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Title: Role for thorium in the nuclear world

Abstract

A high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) fuel cycle which uses thorium as the fertile material has been developed for a variety of uranium-feed enrichments. Considerable flexibility for meeting economic and political situations is possible with the use of medium-enriched uranium/thorium as the basic fresh fuel in the HTGR. The fuel options include once-through, without recycle; recycle U-233, which is either denatured or highly enriched; recycle U-233 and unburned U-235, which are denatured or highly enriched; and the long-term storage of plutonium, which is generated in the medium-enriched uranium cycle, for later use in a fast breeder or thermal reactor. The advantages of the uranium/thorium fuel cycle are good fuel-resource utilization and economic potential. Reprocessing, recycle, and shipping techniques have also been developed.

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Gen. At. Co.
OSTI Identifier:
6291075
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Power; (United States)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 123:2
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; HTGR TYPE REACTORS; NUCLEAR FUELS; THORIUM CYCLE; DENATURED FUEL; ECONOMICS; HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM; PLUTONIUM PRODUCTION REACTORS; THORIUM; URANIUM 233; URANIUM 235; ACTINIDE ISOTOPES; ACTINIDE NUCLEI; ACTINIDES; ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; ELEMENTS; ENERGY SOURCES; ENRICHED URANIUM; EVEN-ODD NUCLEI; FUEL CYCLE; FUELS; GAS COOLED REACTORS; GRAPHITE MODERATED REACTORS; HEAVY NUCLEI; ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES; ISOTOPE ENRICHED MATERIALS; ISOTOPES; MATERIALS; METALS; MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; NUCLEI; PRODUCTION REACTORS; RADIOISOTOPES; REACTOR MATERIALS; REACTORS; URANIUM; URANIUM ISOTOPES; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; 210300* - Power Reactors, Nonbreeding, Graphite Moderated; 220700 - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Plutonium & Isotope Production Reactors

Citation Formats

Turner, R F. Role for thorium in the nuclear world. United States: N. p., 1979. Web.
Turner, R F. Role for thorium in the nuclear world. United States.
Turner, R F. 1979. "Role for thorium in the nuclear world". United States.
@article{osti_6291075,
title = {Role for thorium in the nuclear world},
author = {Turner, R F},
abstractNote = {A high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) fuel cycle which uses thorium as the fertile material has been developed for a variety of uranium-feed enrichments. Considerable flexibility for meeting economic and political situations is possible with the use of medium-enriched uranium/thorium as the basic fresh fuel in the HTGR. The fuel options include once-through, without recycle; recycle U-233, which is either denatured or highly enriched; recycle U-233 and unburned U-235, which are denatured or highly enriched; and the long-term storage of plutonium, which is generated in the medium-enriched uranium cycle, for later use in a fast breeder or thermal reactor. The advantages of the uranium/thorium fuel cycle are good fuel-resource utilization and economic potential. Reprocessing, recycle, and shipping techniques have also been developed.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6291075}, journal = {Power; (United States)},
number = ,
volume = 123:2,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1979},
month = {Thu Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1979}
}