Description of alternative steady-state fuel cycles

Technical Report · Wed Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1978

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6409425· OSTI ID:6409425

Boegel, A J; Merrill, E T; Newman, D F; Nolan, A M

This study provides a first cut analysis for the FRAD program of a range of reference, steady-state, fresh and spent fuel compositions for the development of alternative fuels refabrication technology. Included are the resource requirements and separative work requirements and the material flows for each fuel cycle evaluated. However, since steady-state represents only a portion of the complete fuel cycle, a more in depth evaluation of each alternative fuel cycle will follow this analysis. Each of the fuel types investigated is composed of either plutonium-uranium (Pu-U), denatured uranium-thorium (DU-Th), plutonium-thorium (Pu-Th), highly enriched uranium-thorium (HEU-Th) or low enriched uranium (LEU). Seven ''closed cycles'' were formed by coupling two or more of the above fuel types. The closed cycle concept assumes that all fissile material recovered from spent fuel is either recycled into fresh fuel, or retired to waste when its net reactivity worth is equal to or less than tails equivalence. Additional fissile material required as makeup is introduced to the system from the enrichment cascade only. Each closed system presented in this study simulates the production of 1000 MWe in steady-state operation. The findings of this preliminary study indicated that, at equilibrium, those closed cycles which employ DU-Th or HEU-Th as the primary fuel are more efficient with respect to resource consumption than those cycles where LEU is used as the primary fuel.

• Research Organization: Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-06-1830
• OSTI ID: 6409425
• Report Number(s): PNL-2779
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050800 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Spent Fuels Reprocessing
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210100* -- Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Boiling Water Cooled
210200 -- Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Nonboiling Water Cooled
ACTINIDES
BWR TYPE REACTORS
DENATURED FUEL
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENRICHED URANIUM
FUEL CYCLE
FUELS
HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM
ISOTOPE ENRICHED MATERIALS
METALS
NUCLEAR FUELS
PLUTONIUM RECYCLE
PWR TYPE REACTORS
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTORS
REPROCESSING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SLIGHTLY ENRICHED URANIUM
THORIUM CYCLE
URANIUM
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS