scholarly journals Fingerprinting commercial nuclear reactor forensics using the ORIGEN-S simulation code

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 ◽  
pp. 1860126
Author(s):  
Iyabo Usman ◽  
David Vermillion ◽  
Howard Hall ◽  
Steve Skutnik
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Assembly ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Nuclear Reactor ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Reference Database ◽  
Cycle Period ◽  
Isotopic Ratios ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Concentration Data ◽  
Simulation Code

The ability to determine the origin of a specific spent-fuel sample from a commercial nuclear reactor was studied using the Origen-S simulation code by calculating the plutonium and uranium isotopic concentration data for a range of nuclear power reactors. This range of reactors is based on a typical Westinghouse PWR fuel assembly with a fuel type of W17 X 17, having individual operating histories. Isotopic ratios of plutonium in nuclear reactors during the fuel-cycle period provide information on how the plutonium grows into the fuel as a function of burnup, as well as its attractiveness to proliferators. Using the results from the calculation of uranium and plutonium isotopic ratios, the origin of each spent-fuel assembly for a particular reactor can be predicted and documented for a future nuclear forensics reference database.

scholarly journals Thermo-hydraulic Simulation of AP1000 Nuclear Reactor Fuel Assembly

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-71
Author(s):  
Leonardo Acosta Martínez ◽  
Carlos Rafael García Hernández ◽  
Jesus Rosales García ◽  
Annie Ortiz Puentes
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Assembly ◽  
Power Distribution ◽  
Capital Investment ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Nuclear Reactor ◽  
Geometric Model ◽  
Modular Construction ◽  
Construction Time ◽  
Hydraulic Simulation ◽  
In Series

One of the challenges of future nuclear power is the development of safer and more efficient nuclear reactor designs. The AP1000 reactor based on the PWR concept of generation III + has several advantages, which can be summarized as: a modular construction, which facilitates its manufacture in series reducing the total construction time, simplification of the different systems, reduction of the initial capital investment and improvement of safety through the implementation of passive emergency systems. Being a novel design it is important to study the thermohydraulic behavior of the core applying the most modern tools. To determine the thermohydraulic behavior of a typical AP1000 fuel assembly, a computational model based on CFD was developed. A coupled neutronic-thermohydraulic calculation was performed, allowing to obtain the axial power distribution in the typical fuel assembly. The geometric model built used the certified dimensions for this type of installation that appear in the corresponding manuals. The thermohydraulic study used the CFD-based program ANSYS-CFX, considering an eighth of the fuel assembly. The neutronic calculation was performed with the program MCNPX version 2.6e. The work shows the results that illustrate the behavior of the temperature and the heat transfer in different zones of the fuel assembly. The results obtained agree with the data reported in the literature, which allowed the verification of the consistency of the developed model.

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.

Development of Experimental Setup of High Temperature Helium Loop and Preparation for In-Pile Operation

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marija Miletić ◽  
Rostislav Fukač ◽  
Igor Pioro ◽  
Alexey Dragunov
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Nuclear Reactor ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Strong Dependence ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Research Centre ◽  
Experimental Setup ◽  
Creep Tests

Rapidly increasing energy and electricity demands, global concerns over the climate changes and strong dependence on foreign fossil fuels supplies are powerfully influencing greater use of nuclear power. In order to establish the viability of next-generation reactor concepts to meet tomorrow’s needs for clean and reliable energy production the fundamental research and development issues need to be addressed for the Generation-IV nuclear-energy systems. Generation-IV reactor concepts are being developed to use more advanced materials, coolants and higher burn-ups fuels, while keeping a nuclear reactor safe and reliable. One of the six Generation-IV concepts which will utilize thermal neutron spectrum is a Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR). This reactor concept uses a graphite-moderated core with a once-through uranium fuel cycle, using high temperature helium as the coolant. Because helium is naturally inert and single-phase, the helium-cooled reactor can operate at much higher temperatures, leading to higher efficiency. Current VHTR concepts will use fuels such as uranium dioxide, uranium carbide, or uranium oxycarbide. Since some of these fuels are new in nuclear industry and due to their unknown properties and behaviour within VHTR conditions it is very important to address these issues by investigate their characteristics within conditions close to those in VHTRs. This research can be performed in a research reactor with in-pile helium loop designed and constructed in Research Centre Rez, Ltd. The purpose of the High Temperature Helium Loop (HTHL) is to simulate technical and chemical conditions of VHTR’s coolant. The loop is intended to serve an as experimental device for fatigue and creep tests of construction metallic materials for gas-cooled reactors and it should be also employed for research in field of gaseous coolant chemistry. The loop will serve also for tests of nuclear graphite, dosing and Helium purification systems. Because the VHTR is a new reactor concept, major technical uncertainties remain relative to helium-cooled advanced reactor systems. This paper summarizes the concept of the HTHL in the Research Centre Rez Ltd., its design, utilization and future plans for experimental setup.

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.

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.

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.

Optimization of Fuel Storage in Spent Fuel Pool

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinyu Wang ◽  
Richard Cable Kurwitz ◽  
Zhijian Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Assembly ◽  
Greedy Algorithm ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Engineering Problem ◽  
User Requirements ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Fuel Storage ◽  
Spent Fuel Pool ◽  
The Greedy Algorithm

This paper is the optimization of fuel assembly placement in the spent fuel pool according to the categorized rules. Only some specifically reactivity class assemblies could put together as the pattern. The allowable patterns, the number of the fuel assembly for each reactivity class and the number of RCCAs are from the nuclear power plant technique specification. Each assembly in the pool should obey the pattern rules and the user needs the optimal spent fuel pool configuration that could maximize the free space. In this study, the genetic algorithm and greedy algorithm are discussed, and both of two algorithms have the difficulties to the real engineering problem. A new approach that improves the greedy strategy at each step is proposed, make the greedy algorithm is more adapted to the engineering problem. Use the new approach to test Seabrook Unit 1 and Arkansas Unit 2 spent fuel pool at different cases, and show results by the visible figures. The output arrangements by the program shown that the results are satisfied the user requirements.

scholarly journals Partitioning and transmutation contribution of MYRRHA to an EU strategy for HLW management and main achievements of MYRRHA related FP7 and H2020 projects: MYRTE, MARISA, MAXSIMA, SEARCH, MAX, FREYA, ARCAS

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 33
Author(s):  
Hamid Aït Abderrahim ◽  
Peter Baeten ◽  
Alain Sneyers ◽  
Marc Schyns ◽  
Paul Schuurmans ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Geological Disposal ◽  
Deep Geological Disposal ◽  
Partitioning And Transmutation

Today, nuclear power produces 11% of the world's electricity. Nuclear power plants produce virtually no greenhouse gases or air pollutants during their operation. Emissions over their entire life cycle are very low. Nuclear energy's potential is essential to achieving a deeply decarbonized energy future in many regions of the world as of today and for decades to come, the main value of nuclear energy lies in its potential contribution to decarbonizing the power sector. Nuclear energy's future role, however, is highly uncertain for several reasons: chiefly, escalating costs and, the persistence of historical challenges such as spent fuel and radioactive waste management. Advanced nuclear fuel recycling technologies can enable full use of natural energy resources while minimizing proliferation concerns as well as the volume and longevity of nuclear waste. Partitioning and Transmutation (P&T) has been pointed out in numerous studies as the strategy that can relax constraints on geological disposal, e.g. by reducing the waste radiotoxicity and the footprint of the underground facility. Therefore, a special effort has been made to investigate the potential role of P&T and the related options for waste management all along the fuel cycle. Transmutation based on critical or sub-critical fast spectrum transmuters should be evaluated in order to assess its technical and economic feasibility and capacity, which could ease deep geological disposal implementation.

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