A Combined Nonfertile and UO{sub 2} PWR Fuel Assembly for Actinide Waste Minimization

Journal Article · Tue Mar 15 04:00:00 EST 2005 · Nuclear Technology

OSTI ID:20840247

Shwageraus, Eugene; Hejzlar, Pavel; Kazimi, Mujid S ^[1]

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1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (United States)

A new COmbined NonFertile and Uranium (CONFU) fuel assembly is proposed to limit the actinides that need long-term high-level waste storage from the pressurized water reactor (PWR) fuel cycle. In the CONFU assembly concept, {approx}20% of the UO{sub 2} fuel pins are replaced with fertile free fuel hosting the transuranic elements (TRUs) generated in the previous cycle. This leads to a fuel cycle sustainable with respect to net TRU generation, and the amount and radiotoxicity of the nuclear waste can be significantly reduced in comparison with the conventional once-through UO{sub 2} fuel cycle. It is shown that under the constraints of acceptable power peaking limits, the CONFU assembly exhibits negative reactivity feedback coefficients comparable in values to those of the reference UO{sub 2} fuel. Feasibility of the PWR core operation and control with complete TRU recycle has been shown based on full-core three-dimensional neutronic simulation. However, gradual buildup of small amounts of Cm and Cf challenges fuel reprocessing and fabrication due to the high spontaneous fission rates of these nuclides and heat generation by some Pu, Am, and Cm isotopes. Feasibility of the processing steps becomes more attainable if the time between discharge and reprocessing is 20 yr or longer.

• OSTI ID: 20840247
• Journal Information: Nuclear Technology, Journal Name: Nuclear Technology Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 149; ISSN 0029-5450; ISSN NUTYBB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
CONTROL
CURIUM ISOTOPES
FUEL ASSEMBLIES
FUEL CYCLE
FUEL PINS
HEAT
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
MINIMIZATION
NUCLEAR FUELS
PWR TYPE REACTORS
REACTIVITY COEFFICIENTS
REPROCESSING
SIMULATION
SPONTANEOUS FISSION
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
URANIUM
URANIUM DIOXIDE