AREVA Back-End Possibilities for the Used Fuel of Research Test Reactors
- AREVA, COGEMA, 2 rue Paul Dautier, BP 4, 78 141 Velizy Cedex (France)
- AREVA - COGEMA LOGISTICS, 1 rue des Herons, 78 182 Montigny le Bretonneux (France)
- COGEMA Inc., 4800 Hampden LA, Suite 1100 Bethesda, MD 20814 (United States)
One of the major issues faced by the Research and Test Reactor (RTR) operators is the back end management of the used fuel elements. RTR used fuel for both HEU and LEU types are problematic for storing and disposal as their Aluminium cladding degrades leading to activity release, possible loss of containment and criticality concerns. Thus, direct disposal of RTR used fuel, (without prior treatment and conditioning) is in this respect hardly suitable. In the same manner, long term interim storage of RTR used fuel has to take into account the issue of fuel corrosion. Treating RTR used fuel allows separating the content into recyclable materials and residues. It offers many advantages as compared to direct disposal such as the retrieval of valuable fissile material, the reduction of radio-toxicity and a very significant reduction of the volume of the ultimate waste package (reduction factor between 30 and 50). In addition, the vitrification of the residues provides a package that has been specifically designed to ensure long term durability for long term interim storage as well as final disposal (99% of the activity is encapsulated into a stable matrix). RTR fuel treatment process was developed several decades ago by AREVA with now thirty years of experience at an industrial level. The treatment process consists in dissolving the whole assembly (including the Al cladding) in nitric acid and then diluting it with standard Uranium Oxide fuel dissolution liquor prior to treatment with the nominal Tributylphosphate solvent extraction process. A wide range of RTR spent fuel has already been treated in the AREVA facilities. First, at the Marcoule plant over 18 tons of U-Al type RTR fuel from 21 reactors in 11 countries was processed. The treatment activities are now undertaken at the La Hague plant where 17 tons of RTR used fuel from Australia Belgium, and France aligned for treatment. In June 2005, AREVA started to treat at La Hague ANSTO's Australian RTR used fuel from the HIFAR research reactor. AREVA is able to offer true long term solutions for the back-end management of the three main types of RTR fuel: U-Al, the future U-Mo type of fuel, and even some silicide spent fuels. Due to the diversity of the worldwide Research Test Reactor facilities, AREVA is experienced in developing customized solutions and services for international and domestic customers. It has developed a new generation of packaging that accommodates different types of baskets of high capacity allowing a large variety of HEU and LEU fuels to be handled safely. This packaging meets all IAEA regulations. Finally, treatment of RTR used fuels, in a regional facility under international safeguards, is a key solution to proliferation threats represented by spent HEU fuel: it dilutes the HEU. Thus, it could be a useful mean for accelerating the Global Threat Reduction Initiative program launched in the United States. The goal of this paper is to present AREVA's experience concerning RTR used fuel treatment and logistics. (authors)
- Research Organization:
- WM Symposia, Inc., PO Box 13023, Tucson, AZ, 85732-3023 (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 21210764
- Report Number(s):
- INIS-US-09-WM-06555; TRN: US09V1192081226
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Waste Management 2006 Symposium - WM'06 - Global Accomplishments in Environmental and Radioactive Waste Management: Education and Opportunity for the Next Generation of Waste Management Professionals, Tucson, AZ (United States), 26 Feb - 2 Mar 2006; Other Information: Country of input: France; 4 refs
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
AUSTRALIA
BELGIUM
CORROSION
FISSILE MATERIALS
FRANCE
FUEL ELEMENTS
HIFAR REACTOR
HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM
NITRIC ACID
NUCLEAR INDUSTRY
PROLIFERATION
RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE
SILICIDES
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
SPENT FUELS
TBP
URANIUM OXIDES