scholarly journals Comparison and Screening of NFC Options in View of Sustainable Performance and Waste Management

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Schwenk-Ferrero ◽  
Andrey Andrianov
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Nuclear Energy ◽  
Electric Energy ◽  
Energy Systems ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Fuel Cycles ◽  
Sustainable Performance ◽  
Nuclear Fuel Cycles

Is it true that the nuclear technology applied to electric energy generation offers a clean, safe, reliable and affordable i.e. sustainable alternative? Yes it is, but its impact on the environment strongly depends on the implementation bearing residual risks due to a human factor, technical failures or natural catastrophes. A full response is therefore difficult and can first be given when the wicked multi-disciplinary problems get well formulated and “solved”. These problems have multi-dimensional nature lying at the interface between: necessary R&D effort, the industrial deployment and the technology impact in view of the environmental sustainability including the management of produced hazardous waste. This enormous complexity indicates that just a description of the problem might represent a problem. The paper proposes a holistic approach to assess the nuclear energy systems potential with respect to sustainable performance applying Multi-criteria decision analysis with a suitable objective tree and a multi-level criteria structure and examines the trading-off techniques for ranking of the alternatives. The framework proposes a multi-criteria and multi-stakeholders treatment which can be used as a pre-decisional support towards an implementation of nuclear fuel cycles adapted to national preferences and priorities. Proposed approach addresses some aspects of the environmental footprint of nuclear energy systems. Advanced nuclear fuel cycles, previously investigated by the NEA/OECD expert group WASTEMAN, are analyzed as a case study. Sustainability facets of waste management, resource utilization and economics are in focus.

scholarly journals Report to the American Physical Society by the study group on nuclear fuel cycles and waste management

1978 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. S1-S176 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Charles Hebel ◽  
Eldon L. Christensen ◽  
Fred A. Donath ◽  
Warren E. Falconer ◽  
Leon J. Lidofsky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
American Physical Society ◽  
Study Group ◽  
Fuel Cycles ◽  
American Physical ◽  
Nuclear Fuel Cycles

Framework for Assessing Transition Scenarios to Sustainable Nuclear Energy Systems

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Galina Fesenko ◽  
Vladimir Kuznetsov ◽  
Vladimir Usanov
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Material Flow ◽  
Nuclear Energy ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Nuclear Reactors ◽  
Energy Systems ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Member States ◽  
Fuel Cycles

The International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA’s) International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO) was established in 2000 with the goal to ensure a sustainable nuclear energy supply to meet the global energy needs in the 21st century. The INPRO activities on global and regional nuclear energy scenarios provide newcomers and mature nuclear countries alike with better understanding of options for making a collaborative transition to future sustainable nuclear energy systems. Collaborative project GAINS (Global Architecture of Innovative Nuclear Energy Systems Based on Thermal and Fast Reactors Including a Closed Fuel Cycle) developed an internationally verified analytical framework for assessing such transition scenarios. The framework (hereafter, GAINS framework) is a part of the integrated services provided by IAEA to Member States considering initial development or expansion of their nuclear energy programmes. The paper presents major elements of the analytical framework and selected results of its application, including: • Long-term nuclear energy demand scenarios based on the IAEA Member States’ high and low estimations of nuclear power deployment until 2030 and expected trends until 2050 and on forecasts of competent international energy organizations; • Heterogeneous world model comprised of groups of non-personified non-geographical countries (NGs) with different policy regarding nuclear fuel cycle back end; • Architectures of nuclear energy systems; • Metrics and tools for the assessment of dynamic nuclear energy system evolution scenarios regarding sustainability, including a set of key indicators and evaluation parameters; • An internationally verified database with best estimate material flow and economic characteristics of existing and advanced nuclear reactors and associated nuclear fuel cycles needed for material flow analysis and comparative economic analysis, extending the previously developed IAEA databases and taking into account preferences of different countries; • Selected results of sample analysis for scenarios involving transition from the present fleets of nuclear reactors and fuel cycles to future sustainable nuclear energy system architectures involving innovative technological solutions.

Generalized Approach to Comparative Assessment of the Effect of Radiation from Nuclear Fuel Cycles on Biota

Atomic Energy ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 118 (6) ◽  
pp. 425-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. I. Spiridonov ◽  
R. M. Aleksakhin ◽  
E. V. Spirin
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Comparative Assessment ◽  
Fuel Cycles ◽  
Nuclear Fuel Cycles

Theoretical Insights on the Possible Applications of Amidoxime-Based Adsorbents in Neptunium and Plutonium Separation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan-Mei Chen ◽  
Congzhi Wang ◽  
Qunyan Wu ◽  
Jianhui Lan ◽  
Zhifang Chai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Fuel Cycles ◽  
Efficient Separation ◽  
Plutonium Separation ◽  
Nuclear Fuel Cycles

Efficient separation of neptunium and plutonium from spent nuclear fuel are essential for the advanced nuclear fuel cycles. At present, the development of effective actinide separation ligands has become a...

Modern Nuclear Fuel Cycles

2018 ◽  
pp. 159-163
Author(s):  
James S. Tulenko
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Fuel Cycles ◽  
Nuclear Fuel Cycles

scholarly journals Elaboration of approach to nuclear energy systems assessment by criterion of sustainable development

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-33
Author(s):  
Vladimir I. Usanov ◽  
Stepan A. Kviatkovskii ◽  
Andrey A. Andrianov
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Nuclear Energy ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Energy Systems ◽  
Nuclear Fuel Cycle ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
Subject Areas ◽  
Key Events

The paper describes the approach to the assessment of nuclear energy systems based on the integral indicator characterizing the level of their sustainability and results of comparative assessment of several nuclear energy system options incorporating different combinations of nuclear reactors and nuclear fuel cycle facilities. The nuclear energy systems are characterized by achievement of certain key events pertaining to the following six subject areas: economic performance, safety, availability of resources, waste handling, non-proliferation and public support. Achievement of certain key events is examined within the time interval until 2100, while the key events per se are assessed according to their contribution in the achievement of sustainable development goals. It was demonstrated that nuclear energy systems based on the once-through nuclear fuel cycle with thermal reactors and uranium oxide fuel do not score high according to the integral sustainable development indicator even in the case when the issue of isolation of spent nuclear fuel in geological formation is resolved. Gradual replacement of part of thermal reactors with fast reactors and closing the nuclear fuel cycle results in the achievement of evaluated characteristics in many subject areas, which are close to maximum requirements of sustainable development, and in the significant enhancement of the sustainability indicator.

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