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Synergistic Relationships of Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycles

Synergistic Relationships of Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycles. Jordan Weaver Technology Report Presentation. Uranium Mining, Milling, Refining. Conversion. Enrichment. UF 6 (gas). Depleted Uranium. Yellowcake (U 3 O 8 ). Enriched UO 2. Ore Tailings. Pu and (maybe) other actinides.

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Synergistic Relationships of Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycles

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  1. Synergistic Relationships of Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycles Jordan Weaver Technology Report Presentation

  2. Uranium Mining, Milling, Refining Conversion Enrichment UF6 (gas) Depleted Uranium Yellowcake (U3O8) Enriched UO2 Ore Tailings Pu and (maybe) other actinides Vitrification High Level Waste (HLW) Fuel Fabrication Vitrified HLW Reprocessing Fuel Assemblies Irradiated Fuel e- Disposal Onsite Cooling Storage Transportation Reactor Obligatory Graphic of Fuel Cycle

  3. Fuel Cycles are a Hot Topic Right Now. Why? Consider these arguments for and against nuclear power -- If new reactor designs prove as safe as hoped and if progress is made on waste disposal, proliferation prevention, and protection against terrorism, nuclear power will deserve a chance to compete in the market against other sources of power that do not emit CO2. - Boston Globe, June 16, 2005 Now that the United States has removed the ban on recycling used fuel, it will be possible to use that energy and to greatly reduce the amount of waste that needs treatment and disposal. Last month, Japan joined France, Britain and Russia in the nuclear-fuel-recycling business. The United States will not be far behind - Patrick Moore, Greenpeace Founder, in the Washington Post, April 16, 2006 But there are arguments [against nuclear power] that do stand up. The most fundamental environmental principle … is that you don't make a new mess until you have cleared up the old one. To start building a new generation of nuclear power stations before we know what to do with the waste produced by existing plants is grotesquely irresponsible. The government's advisers have determined only that it should be buried. No one yet knows where, how or at what cost. - The Manchester Guardian [UK], July 11, 2006 --- The concerns raised are inevitably tied up with the fuel cycle.

  4. Motivation One possible aspect of an advanced fuel cycle lies in the use of new reactor designs that will help to minimize the amount of waste that will be disposed of as well as produce more energy (and more fuel).

  5. Generic Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor

  6. Fast Reactor Physics Typical PWR Neutron Flux Fast Na-Cooled Reactor Flux

  7. Fast Reactor Technology Breeder Reactors • During operation, produces more fuel than it consumes. • Uses U-238 in a breeding blanket to produce plutonium that can eventually be used as fuel. • To achieve this, fast neutron spectrum is needed.

  8. Breeder Reactor Diagram

  9. Modeling FBR Phase-In • Setup a network of Light-Water Reactors as well as Fast Breeder Reactors. Recycle spent fuel from LWR fleet to obtain plutonium. Use Pu as fuel in FBR to breed more fuel. • One cycle is 10 years and fuel bred in FBR cannot be used until following cycle. • Normalize overall capacity to 100 GWt to phase-out LWR fleet.

  10. First Decade Flow Chart

  11. Next Decade

  12. Driver Fuel 68.41% U 18.41% Pu 0.27% MA 12.91% FP Driver Fuel 76.44% U 23.56% Pu 0.0% MA Na Cooled FR BU = 140 MWd/kg Breeding Blanket 4.55 kg Blanket per kg Driver Blanket Fuel 100.0% U 0.0% Pu 0.0% MA Blanket Fuel 97.50% U 1.70% Pu 0.00% MA 0.80% FP Concentration of Spent Fuel • Fuel discharge coefficients obtained from ORIGEN-ARP Depletion Code.

  13. Results

  14. Conclusions • By having reprocessing infrastructures in place, fuel cycles can be designed to minimize waste as well as conserve fuel resources while inherently being proliferation-conscious. • Multi-national approaches can benefit by utilizing regional resources and sharing the burden of nuclear waste.

  15. References • 109th U.S.C. "Energy Policy Act." August 2005. • Department of Energy. Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative. 2005. Nov 2008 <http://www.ne.doe.gov/AFCI/neAFCI.html>. • Knief, Ronald Allen. Nuclear Engineering: Theory and Technology of Commercial Nuclear Power. 2nd. Washington: Taylor & Francis, 1992. • "ORIGEN-ARP 5.1." Isotopic Depletion and Decay Analysis System. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 2007. • Salvatores, M. "Improved Resources Utilisation, Waste Minimisation and Proliferation Resistance in a Regional Context." 9th NEA Information Exchange on Actinide and Fission Product P&T. 2006. • Wikipedia. Fast breeder reactor. November 2008. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_breeder>. • —. Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository. 16 November 2008. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yucca_Mountain>. • World Nuclear Association. Nuclear Power in the USA. October 2008. 21 November 2008 <http://www.world-nuclear.org>.

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