Actinide Inventory (AI) and Fission Product (FP) radioisotopes.

Long Term Storage of Nuclear Spent Fuel as Key Role of Japan’s Nuclear Fuel Cycle Until 2100: Cost and Benefit

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tadahiro Katsuta
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Nuclear Fuel Cycle ◽  
Storage Site ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Final Disposal ◽  
Enriched Uranium ◽  
Interim Storage ◽  
Reprocessing Plant

Political and technical advantages to introduce spent nuclear fuel interim storage into Japan’s nuclear fuel cycle are examined. Once Rokkasho reprocessing plant starts operation, 80,000 tHM of spent Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) fuel must be stored in an Away From Reactor (AFR) interim storage site until 2100. If a succeeding reprocessing plant starts operating, the spent LEU will reach its peak of 30,000 tHM before 2050, and then will decrease until the end of the second reprocessing plant operation. Throughput of the second reprocessing plant is assumed as twice of that of Rokassho reprocessing plant, indeed 1,600tHM/year. On the other hand, tripled number of final disposal sites for High Level Nuclear Waste (HLW) will be necessary with this condition. Besides, large amount of plutonium surplus will occur, even if First Breeder Reactors (FBR)s consume the plutonium. At maximum, plutonium surplus will reach almost 500 tons. These results indicate that current nuclear policy does not solve the spent fuel problems but rather complicates them. Thus, reprocessing policy could put off the problems in spent fuel interim storage capacity and other issues could appear such as difficulties in large amount of HLW final disposal management or separated plutonium management. If there is no reprocessing or MOX use, the amount of spent fuel will reach over 115,000 tones at the year of 2100. However, the spent fuel management could be simplified and also the cost and the security would be improved by using an interim storage primarily.

Nuclear forensic applications of uranium oxide chemistry and morphology

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Alison Louise Tamasi
Keyword(s):  
Uranium Oxide ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Sem Images ◽  
University Of Missouri ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Chemical Signatures ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Stability

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] The entire nuclear fuel cycle is a chemistry-intensive process, from accessing the raw materials from ore, to enriching and forming the fuels, to the eventual long-term disposition or reprocessing of the spent fuel. This chemistry is vital to nuclear forensics, as the chemical history of a sample imbues it with unique signatures that should provide insight into the processing and conversion a sample has undergone. Of course, now that many countries have had nuclear programs for decades, it is appropriate to question the stability of these chemical signatures. This necessitates the assessment of what new chemical and morphological signatures are introduced by the aging in bulk uranium oxide samples, and whether those signatures can be used to elucidate the conditions under which the materials were stored. This thesis is concerned with the analysis of uranium oxide samples: both high-purity UO2, alpha-U3O8, and alpha-UO3 samples, and several legacy U3O8 and UO3 samples. The samples were aged over several years in chambers designed to control temperature and relative humidity. There are two primary focuses for analysis of these aged uranium oxides -- the first is the identification of chemical signatures using powder X-ray diffraction (p-XRD) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) analysis, and the second is the identification of morphological signatures contained in scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images using a standardized lexicon for consistent textural analysis. LA-UR-15-26762.

scholarly journals An optimization methodology for heterogeneous minor actinides transmutation

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 4
Author(s):  
Timothée Kooyman ◽  
Laurent Buiron ◽  
Gérald Rimpault
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Volume Fraction ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Optimal Solution ◽  
Minor Actinides ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Closed Fuel Cycle ◽  
Decay Heat ◽  
The Core

In the case of a closed fuel cycle, minor actinides transmutation can lead to a strong reduction in spent fuel radiotoxicity and decay heat. In the heterogeneous approach, minor actinides are loaded in dedicated targets located at the core periphery so that long-lived minor actinides undergo fission and are turned in shorter-lived fission products. However, such targets require a specific design process due to high helium production in the fuel, high flux gradient at the core periphery and low power production. Additionally, the targets are generally manufactured with a high content in minor actinides in order to compensate for the low flux level at the core periphery. This leads to negative impacts on the fuel cycle in terms of neutron source and decay heat of the irradiated targets, which penalize their handling and reprocessing. In this paper, a simplified methodology for the design of targets is coupled with a method for the optimization of transmutation which takes into account both transmutation performances and fuel cycle impacts. The uncertainties and performances of this methodology are evaluated and shown to be sufficient to carry out scoping studies. An illustration is then made by considering the use of moderating material in the targets, which has a positive impact on the minor actinides consumption but a negative impact both on fuel cycle constraints (higher decay heat and neutron) and on assembly design (higher helium production and lower fuel volume fraction). It is shown that the use of moderating material is an optimal solution of the transmutation problem with regards to consumption and fuel cycle impacts, even when taking geometrical design considerations into account.

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