Designing fuel rods for high burnup

Journal Article · Sun Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1985 · EPRI J.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6226350

Douglas, J; Franklin, D; Santucci, J

Extending fuel burnup increases the efficiency of uranium use and gives a utility more flexibility in choosing a fuel management schedule. Extended burnup of nuclear fuels could save the utility industry several hundred million dollars each year by the 1990s. Higher burnup reduces fuel cycle costs by lowering the amount of uranium mining, milling, and enrichment required to produce new fuel, as well as requiring less transportation and shorter storage of spent fuel rods. It also lengthens the time between plant shutdowns for refueling from the current 12 months to 18 months. The Electric Power Research Institute is completing research on strategies already commercially adopted at pressurized water reactors (PWRs) and under demonstration at boiling water reactors (BWRs). Most of the work has focused on fuel pellets and rod assemblies of standard design, with some testing of design modifications. 3 figures.

• OSTI ID: 6226350
• Journal Information: EPRI J.; (United States), Vol. 10:10
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
BURNUP
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
NUCLEAR FUELS
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
ECONOMICS
BWR TYPE REACTORS
EPRI
FUEL CYCLE
FUEL PELLETS
FUEL RODS
PWR TYPE REACTORS
ENERGY SOURCES
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUELS
MATERIALS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
PELLETS
POWER PLANTS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTORS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
210100* - Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Boiling Water Cooled
210200 - Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Nonboiling Water Cooled