Advanced, lower-cost, proliferation-resistant, uranium-thorium dioxide fuels for LWRs
- Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Lab., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
The overall objective is to develop a fuel for the existing light water reactors (LWRs) that (a) is less expensive to fabricate than the current uranium-dioxide (UO{sub 2}) fuel, (b) allows longer refueling cycles and higher sustainable plant capacity factors, (c) is very resistant to nuclear weapons-material proliferation, (d) results in a more stable and insoluble waste form, and (e) generates less high-level waste. The authors present the results of the initial investigation of an LWR fuel consisting of mixed thorium and uranium dioxide (Th/U). Higher sustainable plant capacity factors, resistance to nuclear weapons-material proliferation, and less high-level waste can only be obtained with long refueling cycles and relatively high burnup. Therefore, the authors have done these preliminary comparisons with conventional UO{sub 2} fuel irradiated in a pressurized water reactor (PWR) to 45 MWd/kg and an extended burnup UO{sub 2} core irradiated to 72 MWd/kg. The calculations were performed using the SCALE 4.3 suite of codes. The dimensions and parameters assumed for all the calculations were those of a 17 x 17 PWR fuel assembly. The uranium was enriched to 19.5% {sup 235}U ({approximately}5 to 7% of the total Th/U).
- OSTI ID:
- 678101
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-990605-; ISSN 0003-018X; TRN: 99:009086
- Journal Information:
- Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Vol. 80; Conference: 1999 annual meeting of the American Nuclear Society (ANS), Boston, MA (United States), 6-10 Jun 1999; Other Information: PBD: 1999
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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