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Title: CANDU fuel cycle flexibility

Journal Article · · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society
OSTI ID:182103
;  [1];  [2]
  1. Chalk River Lab., Ontario (Canada)
  2. AECL CANDU, Mississauga, Ontario (Canada)

High neutron economy, on-power refuelling, and a simple bundle design provide a high degree of flexibility that enables CANDU (CANada Deuterium Uranium; registered trademark) reactors to be fuelled with a wide variety of fuel types. Near-term applications include the use of slightly enriched uranium (SEU), and recovered uranium (RU) from reprocessed spent Light Water Reactor (LWR) fuel. Plutonium and other actinides arising from various sources, including spent LWR fuel, can be accommodated, and weapons-origin plutonium could be destroyed by burning in CANDU. In the DUPIC fuel cycle, a dry processing method would convert spent Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) fuel to CANDU fuel. The thorium cycle remains of strategic interest in CANDU to ensure long-term resource availability, and would be of specific interest to those countries possessing large thorium reserves, but limited uranium resources.

OSTI ID:
182103
Report Number(s):
CONF-940501-; ISSN 0003-018X; TRN: 95:004487-0131
Journal Information:
Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Vol. 70, Issue Suppl.1; Conference: 9. Pacific basin nuclear conference, Sydney (Australia), 1-5 May 1994; Other Information: PBD: 1994
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English