Fuel cycle integration issues associated with P/T technology

Conference · Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:10130667

Michaels, G E; Ludwig, S B

The three primary interfaces between a generic partitioning and transmutation (P/T) technology and the existing United States fuel cycle are the light-water reactor (LWR) spent fuel inventory, the reprocessed uranium (RU) stream, and the high-level waste stream. The features and implications of these three interfaces are reviewed and their implications for P/T system design and for waste management are assessed. The variability of transuranic nuclide composition in the LWR spent fuel is calculated and its potential implications for transmutation system core design are discussed. The radiological characteristics of the RU stream are presented, and options for disposition of the stream are reviewed. Most P/T scenarios assume that RU will be recycled to LWRs. This study demonstrates, however, that LWR recycle cannot totally consume the reprocessed stream, and disposal of a waste uranium steam with high levels of radiologically-significant isotopes will still be necessary. The radioactivity of the tails stream for enrichment plants resulting from a dedicated RU campaign is calculated. The tendency of gaseous diffusion plant enrichment technology to deplete the tails stream of minor uranium isotopes is seen as a benefit and an advantage over Atomic Vapor Laser Isotope Separation-type technology. Finally, the implications of P/T on LWR-origin wastes reporting to the repository is discussed, and several significant differences between LWR-origin waste originating from transmutation systems are assessed.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 10130667
• Report Number(s): CONF-920307-40; ON: DE92009014
• Resource Relation: Conference: Waste management `92,Tucson, AZ (United States),1-5 Mar 1992; Other Information: PBD: [1992]
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
FUEL CYCLE
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
PARTITION
TRANSMUTATION
SPENT FUELS
REPROCESSING
URANIUM
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANTS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
RADIOISOTOPES
ACTINIDES
052001
050800
WASTE PROCESSING
SPENT FUELS REPROCESSING