Future fuel cycle development for CANDU reactors
The CANDU reactor has proven to be safe and economical and has demonstrated outstanding performance with natural uranium fuel. The use of on-paper fueling, coupled with excellent neutron economy, leads to a very flexible reactor system which can utilize a wide variety of fuels. The spectrum of fuel cycles ranges from natural uranium, through slightly enriched uranium, to plutonium and ultimately thorium fuels which offer many of the advantages of the fast breeder reactor system. CANDU can also burn the recycled uranium and/or the plutonium from fuel discharged from light water reactors. This synergistic relationship could obviate the need to re-enrich the reprocessed uranium and allow a simpler reprocessing scheme. Fuel management strategies that will permit future fuel cycles to be used in existing CANDU reactors have been identified. Evolutionary design changes will lead to an even greater flexibility, which will guarantee the continued success of the CANDU system.
- Research Organization:
- Atomic Energy of Canada Limited Research Company, Ottawa, Ontario
- OSTI ID:
- 6360692
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-870905-
- Journal Information:
- Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.; (United States), Journal Name: Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.; (United States) Vol. 56:1; ISSN TANSA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Nonbreeding
Otherwise Moderated or Unmoderated
ACTINIDES
CANDU TYPE REACTORS
ELEMENTS
ENRICHED URANIUM
FUEL CYCLE
FUEL MANAGEMENT
HEAVY WATER MODERATED REACTORS
ISOTOPE ENRICHED MATERIALS
MATERIALS
METALS
NATURAL URANIUM
OPERATION
PERFORMANCE
PLUTONIUM
PRESSURE TUBE REACTORS
REACTOR OPERATION
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REPROCESSING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SLIGHTLY ENRICHED URANIUM
THERMAL REACTORS
THORIUM
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
URANIUM