Head-end process for the reprocessing of HTGR spent fuel

Conference · Mon Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2013

OSTI ID:22264125

Chen, J.; Wen, M. ^[1]

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1. Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Bejing 10084 (China)

The reprocessing of HTGR spent fuels is in favor of the sustainable development of nuclear energy to realize the maximal use of nuclear resource and the minimum disposal of nuclear waste. The head-end of HTGR spent fuels reprocessing is different from that of the LWR spent fuels reprocessing because of the difference of spent fuel structure. The dismantling of the graphite spent fuel element and the highly effective dissolution of fuel kernel is the most difficult process in the head end of the reprocessing. Recently, some work on the head-end has been done in China. First, the electrochemical method with nitrate salt as electrolyte was studied to disintegrate the graphite matrix from HTGR fuel elements and release the coated fuel particles, to provide an option for the head-end technology of reprocessing. The results show that the graphite matrix can be effectively separated from the coated particle without any damage to the SiC layer. Secondly, the microwave-assisted heating was applied to dissolve the UO{sub 2} kernel from the crashed coated fuel particles. The ceramic UO{sub 2} as the solute has a good ability to absorb the microwave energy. The results of UO{sub 2} kernel dissolution from crushed coated particles by microwave heating show that the total dissolution percentage of UO{sub 2} is more than 99.99% after 3 times cross-flow dissolution with the following parameters: 8 mol/L HNO{sub 3}, temperature 100 Celsius degrees, initial ratio of solid to liquid 1.2 g/ml. (authors)

• Research Organization: American Nuclear Society, 555 North Kensington Avenue, La Grange Park, IL 60526 (United States)
• OSTI ID: 22264125
• Resource Relation: Conference: GLOBAL 2013: International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Conference - Nuclear Energy at a Crossroads, Salt Lake City, UT (United States), 29 Sep - 3 Oct 2013; Other Information: Country of input: France; 12 refs.; Related Information: In: Proceedings of GLOBAL 2013: International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Conference - Nuclear Energy at a Crossroads| 1633 p.
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
CHINA
COATED FUEL PARTICLES
DISSOLUTION
ELECTROCHEMISTRY
FUEL ELEMENTS
GRAPHITE
HEAD END PROCESSES
HTGR TYPE REACTORS
KERNELS
MICROWAVE HEATING
MICROWAVE RADIATION
NITRIC ACID
NUCLEAR ENERGY
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
REPROCESSING
SILICON CARBIDES
SPENT FUELS
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
URANIUM DIOXIDE