Simultaneous evaluation of the effects of /sup 232/U and /sup 236/U on uranium recycling in boiling water reactors

Journal Article · Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1986 · Nucl. Technol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5055609

Hida, K; Kusuno, S; Seino, T

The effects of /sup 232/U and /sup 236/U on uranium recycling in boiling water reactors are studied with the two-dimensional lattice physics code TGBLA. A simple analytic expression is proposed for reactivity compensation factor K, taking into account the self-shielding effect of resonance absorption in /sup 236/U: K=a+b/(1+ce/sub 6/)/sup 1/2/, where e/sub 6/ denotes the /sup 236/U concentration. To output the same energy as the 3.0 wt% enrichment fuel free from /sup 236/U, the constants are determined to be a=0.06, b=0.23, and c=1.9. The introduction of 1ppb /sup 232/U increases the surface dose rate of the fuel assembly by 60% over the aged enriched natural uranium. Lead time is as important as cooling time in /sup 232/U production because of the chain that originates from the alpha decay of naturally occurring /sup 234/U. The natural uranium feed and the separative work requirement are evaluated on these bases, introducing typical recycling strategies, and it appears that uranium recycling saves 17 to 19% of the natural uranium but increases the separative work by 0 to 2%. The front-end cost analysis reveals the benefit of a concentrated utilization of reprocessed uranium, which results from the self-shielding effect of /sup 236/U and the assumption of a linear dependence of the front-end penalty on /sup 232/U concentration. Also studied are plutonium composition in irradiated fuels and the effects of extended burnup.

• Research Organization: Nippon Atomic Industry Group Co., Ltd., NAIG Nuclear Research Lab., 4-1, Ukishima-cho, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki 210
• OSTI ID: 5055609
• Journal Information: Nucl. Technol.; (United States), Vol. 75:2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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