An evaluation of fuel cycle material balance based on the introduction of l,500 MWe high burnup metal or oxide fuel FBRS
- Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, 11-1, Iwadokita 2-Chome Komae-shi, Tokyo 201-8511 (Japan)
A material balance evaluation is made for the global nuclear fuel cycle after the 21. Century to clarify the effect of the introduction of the metal fuel fast breeder reactor (FBR) cycle, which has high breeding potential, on the conservation of natural uranium resources. In this study, the predictions by World Energy Council (WEC) are applied to the nuclear capacity growth model. The year to start the FBR introduction is set as a parameter and it is assumed that, from that year on, the capacity growth will be maintained by the startup of new FBRs as long as plutonium is available. Either metal or oxide fuel core, of which the shortest doubling time is 27 or 59 years respectively assuming the pyro-process, is considered as the introduced FBR and their results are compared. The results show that if the growth rate is as low as ∼9 GWe/yr., the total demand for the uranium resources in the metal and oxide fuel FBR will be nearly equal since enough plutonium (Pu) to support the growth is recovered from the light water reactor (LWR) spent fuel and accumulated before the beginning of FBR introduction. However, the difference becomes greater when the growth rate is higher, and the conservation of natural uranium resources and potential reduction in the demand for reprocessed heavy metal by the adoption of the metal fuel FBR cycle will reach 30-42%. Accordingly, the total uranium demand will not exceed the predicted ultimately available resources even in the highest growth scenario (∼76 GWe/yr.), if the metal fuel FBR is introduced by the middle of the 21. century.
- Research Organization:
- American Nuclear Society - ANS, 555 North Kensington Avenue, La Grange Park, IL 60526 (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 23142046
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Global'99: International Conference on Future Nuclear Systems - Nuclear Technology - Bridging the Millennia, Las Vegas, NV (United States), 29 Aug - 3 Sep 1999; Other Information: Country of input: France; 9 refs.; available from American Nuclear Society - ANS, 555 North Kensington Avenue, La Grange Park, IL 60526 (US)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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