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 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 Inert Matrix Fuel Neutronic Thermal Hydraulic and Transient Behavior in a Light Water Reactor written by Mitchell K. Meyer and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Currently, commercial power reactors in the United States operate on a once-through or open cycle, with the spent nuclear fuel eventually destined for long-term storage in a geologic repository. Since the fissile and transuranic (TRU) elements in the spent nuclear fuel present a proliferation risk, limit the repository capacity, and are the major contributors to the long-term toxicity and dose from the repository, methods and systems are needed to reduce the amount of TRU that will eventually require long-term storage. An option to achieve a reduction in the amount, and modify the isotopic composition of TRU requiring geological disposal is 'burning' the TRU in commercial light water reactors (LWRs) and/or fast reactors. Fuel forms under consideration for TRU destruction in light water reactors (LWRs) include mixed-oxide (MOX), advanced mixed-oxide, and inert matrix fuels. Fertile-free inert matrix fuel (IMF) has been proposed for use in many forms and studied by several researchers. IMF offers several advantages relative to MOX, principally it provides a means for reducing the TRU in the fuel cycle by burning the fissile isotopes and transmuting the minor actinides while producing no new TRU elements from fertile isotopes. This paper will present and discuss the results of a four-bundle, neutronic, thermal-hydraulic, and transient analyses of proposed inert matrix materials in comparison with the results of similar analyses for reference UOX fuel bundles. The results of this work are to be used for screening purposes to identify the general feasibility of utilizing specific inert matrix fuel compositions in existing and future light water reactors. Compositions identified as feasible using the results of these analyses still require further detailed neutronic, thermal-hydraulic, and transientanalysis study coupled with rigorous experimental testing and qualification.

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 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 Thorium Fuel Cycle written by International Atomic Energy Agency and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Provides a critical review of the thorium fuel cycle: potential benefits and challenges in the thorium fuel cycle, mainly based on the latest developments at the front end of the fuel cycle, applying thorium fuel cycle options, and at the back end of the thorium fuel cycle.

Download or read book Nuclear Back end and Transmutation Technology for Waste Disposal written by Ken Nakajima and published by Springer. This book was released on 2014-11-05 with total page 341 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book covers essential aspects of transmutation technologies, highlighting especially the advances in Japan. The accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) has caused us to focus attention on a large amount of spent nuclear fuels stored in NPPs. In addition, public anxiety regarding the treatment and disposal of high-level radioactive wastes that require long-term control is growing. The Japanese policy on the back-end of the nuclear fuel cycle is still unpredictable in the aftermath of the accident. Therefore, research and development for enhancing the safety of various processes involved in nuclear energy production are being actively pursued worldwide. In particular, nuclear transmutation technology has been drawing significant attention after the accident. This publication is timely with the following highlights: 1) Development of accelerator-driven systems (ADSs), which is a brand-new reactor concept for transmutation of highly radioactive wastes; 2) Nuclear reactor systems from the point of view of the nuclear fuel cycle. How to reduce nuclear wastes or how to treat them including the debris from TEPCO’s Fukushima nuclear power stations is discussed; and 3) Environmental radioactivity, radioactive waste treatment and geological disposal policy. State-of-the-art technologies for overall back-end issues of the nuclear fuel cycle as well as the technologies of transmutation are presented here. The chapter authors are actively involved in the development of ADSs and transmutation-related technologies. The future of the back-end issues in Japan is very uncertain after the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi NPP and this book provides an opportunity for readers to consider the future direction of those issues.

Download or read book The Analysis of Nuclear Materials and Their Environments written by Claude André Degueldre and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-10-11 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides an overview of passive and interactive analytical techniques for nuclear materials. The book aims to update readers on new techniques available and provide an introduction for those who are new to the topic or are looking to move into actinides and nuclear materials science. The characterization of actinide species and radioactive materials is vital for understanding how these elements and radioactive isotopes are formed and behave and how these materials can be improved. The analysis of the actinides or radioactive materials goes beyond spent fuel science to the applicable complete fuel cycle and including analysis of reactor materials.

Download or read book Technical Approaches for the Management of Separated Civilian Plutonium written by IAEA and published by International Atomic Energy Agency. This book was released on 2023-05-19 with total page 67 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This publication aims to outline credible technical options for managing separated plutonium. There is no attempt to rank or rate any of the options, instead the intent is to inform the reader of the technical merits of the various options and the state of their development. It is primarily focused on Member States that have adopted a closed fuel cycle policy but can also be of value to other Member States, specifically their decision makers and other stakeholders involved in potential future nuclear fuel cycles, by informing them on life cycle options and energy policy.

Download or read book High Temperature Thermodynamic Studies on the Transuranium Oxides and Their Solid Solutions written by Petronela Gotcu-Freis and published by IOS Press. This book was released on 2011 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A growing demand for energy supply worldwide, coupled with the necessity to reduce emission of greenhouse gases, has led to a renewed interest in nuclear energy as an alternative to fossil fuels for electricity production in the last years. One of the ma

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 Preliminary Report on Blending Strategies for Inert matrix Fuel Recycling in LWRs written by E. A. Hoffman and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Various recycle strategies have been proposed to manage the inventory of transuranics in commercial spent nuclear fuel (CSNF), with a particular goal of increasing the loading capacity of spent fuel and reprocessing wastes in the Yucca Mountain repository. Transuranic recycling in commercial LWRs can be seen as a viable means of slowing the accumulation of transuranics in the nationwide CSNF stockpile. Furthermore, this type of approach is an important first step in demonstrating the benefits of a nuclear fuel cycle which incorporates recycling, such as envisioned for Generation-IV reactor systems under development. Recycling strategies of this sort are not proposed as an attempt to eliminate the need of a geologic nuclear waste repository, but as a means to enhance the usefulness of the repository currently under construction in the U.S., perhaps circumventing the need for a second facility. A US-DOE Secretarial recommendation on the need for the construction of a second geologic repository is required by 2010. The Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI) has supported a breadth of work to evaluate the ideal transuranic separation and recycle strategy. Previous AFCI studies of LWR-based transmutation have considered the benefits of homogeneously recycling plutonium, plutonium and neptunium, and all transuranic (TRU) species. A study of a wide range of hypothetical separation schemes (Pu, Pu+Np, Pu+Np+Am, etc.) with multi-recycling has also been performed, focusing on the proliferation resistance of the various fuel cycles and fuel handling issues. The direct recycle of the recovered TRU from spent inert-matrix fuel (IMF) into new IMF was found to be quite limited due to the rapid burndown of the fissile plutonium. The IMF is very effective at destroying the fissile fraction of the TRU with destruction rates in excess of 80% of the fissile material without recycling the IMF. Blending strategies have been proposed to mitigate the rapid burndown of the fissile plutonium by mixing high fissile feed from new sources (e.g., spent UO{sub 2} pins) with the low fissile material recovered from the recycled transmutation fuel. The blending of the fuels is anticipated to aid the multi-recycle of the transuranics. A systematic study of blending strategies (for both IMF and MOX) has been initiated and is currently ongoing. This work extends the previous study that considered separation strategies for plutonium, neptunium, and americium recycling in MOX, CORAIL, and IMF{sub 6} by considering blending schemes and approach to continuous recycle. Plutonium and americium are recycled in order to reduce the intermediate term (100 to 1500 years after spent fuel irradiation) decay heat of the disposed waste which accounts for the bulk of the repository heating. Since the long-term released dose from the repository is dominated by neptunium, it is sensible to consume it by transmutation in a reactor, as well. Curium accounts for {approx}0.6% of the TRU mass in spent UO{sub 2} fuel ({approx}0.008% of the heavy metal), but does constitute significantly higher fractions in spent transmutation fuels. This initial evaluation will focus on blending strategies for the multirecycling of Pu+Np+Am. The impact of curium recycle will be investigated as part of the systematic study of blending strategies. The initial study focuses on understanding a simple strategy for IMF recycle and blending. More complex strategies (i.e., heterogeneous assemblies) will be evaluated later in the year, including enriched uranium support options. Currently, a preliminary study of a serial blending strategy has been performed in order to evaluate the impact of blending on the performance of the IMF recycle and to evaluate the potential for continuous or infinite recycle. The continuous recycle of Pu+Np+Am in IMF would allow for complete destruction of all heat contributing actinides in the same LWRs that originally produced them. The only transuranics sent to the repository would be those lost in reprocessing and curium if it is not eventually recycled.

Download or read book Fundamentals of Materials for Energy and Environmental Sustainability written by David S. Ginley and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2011-11-30 with total page 773 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How will we meet rising energy demands? What are our options? Are there viable long-term solutions for the future? Learn the fundamental physical, chemical and materials science at the heart of renewable/non-renewable energy sources, future transportation systems, energy efficiency and energy storage. Whether you are a student taking an energy course or a newcomer to the field, this textbook will help you understand critical relationships between the environment, energy and sustainability. Leading experts provide comprehensive coverage of each topic, bringing together diverse subject matter by integrating theory with engaging insights. Each chapter includes helpful features to aid understanding, including a historical overview to provide context, suggested further reading and questions for discussion. Every subject is beautifully illustrated and brought to life with full color images and color-coded sections for easy browsing, making this a complete educational package. Fundamentals of Materials for Energy and Environmental Sustainability will enable today's scientists and educate future generations.

Download or read book Electron Microscopical Investigation of Interdiffusion and Phase Formation at Gd2O3 CeO2 and Sm2O3 CeO2 Interfaces written by Christian Rockenhäuser and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-03-17 with total page 117 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Christian Rockenhäuser adresses phase formation and cation interdiffusion of the GdxCe1-xO2-x/2-and SmxCe1-xO2-x/2-material systems at temperatures ranging from 970 to 1270°C. Diffusion couples with CeO2/Sm2O3 and CeO2/Gd2O3 interfaces were fabricated for the investigations. The resulting reaction phases were investigated utilizing transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and allow conclusions regarding the phase diagrams in the examined temperature range. A miscibility gap can be ruled out for GdxCe1-xO2-x/2 across the whole composition range. Cation interdiffusion coefficients were determined for both material systems by measuring and evaluating concentration profiles at the material interfaces. The activation enthalpies for interdiffusion were calculated using the temperature dependence of the interdiffusion coefficients. The study for the first time compiles comprehensively the previous results regarding the phase diagrams of the two material systems since 1923.

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 Materials Under Extreme Conditions written by A.K. Tyagi and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2017-01-13 with total page 870 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Materials Under Extreme Conditions: Recent Trends and Future Prospects analyzes the chemical transformation and decomposition of materials exposed to extreme conditions, such as high temperature, high pressure, hostile chemical environments, high radiation fields, high vacuum, high magnetic and electric fields, wear and abrasion related to chemical bonding, special crystallographic features, and microstructures. The materials covered in this work encompass oxides, non-oxides, alloys and intermetallics, glasses, and carbon-based materials. The book is written for researchers in academia and industry, and technologists in chemical engineering, materials chemistry, chemistry, and condensed matter physics. Describes and analyzes the chemical transformation and decomposition of a wide range of materials exposed to extreme conditions Brings together information currently scattered across the Internet or incoherently dispersed amongst journals and proceedings Presents chapters on phenomena, materials synthesis, and processing, characterization and properties, and applications Written by established researchers in the field

Download or read book Nuclear Energy Basic Principles written by International Atomic Energy Agency and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Describes the rationale and vision for the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The publication identifies the basic principles that nuclear energy systems must satisfy to fulfil their promise of meeting growing global energy demands.