Assessment of U/sub 3/O/sub 8/ requirements and fuel cycle costs resulting from thorium fuel cycle in HWRs (CANDUs)

Technical Report · Mon Jan 17 00:00:00 EST 1977

OSTI ID:6222429

Gift, E H

Based on available, published information, it is apparent that the CANDU heavy water reactor requires a significantly lower lifetime U/sub 3/O/sub 8/ supply than a comparably operated light water reactor. Thorium utilization in the CANDU system has the potential of requiring only 30 to 35% as much fuel, at realistic conversion ratios (0.85 to 0.9), as a no recycle CANDU. This advantage is partially offset by the much higher initial U/sub 3/O/sub 8/ and fissile requirements of the thorium fueled options. The effect of an expanding nuclear power system tends to amplify these higher front end U/sub 3/O/sub 8/ requirements. For example, at a growth rate of five reactors per year, 11 years are required before the fuel requirements for a thorium fueled CANDU (conversion ratio = 0.85) become less than those of a CANDU-no recycle and between 27 and 30 years before they are less than those of a CANDU system on plutonium recycle. The economics of thorium utilization seem to be marginal (as a consequence of high recovery costs) for plutonium makeup recovered from CANDU fuels, but may be competitive operating on U-235 makeup. A definite economic optimum seems to exist for conversion ratios between 0.8 and 0.9, based on present cost concepts.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant, TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OT21400
• OSTI ID: 6222429
• Report Number(s): K/OP-219; ON: DE86003587
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
CANDU TYPE REACTORS
THORIUM CYCLE
ECONOMICS
URANIUM OXIDES U3O8
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
CHALCOGENIDES
FUEL CYCLE
HEAVY WATER MODERATED REACTORS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PRESSURE TUBE REACTORS
REACTORS
THERMAL REACTORS
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM OXIDES
210400* - Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Otherwise Moderated or Unmoderated
210802 - Nuclear Power Plants- Economics- Fuel Cycle