Phosphate fertilizers as a proliferationrelevant source of. Our analysis separates fuel cycles into two classes. Generating the option of a twostage nuclear renaissance. Nuclear waste management and the nuclear fuel cycle. The increasing use of nuclear power puts stringent demands on fuel cycle activities and on understanding the behaviour of materials used in nuclear reactors. Discussions in japan about nuclear fuel cycle choices have given insufficient consideration to regional security implications of domestic decisions about uranium enrichment and the civil reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. The production of nuclear fuel can serve both peaceful and military purposes. We suggest that the first stage of this process will include replacing or extending the life of existing nuclear power plants, with continued incremental. The main objective of infcis is to provide information on all aspects of nuclear fuel cycle to various researchers, analysts, energy planners, academicians, students and. Nuclear fuel rods are generally not purchased directly from the government. The gaseous diffusion process consists in passing gaseous uf 6through a long series of barriers formed by membranes with. From ore to waste oxford science publications kindle edition by wilson, p. From ore to waste oxford science publications 9780198565406.
Uranium milling ore is crushed uranium is separated. It must be processed through a series of steps to produce an efficient fuel for generating electricity. The future of the nuclear fuel cycle mit energy initiative. Radioactive waste is a type of hazardous waste that contains radioactive material. From ore to waste, oxford university press, 1996, p. Each year, nuclear power generation facilities worldwide produce about 200000 m3 lowand intermediate level waste and about 0 m3 of highlevel waste. Mike smith and nigel mote, identification of reprocessing. In the open or oncethrough fuel cycle, the spent fuel discharged from the reactor is treated as waste. Radioactive waste management of nuclear power plant. Nuclear power issues have long been controversial and often discussed from an inadequate level of understanding. Sustainable nuclear power needs a sustainable nuclear fuel cycle. From ore to waste oxford science publications by p.
Integrated nuclear fuel cycle information system infcis is a set of databases related to the nuclear fuel cycle maintained by the international atomic energy agency iaea. View the upcoming events that the association is supporting. Extracting uranium from the ore uranium is a relatively common metal in the earths crust it is 50 times more common than. Originally, reprocessing was used solely to extract plutonium for producing nuclear weapons. The nuclear nonproliferation treaty npt of 1970 is the most adhered to international arms control treaty. A system dynamics study of uranium and the nuclear fuel cycle eprg working paper 11 cambridge working paper in economics 19 matthew rooney, william j. Copyright 2011 massachusetts institute of technology. Nuclear fuel cycle begins when uranium is mined, enriched and manufactured to nuclear fuel 1 which is delivered to a nuclear power plant. Used fuel also needs to be taken care of for reuse and disposal. Candu cycle light water cycle mining once an orebody is discovered and defined by exploration, there are three common ways to mine uranium, depending on the depth of the orebody and the deposits geological characteristics. Topics include uranium supply, enrichment fuel fabrication, incore physics and fuel management of uranium, thorium and other fuel types, reprocessing and waste disposal.
Phosphate fertilizers as a proliferationrelevant source. The nuclear fuel cycle information system nfcis is an international directory of civilian nuclear fuel cycle facilities. Nuclear fuel cycle international atomic energy agency. Its purpose is to provide the iaea, its member states and public users with current, consistent, and readily accessible information on existing, closed and planned nuclear fuel cycle facilities throughout the world.
Japan began its development of a closed nuclear fuel cycle in the late 1960s at a time of apparent. The primary waste form resulting from nuclear energy production is spent nuclear fuel snf. The us is heavily dependent on the global market for uranium and nuclear fuel. Internationalization of the nuclear fuel cycle scholars at harvard.
This book covers the entire nuclear fuel cycle, from mining uranium ore to disposal of radioactive wastes. The raw material for todays nuclear fuel is uranium. The reprocessed fuel is used in some european and japanese reactors. D download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Distribution, posting, or copying of this pdf is strictly prohibited without written permission of. The iaea assists its member states with research and the sharing of experience and good practices. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the nuclear fuel cycle. Then, the concentrations of desirable isotopes are increased in a series of steps.
Errata in the linear reactivity model for nuclear fuel management. The dualuse nature of the fuel cycle allows for the creation of civilian nuclear power as well as the production of weaponsgrade material for nuclear. The nuclear fuel cycle from ore to wastesinis international nuclear. World nuclear association staff participate in a number of external conferences. This book is a factual description of the whole fuel cycle, with individual chapters on specific topics from uranium mining, through the manufacture and use of fuel, to recycledproducts, waste disposal and progress towards a cleared site. Nuttall and nikolas kazantzis abstract to advance current knowledge of the uranium market, a system dynamics model of the nuclear fuel cycle for the time period 1988 to 2048 has been. Chapter 1 the future of nuclear power overview and conclusions 5 two closed cycles have clear advantages only in longterm aspects of waste disposal, and disadvantages in cost, shortterm waste issues, proliferation risk, and fuel cycle safety. This book is a factual description of the whole fuel cycle, with individual chapters on specific topics from uranium mining, through the manufacture and use of fuel, to recycled products, waste disposal and progress towards a. This book is a factual description of the whole fuel.
Enrichment fuel fabrication uo 2 fuel rods light water power reactors producers, worldwide, sell u 3o 8 to utilities and traders. Used nuclear fuel may be treated as a resource or simply as a waste. From the uranium mine to waste disposal 7 the nuclear fuel cycle 4 upstream the reactor. The linear reactivity model for nuclear fuel management.
Japan began its development of a closednuclear fuel cycle in. Nuclear fission and disposal of spent fuel rods constitute the final steps of the nuclear fuel cycle in the us. The uranium goes through a series of steps from being mined as a raw material through its life as a useful source of energy and beyond. Cost and waste criteria are likely to be the most crucial for deter. This course provides an indepth technical and policy analysis of various options for the nuclear fuel cycle. With commercialization of nuclear power, the reprocessed plutonium was recycled back into mox nuclear fuel for thermal reactors. Spent fuel is stored in a pool on the site, where it will remain for three years. The future of the nuclear fuel cycle overview, conclusions, and recommendations 1 chapter 2. The nuclear fuel cycle, also called nuclear fuel chain, is the progression of nuclear fuel through a series of differing stages. There are a number of different types of fuel but they are predominantly uranium based, mainly uo2 or. In this book a description is given of the whole nuclear fuel cycle, with individual chapters on specific topics. The nuclear fuel cycle is a series of steps that produce fuel for nuclear power reactors, which in turn generate electricity. The subject of nuclear power is fraught with controversy, and it is often discussed with an inadequate understanding of the science behind todays reactor technology. Nuclear reprocessing is the chemical separation of fission products and unused uranium from spent nuclear fuel.
The npt divides its members into nuclearweapon states nws china, france, russia, united kingdom and united states and nonnuclear weapons states nnws. The safety of the nuclear fuel cycle nuclear energy agency. Reading assignments in the linear reactivity model for nuclear fuel management 1. It is mined in a number of countries and must be processed before it can be used as fuel for a nuclear. In the united states many utility spent fuel storage pools are fulla consequence of a failed repository program and the lack of a national spent nuclear fuel policy. Nuclear power issues have long been controversial, and often discussed from an inadequate or mistaken understanding. Issues relating to the fuel cycle are considered and. Radiochemistry and nuclear chemistry nuclear waste management and the nuclear fuel cycle patricia. The nuclear fuel cycle and the nuclear nonproliferation treaty npt. The most common management option is delay to decay for shortlived solid waste, but for the longlived waste, the concentrate and contain principle. Multilateral approaches to the nuclear fuel cycle 2 5. Poczynajlo a 1988 studies on reductive back extraction of plutonium in purex process. The nuclear fuel cycle starts with the mining of uranium and ends with the disposal of nuclear waste.
The safety of the nuclear fuel cycle third edition. Systems analysis of the nuclear fuel cycle nuclear. It is intended for a broad audience of nonspecialist readers. Ivanov, institute of ore deposits, petrography, mineralogy, and. The 4th regional workshop series on harmonization to support the operation and new build of npps including smrs will take place on 31 march to 2 april 2020 in lyon, france.
All steps in the nuclear fuel cycle generate radioactive waste. The steps before electricity production mining and milling, conversion, enrichment, and fuel fabrication are known as the front end of the cycle. Mit opencourseware nuclear science and engineering 22. Managing waste with and without plutonium separation rand. Also covered are the principles of fuel cycle economics and the applied reactor physics of both contemporary and. The reader is cautioned that should there be any discrepancies between the english and french versions of this publication, the english takes precedence as the original text. Introduction to nuclear chemistry and fuel cycle separations. A system dynamics study of uranium and the nuclear fuel cycle. Interim storage of spent nuclear fuel 43 chapter 5. The accident in japan strongly argues for the united states to have a national spent fuel policyrather than the adhoc policies that currently exist. From the uranium mine to waste disposal 7 the nuclear fuel cycle from the uranium mine to waste disposal 7 the nuclear fuel cycle 8 9 into uranium hexafluoride uf 6, which becomes a gas when heated to 56c. The nuclear fuel cycle updated august 2010 z the nuclear fuel cycle is the series of industrial processes which involve the production of electricity from uranium in nuclear power reactors.
Within each cycle, the volume and composition of the highlevel nuclear waste and fi ssile material depend on the type of nuclear fuel, the amount of burnup, the extent of radionuclide separation. Experience shows that similar fuel cycle costs will be associated with a boiling water reactor bwr. Denniss is and jeapes ap 2001reprocessing irradiated fuel in. Integrated nuclear fuel cycle information system wikipedia. Committee on transportation of radioactive waste, nuclear and radiation studies board, transportation research board, national research council of the national academies. A system dynamics study of uranium and the nuclear fuel. Concerns about climate change, security of supply, and depleting fossil fuel reserves have spurred a revival of interest in nuclear power generation in europe and north america, while other regions continue or initiate an expansion. Nrc general design criteria relating to reactor physics pdf courtesy of nuclear regulatory commission. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. After usage in the power plant the spent fuel is delivered to a reprocessing plant if fuel is recycled 2 or to a final repository if no recycling is done 3 for geological disposition. This book is a factual description of the whole fuel cycle which covers areas such as. The reprocessed uranium, also known as the spent fuel. It consists of steps in the front end, which are the preparation of the fuel, steps in the service period in which the fuel is used during reactor operation, and steps in the back end, which are necessary to safely manage, contain, and either reprocess or dispose of. The fuel costs were calculated for a four batch fuel cycle with annual refuels, the fuel being discharged at an average burnup of 42.
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