Download or read book AECL U S INERI Development of Inert Matrix Fuels for Plutonium and Minor Actinide Management in Power Reactors Fuel Requirements and Down Select Report written by Pavel Medvedev and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report documents the first milestone of the International Nuclear Energy Research Initiative (INERI) U.S./Euratom Joint Proposal 1.8 entitled "Development of Inert Matrix Fuels for Plutonium and Minor Actinide Management in Light-Water Reactors." The milestone represents the assessment and preliminary study of a variety of fuels that hold promise as transmutation and minor actinide burning fuel compositions for light-water reactors. The most promising fuels of interest to the participants on this INERI program have been selected for further study. These fuel compositions are discussed in this report.
Download or read book U S EURATOM INERI Development of Inert Matrix Fuels for Plutonium and Minor Actinide Management in LWRs Fuel Requirements and Down Select Report written by Pavel Medvedev and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report documents the first milestone of the International Nuclear Energy Research Initiative (INERI) U.S./Canada Joint Proposal entitled "Development of Inert Matrix Fuels for Plutonium and Minor Actinide Management in Power Reactors." The milestone represents the assessment and preliminary study of a variety of fuels that hold promise as transmutation and minor actinide burning fuel compositions for light water reactors. The most promising fuels of interest to the participants on this INERI program have been selected for further study. These fuel compositions are discussed in this report.
Download or read book AECL written by and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The U.S. Advanced Fuel Cycle Program and the Atomic Energy Canada Ltd (AECL) seek to develop and demonstrate the technologies needed to minimize the overall Pu and minor actinides present in the light water reactor (LWR) nuclear fuel cycles. It is proposed to reuse the Pu from LWR spent fuel both for the energy it contains and to decrease the hazard and proliferation impact resulting from storage of the Pu and minor actinides. The use of fuel compositions with a combination of U and Pu oxide (MOX) has been proposed as a way to recycle Pu and/or minor actinides in LWRs. It has also been proposed to replace the fertile U238 matrix of MOX with a fertile-free matrix (IMF) to reduce the production of Pu239 in the fuel system. It is important to demonstrate the performance of these fuels with the appropriate mixture of isotopes and determine what impact there might be from trace elements or contaminants. Previous work has already been done to look at weapons-grade (WG) Pu in the MOX configuration [1][2] and the reactor-grade (RG) Pu in a MOX configuration including small (4000 ppm additions of Neptunium). This program will add to the existing database by developing a wide variety of MOX fuel compositions along with new fuel compositions called inert-matrix fuel (IMF). The goal of this program is to determine the general fabrication and irradiation behavior of the proposed IMF fuel compositions. Successful performance of these compositions will lead to further selection and development of IMF for use in LWRs. This experiment will also test various inert matrix material compositions with and without quantities of the minor actinides Americium and Neptunium to determine feasibility of incorporation into the fuel matrices for destruction. There is interest in the U.S. and world-wide in the investigation of IMF (inert matrix fuels) for scenarios involving stabilization or burn down of plutonium in the fleet of existing commercial power reactors. IMF offer the potential advantage for more efficient destruction of plutonium and minor actinides (MA) relative to MOX fuel. Greater efficiency in plutonium reduction results in greater flexibility in managing plutonium inventories and in developing strategies for disposition of MA, as well as a potential for fuel cycle cost savings. Because fabrication of plutonium-bearing (and MA-bearing) fuel is expensive relative to UO2 in terms of both capital and production, cost benefit can be realized through a reduction in the number of plutonium-bearing elements required for a given burn rate. In addition, the choice of matrix material may be manipulated either to facilitate fuel recycling or to make plutonium recovery extremely difficult. In addition to plutonium/actinide management, an inert matrix fuel having high thermal conductivity may have operational and safety benefits; lower fuel temperatures could be used to increase operating and safety margins, uprate reactor power, or a combination of both. The CANDU reactor offers flexibility in plutonium management and MA burning by virtue of online refueling, a simple bundle design, and good neutron economy. A full core of inert matrix fuel containing either plutonium or a plutonium-actinide mix can be utilized, with plutonium destruction efficiencies greater than 90%, and high (>60%) actinide destruction efficiencies. The Advanced CANDU Reactor (ACR) could allow additional possibilities in the design of an IMF bundle, since the tighter lattice pitch and light-water coolant reduce or eliminate the need to suppress coolant void reactivity, allowing the center region of the bundle to include additional fissile material and to improve actinide burning. The ACR would provide flexibility for management of plutonium and MA from the existing LWR fleet, and would be complementary to the AFCI program in the U.S. Many of the fundamental principles concerning the use of IMF are nearly identical in LWRs and the ACR, including fuel/coolant compatibility, fuel fabrication, and fuel irradiation behavior. In addition, the U.S. and Canada both have interest in development of Generation IV SCWR (supercritical water reactor) technology, to which this fuel type would be applicable for plutonium and MA management. An inert matrix fuel with high thermal conductivity would be particularly beneficial to any SCWR concept. Given these similarities, it is proposed that a joint project be conducted within the framework of a U.S.-Canada INERI project on IMF. This report will present analysis of the inert matrix fuel compositions of interest for application to US and Canadian light water reactor fuel cycles, report on the development of fabrication procedures for these compositions, and provide an overview of the test and demonstration plan for these fuel systems.
Download or read book Fuel Design for the U S Accelerator Driven Transmutation System written by and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 8 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The U.S. concept for actinide transmutation is currently envisioned as a system to destroy plutonium as well as minor actinides in a single or two tier system. In order to maximize the actinide destruction rate, an inert matrix fuel is used. The effectiveness of transmutation in reducing the actinide inventory is linked to the development of a robust fuel system, capable of achieving very high burnup. Very little fuel performance data has been generated to date on inert matrix systems, and there are several issues specific to the behavior of higher actinides that do not allow extension of the existing uranium-plutonium fuel database to these new fuels. These issues include helium production, fuel-cladding-chemical-interaction, and americium migration. In the early 1990's, two U-Pu-Zr metal alloy fuel elements containing 1.2 wt.% Am and 1.3 wt.% Np were fabricated and irradiated to approximately 6 at.% burnup in the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II. Postirradiation examination results were not published; however the recent interest in fuel for actinide transmutation has prompted a reexamination of this data. The results of the postirradiation examination of this experiment, including gas sampling, metallography, and gamma scanning are discussed. Available data on inert matrix fuels and other fuels incorporating actinides are used to assess the implications of minor-actinide specific issues on transmuter fuel. Considerations for the design of nitride and oxide fuels, metallic fuels, and metal-matrix dispersion fuels are discussed.
Download or read book The Optimum Plutonium Inert Matrix Fuel Form for Reactor based Plutonium Disposition written by James S. Tulenko and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 10 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book AFCI Transmutation Fuel Processes and By Products Planning written by Eric L. Shaber and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The goals of the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI) Program are to reduce high-level waste volume, reduce long-lived and radiotoxic elements, and reclaim valuable energy content of spent nuclear fuel. The AFCI chartered the Fuel Development Working Group (FDWG) to develop advanced fuels in support of the AFCI goals. The FDWG organized a phased strategy of fuel development that is designed to match the needs of the AFCI program:Phase 1 - High-burnup fuels for light-water reactors (LWRs) and tri-isotopic (TRISO) fuel for gas-cooled reactorsPhase 2 - Mixed oxide fuels with minor actinides for LWRs, Am transmutation targets for LWRs, inert matrix fuels for LWRs, and TRISO fuel containing Pu and other transuranium for gas-cooled reactorsPhase 3 - Fertile free or low-fertile metal, ceramic, ceramic dispersed in a metal matrix (CERMET), and ceramics dispersed in a ceramic matrix (CERCER) that would be used primarily in fast reactors. Development of advanced fuels requires the fabrication, assembly, and irradiation of prototypic fuel under bounding reactor conditions. At specialized national laboratory facilities small quantities of actinides are being fabricated into such fuel for irradiation tests. Fabrication of demonstration quantities of selected fuels for qualification testing is needed but not currently feasible, because existing manual glovebox fabrication approaches result in significant radiation exposures when larger quantities ofactinides are involved. The earliest demonstration test fuels needed in the AFCI program are expected to be variants of commercial mixed oxide fuel for use in an LWR as lead test assemblies. Manufacture of such test assemblies will require isolated fabrication lines at a facility not currently available in the U.S. Such facilities are now being planned as part of an Advanced Fuel Cycle Facility (AFCF). Adequate planning for and specification of actinide fuel fabrication facilities capable of producingtransmutation fuels dictates the need for detailed process flows, mass balances, batch size data, and radiological dose estimates. Full definition of the materials that will need to be handled in the facility as feed material inputs, in-process fuel, scrap recycle, scrap requiring recovery, and by-product wastes is required. The feed material for demonstrating transmutation fuel fabrication will need to come from the separations of actinides from spent nuclear fuel processed in the same AFCF.
Download or read book The Optimum Plutonium Inert Matrix Fuel Form for Reactor Based Plutonium Disposition written by J. Wang and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 5 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The University of Florida has underway an ongoing research program to validate the economic, operational and performance benefits of developing an inert matrix fuel (IMF) for the disposition of the U.S. weapons plutonium (Pu) and for the recycle of reprocessed Pu. The current fuel form of choice for Pu disposition for the Department of Energy is as a mixed oxide (MOX) (PuO2/UO2). We will show analyses that demonstrate that a Silicon Carbide (SiC) IMF offers improved performance capabilities as a fuel form for Pu recycle and disposition. The reason that UF is reviewing various materials to serve as an inert matrix fuel is that an IMF fuel form can offer greatly reduced Pu and transuranic isotope (TRU) production and also improved thermal performance characteristics. Our studies showed that the Pu content is reduced by an order of magnitude while centerline fuel temperatures are reduced approximately 380 degrees centigrade compared to MOX. These reduced temperatures result in reduced stored heat and thermal stresses in the pellet. The reduced stored heat reduces the consequences of the loss of coolant accident, while the reduced temperatures and thermal stresses yield greatly improved fuel performance. Silicon Carbide is not new to the nuclear industry, being a basic fuel material in gas cooled reactors.
Download or read book The Optimum Plutonium Inert Matrix Fuel Form for Reactor Based Plutonium Disposition written by and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 5 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The University of Florida has underway an ongoing research program to validate the economic, operational and performance benefits of developing an inert matrix fuel (IMF) for the disposition of the U.S. weapons plutonium (Pu) and for the recycle of reprocessed Pu. The current fuel form of choice for Pu disposition for the Department of Energy is as a mixed oxide (MOX) (PuO2/UO2). We will show analyses that demonstrate that a Silicon Carbide (SiC) IMF offers improved performance capabilities as a fuel form for Pu recycle and disposition. The reason that UF is reviewing various materials to serve as an inert matrix fuel is that an IMF fuel form can offer greatly reduced Pu and transuranic isotope (TRU) production and also improved thermal performance characteristics. Our studies showed that the Pu content is reduced by an order of magnitude while centerline fuel temperatures are reduced approximately 380 degrees centigrade compared to MOX. These reduced temperatures result in reduced stored heat and thermal stresses in the pellet. The reduced stored heat reduces the consequences of the loss of coolant accident, while the reduced temperatures and thermal stresses yield greatly improved fuel performance. Silicon Carbide is not new to the nuclear industry, being a basic fuel material in gas cooled reactors.
Download or read book Utilization of Minor Actinides as a Fuel Component for Ultra Long Life Bhr Configurations written by and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This project assessed the advantages and limitations of using minor actinides as a fuel component to achieve ultra-long life Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) configurations. Researchers considered and compared the capabilities of pebble-bed and prismatic core designs with advanced actinide fuels to achieve ultra-long operation without refueling. Since both core designs permit flexibility in component configuration, fuel utilization, and fuel management, it is possible to improve fissile properties of minor actinides by neutron spectrum shifting through configuration adjustments. The project studied advanced actinide fuels, which could reduce the long-term radio-toxicity and heat load of high-level waste sent to a geologic repository and enable recovery of the energy contained in spent fuel. The ultra-long core life autonomous approach may reduce the technical need for additional repositories and is capable to improve marketability of the Generation IV VHTR by allowing worldwide deployment, including remote regions and regions with limited industrial resources. Utilization of minor actinides in nuclear reactors facilitates developments of new fuel cycles towards sustainable nuclear energy scenarios.
Download or read book Viability of Inert Matrix Fuel in Reducing Plutonium Amounts in Reactors IAEA TECDOC Series written by International Atomic Energy Agency and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 90 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book NERI FINAL TECHNICAL REPORT DE FC07 O5ID14647 OPTIMIZATION OF OXIDE COMPOUNDS FOR ADVANCED INERT MATRIX MATERIALS written by and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In order to reduce the current excesses of plutonium (both weapon grade and reactor grade) and other transuranium elements, a concept of inert matrix fuel (IMF) has been proposed for an uranium free transmutation of fissile actinides which excludes continuous uranium-plutonium conversion in thermal reactors and advanced systems. Magnesium oxide (MgO) is a promising candidate for inert matrix (IM) materials due to its high melting point (2827 C), high thermal conductivity (13 W/K · m at 1000 C), good neutronic properties, and irradiation stability However, MgO reacts with water and hydrates easily, which prevents it from being used in light water reactors (LWRs) as an IM. To improve the hydration resistance of MgO-based inert matrix materials, Medvedev and coworkers have recently investigated the introduction of a secondary phase that acts as a hydration barrier. An MgO-ZrO2 composite was specifically studied and the results showed that the composite exhibited improved hydration resistance than pure MgO. However, ZrO2 is insoluble in most acids except HF, which is undesirable for fuel reprocessing. Moreover, the thermal conductivity of ZrO2 is low and typically less than 3 W · m−1 · K−1 at 1000 C. In search for an alternative composite strategy, Nd2Zr2O--, an oxide compound with pyrochlore structure, has been proposed recently as a corrosion resistant phase, and MgO-Nd2Zr2O-- composites have been investigated as potential IM materials. An adequate thermal conductivity of 6 W · m− 1 · K−1 at 1000 C for the MgO-Nd2Zr2O-- composite with 90 vol% MgO was recently calculated and reported. Other simulations proposed that the MgO-pyrochlore composites could exhibit higher radiation stability than previously reported. Final optimization of the composite microstructure was performed on the 70 vol% MgO-Nd2Zr2O-- composite that burnup calculations had shown to have the closest profile to that of MOX fuel. Theoretical calculations also indicated that a homogeneous 70 vol% MgO composite could achieve the desired microstructure that would result in satisfying the dual requirements of good thermal properties.
Download or read book Development of Advanced Mixed Oxide Fuels for Plutonium Management written by and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 7 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A number of advanced Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuel forms are currently being investigated at Los Alamos National Laboratory that have the potential to be effective plutonium management tools. Evolutionary Mixed Oxide (EMOX) fuel is a slight perturbation on standard MOX fuel, but achieves greater plutonium destruction rates by employing a fractional nonfertile component. A pure nonfertile fuel is also being studied. Initial calculations show that the fuel can be utilized in existing light water reactors and tailored to address different plutonium management goals (i.e., stabilization or reduction of plutonium inventories residing in spent nuclear fuel). In parallel, experiments are being performed to determine the feasibility of fabrication of such fuels. Initial EMOX pellets have successfully been fabricated using weapons-grade plutonium.
Download or read book Hydrogen Production from Nuclear Energy written by Greg F Naterer and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-03-28 with total page 506 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With the resurgence of nuclear power around the world, and the increasingly important role of hydrogen as a clean energy carrier, the utilization of nuclear energy for large-scale hydrogen production will have a key role in a sustainable energy future. Co-generation of both electricity and hydrogen from nuclear plants will become increasingly attractive. It enables load leveling together with renewable energy and storage of electricity in the form of hydrogen, when electricity prices and demand are lowest at off-peak hours of nuclear plants, such as overnight. Hydrogen Production from Nuclear Energy provides an overview of the latest developments and methods of nuclear based hydrogen production, including electrolysis and thermochemical cycles. Particular focus is given to thermochemical water splitting by the copper-chlorine and sulphur-based cycles. Cycle configurations, equipment design, modeling and implementation issues are presented and discussed. The book provides the reader with an overview of the key enabling technologies towards the design and industrialization of hydrogen plants that are co-located and linked with nuclear plants in the future. The book includes illustrations of technology developments, tables that summarize key features and results, overviews of recent advances and new methods of nuclear hydrogen production. The latest results from leading authorities in the fields will be presented, including efficiencies, costs, equipment design, and modeling.
Download or read book Viability of Inert Matrix Fuel in Reducing Plutonium Amounts in Reactors written by International Atomic Energy Agency and published by IAEA. This book was released on 2006 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The reactors around the world have produced more than 2000 tonnes of plutonium, contained in spent fuel or as separated forms through reprocessing. Disposition of fissile materials has become a primary concern of nuclear non-proliferation efforts worldwide. There is a significant interest in IAEA Member States to develop proliferation resistant nuclear fuel cycles for incineration of plutonium such as inert matrix fuels (IMFs). This publication reviews the status of potential IMF candidates and describes several identified candidate materials for both fast and thermal reactors: MgO, ZrO2, SiC, Zr alloy, SiAl, ZrN; some of these have undergone test irradiations and post irradiation examination. Also discussed are modelling of IMF fuel performance and safety analysis. System studies have identified strategies for both implementation of IMF fuel as homogeneous or heterogeneous phases, as assemblies or core loadings and in existing reactors in the shorter term, as well as in new reactors in the longer term.
Download or read book Reactor Development written by Lyle B. Borst and published by . This book was released on 1948 with total page 6 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Reactor Core Materials written by and published by . This book was released on 1960 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Power Reactor Technology written by and published by . This book was released on 1957 with total page 586 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
