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The Nuclear Fuel Cycle

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The Nuclear Fuel Cycle

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    1. The Nuclear Fuel Cycle ?

    2. Open and Closed Fuel Cycle

    3. Open and Closed Fuel Cycle

    4. AREVA in the Fuel Cycle

    5. Mining and Milling ore 0.1-2 % U Reduced by chemical leaching or solvent extraction to U3O8 (yellowcake) Mill tailings still contain some U and therefore emit radon Tailings are placed underground or capped

    6. Uranium Concentrations

    8. Uranium Deposits & Milling Sites

    9. Uranium Ore and Yellowcake

    10. World Uranium Production

    11. Enrichment Natural U is 0.72% U-235 Power plants use 3-5% enriched Gaseous diffusion - most common Gas centrifuges Aerodynamic separation - too expensive Electromagnetic separation Laser isotope

    12. Conversion Capacity in T U/y

    13. Uranium Hexafluoride

    14. Fuel Fabrication UF6 is converted into UO2 clad then grouped into fuel bundles

    15. International Fabrication Capacity (LWR, Uranium Oxide) [t U/year] nominal capacity 1. USA 3500 2. Russia 2020 3. Kazakhstan 2000 4. Japan 1674 5. France 970 6. Belgium 750 7. Germany 650 8. Sweden 600 9. Korea, Rep. 400 10. Unit. Kingd. 330 11. Spain 300 12. China,cont'l 100 13. India 25 14. Algeria 0

    16. Reactor Fuel Management Remain critical while fuel composition and reactivity changes Shape the power density to max power output Maximize heat production from fuel Uniform irradiation of fuel Maximize productive use of neutrons

    17. Fuel shuffle Every year PWR-1/3 or BWR 1/4 of the core is removed and the core is reloaded New fuel is shuffled into the core Zone loading Scattering loading Modified scatter loading

    18. Zone Loading

    19. Scattering Loading

    20. Modified Scatter Loading

    21. Spent fuel storage Still contains fuel 180 kg of fissile Pu + 22,000 kg of U-235 at each refueling (435 MW and 420MW) Also contains 100’s of fission products -7 have half-lives greater than 25 yrs. Stored on site in water then dry storage No permanent US storage yet

    22. Waste Disposal High level - fission products separated in the first stage of reprocessing Mine and Mill tailings Transuranic (TRU) actinides with concentrations > 100 nCi/g Low level waste - no shielding required < 100 nCi/g class A - 0.1 Ci/ft3 class B - 2 Ci/ft3 class C - 7 Ci/ft3 Intermediate level - vaguely defined between low and high

    23. Reprocessing Objectives Recover U, Pu, and Th to be used as fuel Separate radioactive and neutron-absorbing fission products Convert the radioactive waste into suitable forms for safe storage The US does not have reprocessing facilities

    24. Types of Reprocessing Bismuth Phosphate Redox Trigly Butex Purex - most common Thorex Pyro-processes Urex+ - most recent

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