A closed, proliferation-resistant fuel cycle with Th-U-O{sub 2}-fueled LWRs, Th, U, and Np recycle, and accelerator-driven transmutation of waste (ATW)

Conference · Wed Sep 15 04:00:00 EDT 1999

OSTI ID:23142045

Beller, Denis E. ^[1]; Venneri, Francesco ^[2]; Sailor, William C. ^[3]; Herring, J. Stephen ^[4]

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1. TSA-3, MS F607, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico (United States)
2. LANSCE-3, MS H854, Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos, New Mexico (United States)
3. TSA-3, MS F607, Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos, New Mexico (United States)
4. Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID 83415 (United States)

In a previous report we described a nuclear energy scenario for the 21. century that included a thorium uranium- oxide (ThUOX) fuel cycle and new light water reactors supported by Accelerator-driven Transmutation of Waste (ATW) systems. A study of the deployment of this coupled system with the closed denatured Th-U (DTU) fuel cycle demonstrated several improvements beyond today's once-through, UO{sub 2}-fueled nuclear technology. These improvements indicated a potential to help revitalize the nuclear energy option in the U.S. and worldwide, while simultaneously meeting U.S. and DOE guidelines for nuclear energy. But much has occurred since that initial study, including a congressionally mandated ATW Road map study that has resulted in changes in ATW concepts; increased performance, license extensions, and reactor retirements that result in new projections for the future of U.S. nuclear energy; an announcement from the DOE that neptunium and other minor actinides from spent fuel can be used to construct a nuclear explosive; and interim results of an ongoing study of proliferation risk associated with plutonium. In this update of our previous study, we investigated separation and recycle of neptunium with thorium and uranium--rather than with plutonium and higher actinides-to increase the production of {sup 238}Pu. The presence of {sup 238}Pu degrades the explosive qualities of spent-fuel plutonium. In addition, this alternative process also simplifies the pyrochemical separation of fuel elements (thorium and uranium) from higher actinides. Compared to a once-through, UO{sub 2}-fueled LWR scenario that provides the same growth in nuclear energy production, implementation of the DTU-LWWATW concept with thorium uranium and neptunium recycle would result in the following improvements: inventories of plutonium which may result in weapons proliferation will be reduced in quantity by more than 98 percent and in quality because of 50 times the spontaneous neutron emissions and 25 times the alpha decay heating of weapons-grade plutonium depletion of natural uranium resources would be reduced by about 40 percent, thus extending the lifetime of this resource; more than 99% of actinides for final disposal in nuclear waste will be nearly eliminated; the impact on repository performance of troublesome long-lived fission products {sup 99}Tc and iodine is eliminated because they are either transmuted or confined in stable waste forms, and increased costs associated with ATWS maybe offset by a reduction in fuel-cycle costs.

• Research Organization: American Nuclear Society - ANS, 555 North Kensington Avenue, La Grange Park, IL 60526 (United States)
• OSTI ID: 23142045
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ACCELERATOR-DRIVEN TRANSMUTATION
ALPHA DECAY
FISSION PRODUCTS
FUEL CYCLE
FUEL ELEMENTS
IODINE
NATURAL URANIUM
NEPTUNIUM
NEUTRON EMISSION
NUCLEAR ENERGY
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIVES
PLUTONIUM
PLUTONIUM 238
SPENT FUELS
TECHNETIUM 99
THORIUM
URANIUM DIOXIDE
WASTE FORMS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS