1: the atom. 2: radioactivity. 3: man and radiations. 4: the energy. 5: nuclear energy: fusion and fission. 6: the operation of a nuclear reactor. 7: the nuclear fuel cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

This series of 7 digest booklets present the bases of the nuclear physics and of the nuclear energy: 1 - the atom (structure of matter, chemical elements and isotopes, the four fundamental interactions, nuclear physics); 2 - radioactivity (definition, origins of radioelements, applications of radioactivity); 3 - man and radiations (radiations diversity, biological effects, radioprotection, examples of radiation applications); 4 - energy (energy states, different forms of energy, characteristics); 5 - nuclear energy: fusion and fission (nuclear energy release, thermonuclear fusion, nuclear fission and chain reaction); 6 - operation of a nuclear reactor (nuclear fission, reactor components, reactor types); 7 - nuclear fuel cycle (nuclear fuel preparation, fuel consumption, reprocessing, wastes management). (J.S.)

Nuclear Energy and Synthetic Liquid Transportation Fuels

Science.gov (United States)

McDonald, Richard

2012-10-01

This talk will propose a plan to combine nuclear reactors with the Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) process to produce synthetic carbon-neutral liquid transportation fuels from sea water. These fuels can be formed from the hydrogen and carbon dioxide in sea water and will burn to water and carbon dioxide in a cycle powered by nuclear reactors. The F-T process was developed nearly 100 years ago as a method of synthesizing liquid fuels from coal. This process presently provides commercial liquid fuels in South Africa, Malaysia, and Qatar, mainly using natural gas as a feedstock. Nuclear energy can be used to separate water into hydrogen and oxygen as well as to extract carbon dioxide from sea water using ion exchange technology. The carbon dioxide and hydrogen react to form synthesis gas, the mixture needed at the beginning of the F-T process. Following further refining, the products, typically diesel and Jet-A, can use existing infrastructure and can power conventional engines with little or no modification. We can then use these carbon-neutral liquid fuels conveniently long into the future with few adverse environmental impacts.

Say no to fossil fuels and yes to nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raghava Chari, S.

2011-01-01

Mistaken notion and wrongful fear of nuclear energy based on the horrors of the second world war bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima and accidents at Chernobyl and Three mile island and lately the Fukushima nuclear plant meltdown to earthquake and and tsunami have developed antagonism to nuclear energy (NE) and clouded its usefulness as a practical, clean, environment friendly and affordable alternate source of energy. Such antagonism has slowed down research on NE and its adoption on a much wider scale, the crying need of the day. There is a motivated disinformation campaign against nuclear energy in India as witnessed from the ongoing agitation at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu and Jaitapur in Maharashtra. In fact nuclear energy is the only practical alternative energy source to meet the ever increasing energy needs of the world particularly the developing nations, and to save the world from the greenhouse ill effects of massive carbon dioxide and other emissions from burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas. Emissions from fossil fuel burning including radioactive emissions are hundreds of times more in weight and volume and far more hazardous than from an equal capacity nuclear plant. In fact there are no greenhouse gases (CO 2 ), acid rain gases (SO 2 ) or carcinogen emissions (NO x ) from nuclear plants. The accident rates and severity of accidents owing to nuclear plants is much lower as compared to fossil fuel power generation. Last but not the least NE offers economic freedom from the clutches of the few monopolistic oil producing countries, which charge exorbitant oil prices and cripple the finances of developing nations. (author)

NEPA implementation: The Department of Energy's program to manage spent nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shipler, D.B.

1994-05-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) is implementing the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) in its management of spent nuclear fuel. The DOE strategy is to address the short-term safety concerns about existing spent nuclear fuel, to study alternatives for interim storage, and to develop a long-range program to manage spent nuclear fuel. This paper discusses the NEPA process, the environmental impact statements for specific sites as well as the overall program, the inventory of DOE spent nuclear fuel, the alternatives for managing the fuel, and the schedule for implementing the program

Energy analysis of nuclear power plants and their fuel cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Held, C.; Moraw, G.; Schneeberger, M.; Szeless, A.

1977-01-01

Energy analysis has become an increasingly feasible and practical additional method for evaluating the engineering, economic and environmental aspects of power producing systems. Energy analysis compares total direct and indirect energy investment into construction and operation of power plants with their lifetime energy output. Statically we have applied this method to nuclear power producing sytems and their fuel cycles. Results were adapted to countries with various levels of industrialization and resources. With dynamic energy analysis different scenarios have been investigated. For comparison purposes fossil fueled and solar power plants have also been analyzed. By static evaluation it has been shown that for all types of power plants the energy investment for construction is shortly after plant startup being repaid by energy output. Static analyses of nuclear and fossil fuels have indicated values of fuel concentrations below which more energy is required for their utilization than can be obtained from the plants they fuel. In a further step these global results were specifically modified to the economic situations of countries with various levels of industrialization. Also the influence of energy imports upon energy analysis has been discussed. By dynamic energy analyses the cumulative energy requirements for specific power plant construction programs have been compared with their total energy output. Investigations of this sort are extremely valuable not only for economic reasons but especially for their usefulness in showing the advantages and disadvantages of a specific power program with respect to its alternatives. Naturally the impact of these investigations on the fuel requirements is of importance especially because of the today so often cited ''valuable cumulated fossil fuel savings''

Fuel cycle modelling of open cycle thorium-fuelled nuclear energy systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ashley, S.F.; Lindley, B.A.; Parks, G.T.; Nuttall, W.J.; Gregg, R.; Hesketh, K.W.; Kannan, U.; Krishnani, P.D.; Singh, B.; Thakur, A.; Cowper, M.; Talamo, A.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • We study three open cycle Th–U-fuelled nuclear energy systems. • Comparison of these systems is made to a reference U-fuelled EPR. • Fuel cycle modelling is performed with UK NNL code “ORION”. • U-fuelled system is economically favourable and needs least separative work per kWh. • Th–U-fuelled systems offer negligible waste and proliferation resistance advantages. - Abstract: In this study, we have sought to determine the advantages, disadvantages, and viability of open cycle thorium–uranium-fuelled (Th–U-fuelled) nuclear energy systems. This has been done by assessing three such systems, each of which requires uranium enriched to ∼20% 235 U, in comparison to a reference uranium-fuelled (U-fuelled) system over various performance indicators, spanning material flows, waste composition, economics, and proliferation resistance. The values of these indicators were determined using the UK National Nuclear Laboratory’s fuel cycle modelling code ORION. This code required the results of lattice-physics calculations to model the neutronics of each nuclear energy system, and these were obtained using various nuclear reactor physics codes and burn-up routines. In summary, all three Th–U-fuelled nuclear energy systems required more separative work capacity than the equivalent benchmark U-fuelled system, with larger levelised fuel cycle costs and larger levelised cost of electricity. Although a reduction of ∼6% in the required uranium ore per kWh was seen for one of the Th–U-fuelled systems compared to the reference U-fuelled system, the other two Th–U-fuelled systems required more uranium ore per kWh than the reference. Negligible advantages and disadvantages were observed for the amount and the properties of the spent nuclear fuel (SNF) generated by the systems considered. Two of the Th–U-fuelled systems showed some benefit in terms of proliferation resistance of the SNF generated. Overall, it appears that there is little

Nuclear fuels policy. Report of the Atlantic Council's Nuclear Fuels Policy Working Group

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1976-01-01

This Policy Paper recommends the actions deemed necessary to assure that future U.S. and non-Communist countries' nuclear fuels supply will be adequate, considering the following: estimates of modest growth in overall energy demand, electrical energy demand, and nuclear electrical energy demand in the U.S. and abroad, predicated upon the continuing trends involving conservation of energy, increased use of electricity, and moderate economic growth (Chap. I); possibilities for the development and use of all domestic resources providing energy alternatives to imported oil and gas, consonant with current environmental, health, and safety concerns (Chap. II); assessment of the traditional energy sources which provide current alternatives to nuclear energy (Chap. II); evaluation of realistic expectations for additional future energy supplies from prospective technologies: enhanced recovery from traditional sources and development and use of oil shales and synthetic fuels from coal, fusion and solar energy (Chap. II); an accounting of established nuclear technology in use today, in particular the light water reactor, used for generating electricity (Chap. III); an estimate of future nuclear technology, in particular the prospective fast breeder (Chap. IV); current and projected nuclear fuel demand and supply in the U.S. and abroad (Chaps. V and VI); the constraints encountered today in meeting nuclear fuels demand (Chap. VII); and the major unresolved issues and options in nuclear fuels supply and use (Chap. VIII). The principal conclusions and recommendations (Chap. IX) are that the U.S. and other industrialized countries should strive for increased flexibility of primary energy fuel sources, and that a balanced energy strategy therefore depends on the secure supply of energy resources and the ability to substitute one form of fuel for another

Allocation of fossil and nuclear fuels. Heat production from chemically and physically bound energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wagner, U.

2008-01-01

The first part of the book presents the broad field of allocation, transformation, transport and distribution of the most important energy carriers in the modern power industry. The following chapters cover solid fossil fuel, liquid fuel, gaseous fuel and nuclear fuel. The final chapters concern the heat production from chemically and physically bound energy, including elementary analysis, combustion calculations, energy balance considerations in fossil fuel fired systems, and fundamentals of nuclear physics

Nuclear Fuel Cycle Objectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

. The four Objectives publications include Nuclear General Objectives, Nuclear Power Objectives, Nuclear Fuel Cycle Objectives, and Radioactive Waste management and Decommissioning Objectives. This publication sets out the objectives that need to be achieved in the area of the nuclear fuel cycle to ensure that the Nuclear Energy Basic Principles are satisfied. Within each of these four Objectives publications, the individual topics that make up each area are addressed. The five topics included in this publication are: resources; fuel engineering and performance; spent fuel management and reprocessing; fuel cycles; and the research reactor nuclear fuel cycle

Nuclear-fuel-cycle education: Module 1. Nuclear fuel cycle overview

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eckhoff, N.D.

1981-07-01

This educational module is an overview of the nuclear-fule-cycle. The overview covers nuclear energy resources, the present and future US nuclear industry, the industry view of nuclear power, the International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation program, the Union of Concerned Scientists view of the nuclear-fuel-cycle, an analysis of this viewpoint, resource requirements for a model light water reactor, and world nuclear power considerations

Energy Return on Investment from Recycling Nuclear Fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-01-01

This report presents an evaluation of the Energy Return on Investment (EROI) from recycling an initial batch of 800 t/y of used nuclear fuel (UNF) through a Recycle Center under a number of different fuel cycle scenarios. The study assumed that apart from the original 800 t of UNF only depleted uranium was available as a feed. Therefore for each subsequent scenario only fuel that was derived from the previous fuel cycle scenario was considered. The scenarios represent a good cross section of the options available and the results contained in this paper and associated appendices will allow for other fuel cycle options to be considered.

National Option of China's Nuclear Energy Systems for Spent Fuel Management

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gao, R.X. [University of Science and Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Ko, W. I.; Lee, S. H. [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-10-15

Along with safety concerns, these long standing environmental challenges are the major factors influencing the public acceptance of nuclear power. Although nuclear power plays an important role in reducing carbon emissions from energy generation, this could not fully prove it as a sustainable energy source unless we find a consensus approach to treat the nuclear wastes. There are currently no countries that have completed a whole nuclear fuel cycle, and the relative comparison of the reprocessing spent fuel options versus direct disposal option is always a controversial issue. Without exception, nowadays, China is implementing many R and D projects on spent fuel management to find a long-term solution for nuclear fuel cycle system transition, such as deep geological repositories for High Level Waste (HLW), Pu Reduction by Solvent Extraction (PUREX) technology, and fast reactor recycling Mixed U-Pu Oxide (MOX) fuels, etc. This paper integrates the current nation's projects of back-end fuel cycle, analyzes the consequences of potential successes, failures and delays in the project development to future nuclear fuel cycle transition up to 2100. We compared the dynamic results of four scenarios and then assessed relative impact on spent fuel management. The result revealed that the fuel cycle transition of reprocessing and recycling of spent fuel would bring advantages to overall nuclear systems by reducing high level waste inventory, saving natural uranium resources, and reducing plutonium management risk.

Assessment of the environmental footprint of nuclear energy systems. Comparison between closed and open fuel cycles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poinssot, Ch.; Bourg, S.; Ouvrier, N.; Combernoux, N.; Rostaing, C.; Vargas-Gonzalez, M.; Bruno, J.

2014-01-01

Energy perspectives for the current century are dominated by the anticipated significant increase of energy needs. Particularly, electricity consumption is anticipated to increase by a factor higher than two before 2050. Energy choices are considered as structuring political choices that implies a long-standing and stable policy based on objective criteria. LCA (life cycle analysis) is a structured basis for deriving relevant indicators which can allow the comparison of a wide range of impacts of different energy sources. Among the energy-mix, nuclear power is anticipated to have very low GHG-emissions. However, its viability is severely addressed by the public opinion after the Fukushima accident. Therefore, a global LCA of the French nuclear fuel cycle was performed as a reference model. Results were compared in terms of impact with other energy sources. It emphasized that the French nuclear energy is one of the less impacting energy, comparable with renewable energy. In a second, part, the French scenario was compared with an equivalent open fuel cycle scenario. It demonstrates that an open fuel cycle would require about 16% more natural uranium, would have a bigger environmental footprint on the “non radioactive indicators” and would produce a higher volume of high level radioactive waste. - Highlights: • A life cycle analysis of the French close nuclear fuel cycle is performed. • The French nuclear energy is one of the less environmental impacting energy. • The French close fuel cycle is compared to an equivalent open fuel cycle. • An open fuel cycle would have a bigger environmental impact than the French fuel cycle. • Spent nuclear fuel recycling has a positive impact on the environmental footprint

The dense plasma focus and nuclear energy. A possible path towards fuel-selfsufficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heindler, M.; Harms, A.A.

1983-01-01

This chapter examines the concept of incorporating a dense plasma focus device which supplies neutrons to breed fissile fuel for fission reactions in a nuclear energy system. Discusses the dense plasma focus in a fusion-fission symbiont concept; a parametric description of a DPF-based nuclear energy system; fissile fuel and energy balance in a DPF based symbiont; a fusion-fission symbiont with a DPF device of current design; and DPF facility requirements for a self-sufficient fusion-fission symbiont. The primary objective of this study was to establish a systems concept which is essentially self-sufficient with respect to nuclear fuel. Concludes that while existing dense plasma focus devices are insufficient and inadequate for such purpose, the improvement of some critical performance parameters (e.g., the pulse repetition rate and the neutron yield per pulse) could render a self-sufficient nuclear energy concept a nearterm technological objective

Fast accelerator driven subcritical system for energy production: nuclear fuel evolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barros, Graiciany de P.; Pereira, Claubia; Veloso, Maria A.F.; Costa, Antonella L.

2011-01-01

Accelerators Driven Systems (ADS) are an innovative type of nuclear system, which is useful for long-lived fission product transmutation and fuel regeneration. The ADS consist of a coupling of a sub-critical nuclear core reactor and a proton beam produced by a particle accelerator. These particles are injected into a target for the neutrons production by spallation reactions. The neutrons are then used to maintain the fission chain in the sub-critical core. The aim of this study is to investigate the nuclear fuel evolution of a lead cooled accelerator driven system used for energy production. The fuel studied is a mixture based upon "2"3"2Th and "2"3"3U. Since thorium is an abundant fertile material, there is hope for the thorium-cycle fuels for an accelerator driven sub-critical system. The target is a lead spallation target and the core is filled with a hexagonal lattice. High energy neutrons are used to reduce the negative reactivity caused by the presence of protoactinium, since this effect is most pronounced in the thermal range of the neutron spectrum. For that reason, such material is not added moderator to the system. In this work is used the Monte Carlo code MCNPX 2.6.0, that presents the the depletion/ burnup capability. The k_e_f_f evolution, the neutron energy spectrum in the core and the nuclear fuel evolution using ADS source (SDEF) and kcode-mode are evaluated during the burnup. (author)

The global nuclear energy partnership and the spent fuel take-back provision

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bresee, James C.

2007-01-01

The Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) was announced by Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman in February 2006 (1). Its purpose is to expand the use of nuclear energy throughout the world under conditions which would help reduce the threat of nuclear weapons proliferation. Its success would be based on agreements among certain nations that are signatories to the Non- Proliferation Treaty and have extensive current fuel cycle capabilities. The agreements would be for such fuel cycle nations to provide other non-fuel cycle nations with power reactors sized to match their energy needs and power distribution characteristics, fresh nuclear reactor fuel (perhaps under a leasing arrangement), and waste management services, provided that the non-fuel cycle countries agree to refrain from obtaining fuel cycle capabilities. The waste management services would include taking back the non-fuel cycle spent nuclear fuel for processing within the fuel cycle country followed by fast spectrum power reactor consumption of the spent fuel's contained transuranic elements (TRU, including neptunium, plutonium, americium and curium). All agreements between fuel cycle countries and non-fuel cycle countries would be under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and may involve three-party contracts involving the fuel-cycle state, the non-fuel cycle state and the IARA (2). To be a full participant in such a world-wide program, the United States will need to add to its current uranium enrichment and reactor construction capabilities two no-longer available capabilities: a facility or facilities for reprocessing of spent power reactor fuel and fast spectrum reactors to fission the spent fuel's transuranic contents. In addition, an Advanced Fuel Cycle Facility at a national laboratory will be needed to provide research and development support for the closed fuel cycles of the future. Ironically, both the processing of irradiated nuclear fuel and the operation of fast

Nuclear fuel and energy policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmed, S.B.

1979-01-01

This book examines the uranium resource situation in relation to the future needs of the nuclear economy. Currently the United States is the world's leading producer and consumer of nuclear fuels. In the future US nuclear choices will be highly interdependent with the rest of the world as other countries begin to develop their own nuclear programs. Therefore the world's uranium resource availability has also been examined in relation to the expected growth in the world nuclear industry. Based on resource evaluation, the study develops an economic framework for analyzing and describing the behavior of the US uranium mining and milling industry. An econometric model designed to reflect the underlying structure of the physical processes of the uranium mining and milling industry has been developed. The purpose of this model is to forecast uranium prices and outputs for the period 1977 to 2000. Because uncertainty has sometimes surrounded the economic future of the uranium markets, the results of the econometric modeling should be interpreted with great care and restrictive assumptions. Another aspect of this study is to provide much needed information on the operations of government-owned enrichment plants and the practices used by the government in the determination of fuel enrichment costs. This study discusses possible future developments in enrichment supply and technologies and their implications for future enrichment costs. A review of the operations involving the uranium concentrate conversion to uranium hexafluoride and fuel fabrication is also provided. An economic analysis of these costs provides a comprehensive view of the front-end costs of the nuclear fuel cycle

Department of Energy: monitoring and control of British Nuclear Fuels plc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) was set up in 1971 to take over the nuclear fuel production and reprocessing activities of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority with the Department of Energy (as majority shareholder) being responsible for the monitoring and control of BNFL's activities. BNFL's activities include the production of nuclear fuel, uranium enrichment, and the transportation and reprocessing of spent fuel. Its major capital investment includes the construction of the Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP) due for completion in 1992. This study examined the effectiveness of the Department's arrangements for monitoring and control and for safeguarding the Government's investment in the company, the arrangements for examining BNFL's capital investment programme and the extent to which the Department's main aims have been achieved. The examination was restricted to the financial performance. The National Audit Office found evidence to suggest that BNFL's financial performance has not kept pace with the general performance level of British Industry. Future success and performance will depend on the success of the THORP plant. (U.K.)

Proceeding of the Fourth Scientific Presentation on Nuclear Fuel Cycle: Technology of Nuclear Fuel Cycle facing the Challenge of Energy Need on the 21-st Century

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suripto, A.; Sajuti, D.; Aiman, S.; Yuwono, I.; Fathurrachman; Suwarno, H.; Suwardi; Amini, S.; Widjaksana

1999-03-01

The proceeding contains papers presented in the Fourth Scientific Presentation on Nuclear Fuel Element Cycle with theme of Technology of Nuclear Fuel Cycle facing the Challenge of Energy Need on the 21 s t Century, held on 1-2 December in Jakarta, Indonesia. These papers were divided by three groups that are technology of exploration, processing, purification and analysis of nuclear materials; technology of nuclear fuel elements and structures; and technology of waste management, safety and management of nuclear fuel cycle. There are 36 papers indexed individually. (ID)

The role of nuclear energy in the more efficient exploitation of fossil fuel resources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seifritz, W.

1978-01-01

The energy theory of value, being a valuable addition to the debate on the rational exploitation of man's energy reserves, is applied in order to clarify the presently confused energy input/output relations for nuclear and solar systems as they interact with fossil fuel. It is shown on the basis of purely energetics considerations that the nuclear route - at present and in future - is a very efficient way to stretch out and finally to substitute for the limited fossil fuel resources. This is particularly true if one considers the transitory phase where the substituting process has to exhibit a rapid exponential growth rate. The energetical effectiveness of the production of a synthetic fuel, as for example hydrogen by water splitting processes, is addressed at the end and serves to give an idea how effectively the energy available in fossil fuels can be amplified by virtue of the coupling of nuclear energy into the process. (author)

Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simpson, Michael F.; Law, Jack D.

2010-01-01

This is a submission for the Encyclopedia of Sustainable Technology on the subject of Reprocessing Spent Nuclear Fuel. Nuclear reprocessing is the chemical treatment of spent fuel involving separation of its various constituents. Principally, it is used to recover useful actinides from the spent fuel. Radioactive waste that cannot be re-used is separated into streams for consolidation into waste forms. The first known application of nuclear reprocessing was within the Manhattan Project to recover material for nuclear weapons. Currently, reprocessing has a peaceful application in the nuclear fuel cycle. A variety of chemical methods have been proposed and demonstrated for reprocessing of nuclear fuel. The two most widely investigated and implemented methods are generally referred to as aqueous reprocessing and pyroprocessing. Each of these technologies is described in detail in Section 3 with numerous references to published articles. Reprocessing of nuclear fuel as part of a fuel cycle can be used both to recover fissionable actinides and to stabilize radioactive fission products into durable waste forms. It can also be used as part of a breeder reactor fuel cycle that could result in a 14-fold or higher increase in energy utilization per unit of natural uranium. Reprocessing can also impact the need for geologic repositories for spent fuel. The volume of waste that needs to be sent to such a repository can be reduced by first subjecting the spent fuel to reprocessing. The extent to which volume reduction can occur is currently under study by the United States Department of Energy via research at various national laboratories and universities. Reprocessing can also separate fissile and non-fissile radioactive elements for transmutation.

Nuclear fuel: sustainable source of energy or burden on society?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, T.; Klaiber, G.

2007-01-01

In the past, the question concerning the sustainability of a resource primarily addressed its finite nature. Accordingly, electricity production using renewable energies was clearly sustainable. Contrasting this are systems based on oil, gas, coal or uranium. However, from the perspective of 'neo-sustainability' being analyzed today, this assessment appears less clear-cut, especially in light of the definition of sustainability as provided by the Brundtland report. Nowadays, the depletion time of fuel resources is thus not the only significant aspect, but factors such as efficiency, ecofriendliness and social responsibility also figure in. The nuclear fuel supply is analyzed from a sustainability perspective. After a short description of the supply chain, each of the most important aspects of sustainability are related to the individual stages of the supply chain and evaluated. This method aims at answering the question concerning to what extent nuclear fuel is a sustainable source of energy. Although the recycling of fissile materials from reprocessing and the deployment of advanced reactors are key factors as regards the issue of sustainability, these topics are deliberately only touched on. The main focus lies on the sustainability of the nuclear fuel cycle as it is currently utilized in light water reactors, without discussing the subject of reprocessing. (orig.)

Nuclear fuel lease accounting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Danielson, A.H.

1986-01-01

The subject of nuclear fuel lease accounting is a controversial one that has received much attention over the years. This has occurred during a period when increasing numbers of utilities, seeking alternatives to traditional financing methods, have turned to leasing their nuclear fuel inventories. The purpose of this paper is to examine the current accounting treatment of nuclear fuel leases as prescribed by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC's) Uniform System of Accounts. Cost accounting for leased nuclear fuel during the fuel cycle is also discussed

Overview of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency scientific activities on the nuclear fuel cycle - 5301

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cornet, S.; Chauvin, N.

2015-01-01

As part of its role in encouraging international collaboration, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency is coordinating a series of projects related to the Nuclear Fuel Cycle. The Nuclear Science Committee (NSC) Working Party on Scientific Issues of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle (WPFC) comprises five different expert groups covering scientific aspects of the fuel cycle from front to back-end. Ongoing projects include fuel cycle scenarios, fuels, materials, physics and chemical separations. Members of the expert groups cooperate to share recent research advancements at an international level and help identify gaps and needs in the field. Current activities focus on current and advanced nuclear systems in particular the challenges associated with the adoption of new materials and fuels such as for example cladding materials, fuels containing minor actinides, or the use of liquid metal as coolants. The Expert Group on Innovative Fuels has recently prepared a report on MA bearing fuels looking at different type of fuels and examining the technical issues associated with their fabrication, characterization, irradiation performance, and design and safety criteria. Experts of the group on Heavy Liquid Metal (HLM) technologies are compiling and editing the second version of the LBE (Lead Bismuth Eutectic) Handbook to include new experimental data. The Expert Group on Advanced Fuel Cycle Scenarios has undertaken a study to evaluate the effects of uncertainties of input parameters on the outcomes of fuel scenario studies to provide guidance on which uncertainties are more significant. At the back-end of the fuel cycle, separation technologies (aqueous and pyrochemical) are being assessed by the Expert Group on Fuel recycling Chemistry. (authors)

Nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azevedo, J.B.L. de.

1980-01-01

All stages of nuclear fuel cycle are analysed with respect to the present situation and future perspectives of supply and demand of services; the prices and the unitary cost estimation of these stages for the international fuel market are also mentioned. From the world resources and projections of uranium consumption, medium-and long term analyses are made of fuel availability for several strategies of use of different reactor types. Finally, the cost of nuclear fuel in the generation of electric energy is calculated to be used in the energetic planning of the electric sector. (M.A.) [pt

Nuclear power. Nuclear fuel cycle and waste management. 1990-2002. International Atomic Energy Agency publications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-02-01

This document lists all sales publications of the International Atomic Energy Agency dealing with Nuclear Power, Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Management, issued during the period 1990-2002. It gives a short abstract of these publications along with contents and their costs

Nuclear energy, insignificant use in comparison with mineral fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mostafa, Md.G.

1999-01-01

Human civilization based on energy. From the primitive stage human needs a power or energy source to exist in the world. Energy is the basis of Industrial civilization, without it modern life would cease to exist. Most of the growth of the world energy consumption grew from 20% in 1970 to 31% in 1990. There is general approbation that in the next decades this trend will continue. But we have seen that during the 1970s the world began a painful adjustment to the vulnerability of energy supplies. Last three decades world had fallen into energy crisis three times. So the world has to face a great challenge to (1) Ensure the availability of energy, (2) Reduce the cost of energy, (3) Reduce the impact on environment caused by using fossil fuels. The increase in global demand for energy is expected to be met from several energy sources. And which sources of energy would take part to alleviate the energy need in the world. There are several factors to choose the energy sources. Many European countries now thinking that the future demand of energy would be mitigated by sustainable energy. In this connection many countries have initiated to develop renewable energy technologies that would make possible them to diminish fossil fuel consumption and its attendant problems. Now-a-days the nuclear Engineer and Scientist claimed that there is no danger to be associated with atomic power stations. But still now about the safety and economy of nuclear power have a number of unanswered questions: What are the effects of low-level radiation over long period? How can nuclear power's waste products, which will be dangerous for centuries, be permanently isolated from the environment? Etc. Because of atomic power is till associated in the public mind with the destructive force of atomic bombs, how could the Nuclear power keep an important role in future energy demand in the world? If it is possible to over come the danger of atomic power by ensuring the modern technology and highest

Nuclear energy, insignificant use in comparison with mineral fuels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mostafa, Md.G. [DDC Ltd., Dhaka (Bangladesh). Computer Center

1999-07-01

Human civilization based on energy. From the primitive stage human needs a power or energy source to exist in the world. Energy is the basis of Industrial civilization, without it modern life would cease to exist. Most of the growth of the world energy consumption grew from 20% in 1970 to 31% in 1990. There is general approbation that in the next decades this trend will continue. But we have seen that during the 1970s the world began a painful adjustment to the vulnerability of energy supplies. Last three decades world had fallen into energy crisis three times. So the world has to face a great challenge to (1) Ensure the availability of energy, (2) Reduce the cost of energy, (3) Reduce the impact on environment caused by using fossil fuels. The increase in global demand for energy is expected to be met from several energy sources. And which sources of energy would take part to alleviate the energy need in the world. There are several factors to choose the energy sources. Many European countries now thinking that the future demand of energy would be mitigated by sustainable energy. In this connection many countries have initiated to develop renewable energy technologies that would make possible them to diminish fossil fuel consumption and its attendant problems. Now-a-days the nuclear Engineer and Scientist claimed that there is no danger to be associated with atomic power stations. But still now about the safety and economy of nuclear power have a number of unanswered questions: What are the effects of low-level radiation over long period? How can nuclear power's waste products, which will be dangerous for centuries, be permanently isolated from the environment? Etc. Because of atomic power is till associated in the public mind with the destructive force of atomic bombs, how could the Nuclear power keep an important role in future energy demand in the world? If it is possible to over come the danger of atomic power by ensuring the modern technology and highest

A Practical Approach to a Closed Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Sustained Nuclear Energy - 12383

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Collins, Emory D.; Del Cul, Guillermo D.; Spencer, Barry B.; Williams, Kent A. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008, MS-6152, Oak Ridge TN 37831 (United States)

2012-07-01

Recent systems analysis studies at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have shown that sufficient information is available from previous research and development (R and D), industrial experience, and current studies to make rational decisions on a practical approach to a closed nuclear fuel cycle in the United States. These studies show that a near-term decision is needed to recycle used nuclear fuel (UNF) in the United States, to encourage public recognition that a practical solution to disposal of nuclear energy wastes, primarily UNF, is achievable, and to ensure a focus on essential near-term actions and future R and D. Recognition of the importance of time factors is essential, including the multi-decade time period required to implement industrial-scale fuel recycle at the capacity needed, and the effects of radioactive decay on proliferation resistance, recycling complexity, radioactive emissions, and high-level-waste storage, disposal form development, and eventual emplacement in a geologic repository. Analysis of time factors led to identification of the benefits of processing older fuel and an 'optimum decay storage time'. Further benefits of focused R and D can ensure more complete recycling of UNF components and minimize wastes requiring disposal. Analysis of recycling costs and nonproliferation requirements, which are often cited as reasons for delaying a decision to recycle, shows that (1) the differences in costs of nuclear energy with open or closed fuel cycles are insignificant and (2) nonproliferation requirements can be met by a combination of 'safeguards-by-design' co-location of back-end fuel cycle facilities, and applied engineered safeguards and monitoring. The study shows why different methods of separating and recycling used fuel components do not have a significant effect on nonproliferation requirements and can be selected on other bases, such as process efficiency, maturity, and cost-effectiveness. Finally, the study

A Practical Approach to a Closed Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Sustained Nuclear Energy - 12383

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Collins, Emory D.; Del Cul, Guillermo D.; Spencer, Barry B.; Williams, Kent A. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008, MS-6152, Oak Ridge TN 37831 (United States)

2012-07-01

Recent systems analysis studies at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have shown that sufficient information is available from previous research and development (R and D), industrial experience, and current studies to make rational decisions on a practical approach to a closed nuclear fuel cycle in the United States. These studies show that a near-term decision is needed to recycle used nuclear fuel (UNF) in the United States, to encourage public recognition that a practical solution to disposal of nuclear energy wastes, primarily UNF, is achievable, and to ensure a focus on essential near-term actions and future R and D. Recognition of the importance of time factors is essential, including the multi-decade time period required to implement industrial-scale fuel recycle at the capacity needed, and the effects of radioactive decay on proliferation resistance, recycling complexity, radioactive emissions, and high-level-waste storage, disposal form development, and eventual emplacement in a geologic repository. Analysis of time factors led to identification of the benefits of processing older fuel and an 'optimum decay storage time'. Further benefits of focused R and D can ensure more complete recycling of UNF components and minimize wastes requiring disposal. Analysis of recycling costs and nonproliferation requirements, which are often cited as reasons for delaying a decision to recycle, shows that (1) the differences in costs of nuclear energy with open or closed fuel cycles are insignificant and (2) nonproliferation requirements can be met by a combination of 'safeguards-by-design' co-location of back-end fuel cycle facilities, and applied engineered safeguards and monitoring. The study shows why different methods of separating and recycling used fuel components do not have a significant effect on nonproliferation requirements and can be selected on other bases, such as process efficiency, maturity, and cost-effectiveness. Finally, the study concludes that

Clean energy : nuclear energy world

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2007-10-15

This book explains the nuclear engineering to kids with easy way. There are explanations of birth of nuclear energy such as discover of nuclear and application of modern technology of nuclear energy, principles and structure of nuclear power plant, fuel, nuclear waste management, use of radiation for medical treatment, food supplies, industry, utilization of neutron. It indicates the future of nuclear energy as integral nuclear energy and nuclear fusion energy.

Energy Frontier Research Center, Center for Materials Science of Nuclear Fuels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Todd R. Allen, Director

2011-04-01

The Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, has funded the INL as one of the Energy Frontier Research Centers in the area of material science of nuclear fuels. This document is the required annual report to the Office of Science that outlines the accomplishments for the period of May 2010 through April 2011. The aim of the Center for Material Science of Nuclear Fuels (CMSNF) is to establish the foundation for predictive understanding of the effects of irradiation-induced defects on thermal transport in oxide nuclear fuels. The science driver of the center’s investigation is to understand how complex defect and microstructures affect phonon mediated thermal transport in UO2, and achieve this understanding for the particular case of irradiation-induced defects and microstructures. The center’s research thus includes modeling and measurement of thermal transport in oxide fuels with different levels of impurities, lattice disorder and irradiation-induced microstructure, as well as theoretical and experimental investigation of the evolution of disorder, stoichiometry and microstructure in nuclear fuel under irradiation. With the premise that thermal transport in irradiated UO2 is a phonon-mediated energy transport process in a crystalline material with defects and microstructure, a step-by-step approach will be utilized to understand the effects of types of defects and microstructures on the collective phonon dynamics in irradiated UO2. Our efforts under the thermal transport thrust involved both measurement of diffusive phonon transport (an approach that integrates over the entire phonon spectrum) and spectroscopic measurements of phonon attenuation/lifetime and phonon dispersion. Our distinct experimental efforts dovetail with our modeling effort involving atomistic simulation of phonon transport and prediction of lattice thermal conductivity using the Boltzmann transport framework.

Energy Frontier Research Center, Center for Materials Science of Nuclear Fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allen, Todd R.

2011-01-01

The Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, has funded the INL as one of the Energy Frontier Research Centers in the area of material science of nuclear fuels. This document is the required annual report to the Office of Science that outlines the accomplishments for the period of May 2010 through April 2011. The aim of the Center for Material Science of Nuclear Fuels (CMSNF) is to establish the foundation for predictive understanding of the effects of irradiation-induced defects on thermal transport in oxide nuclear fuels. The science driver of the center's investigation is to understand how complex defect and microstructures affect phonon mediated thermal transport in UO2, and achieve this understanding for the particular case of irradiation-induced defects and microstructures. The center's research thus includes modeling and measurement of thermal transport in oxide fuels with different levels of impurities, lattice disorder and irradiation-induced microstructure, as well as theoretical and experimental investigation of the evolution of disorder, stoichiometry and microstructure in nuclear fuel under irradiation. With the premise that thermal transport in irradiated UO2 is a phonon-mediated energy transport process in a crystalline material with defects and microstructure, a step-by-step approach will be utilized to understand the effects of types of defects and microstructures on the collective phonon dynamics in irradiated UO2. Our efforts under the thermal transport thrust involved both measurement of diffusive phonon transport (an approach that integrates over the entire phonon spectrum) and spectroscopic measurements of phonon attenuation/lifetime and phonon dispersion. Our distinct experimental efforts dovetail with our modeling effort involving atomistic simulation of phonon transport and prediction of lattice thermal conductivity using the Boltzmann transport framework.

Boosting nuclear fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Demarthon, F.; Donnars, O.; Dupuy-Maury, F.

2002-01-01

This dossier gives a broad overview of the present day status of the nuclear fuel cycle in France: 1 - the revival of nuclear power as a solution to the global warming and to the increase of worldwide energy needs; 2 - the security of uranium supplies thanks to the reuse of weapon grade highly enriched uranium; 3 - the fabrication of nuclear fuels from the mining extraction to the enrichment processes, the fabrication of fuel pellets and the assembly of fuel rods; 4 - the new composition of present day fuels (UO x and chromium-doped pellets); 5 - the consumption of plutonium stocks and the Corail and Apa fuel assemblies for the reduction of plutonium stocks and the preservation of uranium resources. (J.S.)

Nuclear energy data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

This new edition of Nuclear Energy Data, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency's annual compilation of essential statistics on nuclear energy in OECD countries, offers additional graphical information as compared with previous editions allowing a rapid comparison between capacity and requirements in the various phases of the nuclear fuel cycle. It provides the reader with a comprehensive but easy-to-access overview on the status of and trends in the nuclear power and fuel cycle sector. This publication is an authoritative information source of interest to policy makers, experts and academics involved in the nuclear energy field. (author)

Spent fuel management and closed nuclear fuel cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kudryavtsev, E.G.

2012-01-01

Strategic objectives set by Rosatom Corporation in the field of spent fuel management are given. By 2030, Russia is to create technological infrastructure for innovative nuclear energy development, including complete closure of the nuclear fuel cycle. A target model of the spent NPP nuclear fuel management system until 2030 is analyzed. The schedule for key stages of putting in place the infrastructure for spent NPP fuel management is given. The financial aspect of the problem is also discussed [ru

Nuclear Forensics and Attribution for Improved Energy Security: The Use of Taggants in Nuclear Fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kristo, M J; Robel, M; Hutcheon, I D

2007-01-01

The Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP), recently announced by DOE Secretary Bodman, poses significant new challenges with regard to securing, safeguarding, monitoring and tracking nuclear materials. In order to reduce the risk of nuclear proliferation, new technologies must be developed to reduce the risk that nuclear material can be diverted from its intended use. Regardless of the specific nature of the fuel cycle, nuclear forensics and attribution will play key roles to ensure the effectiveness of nonproliferation controls and to deter the likelihood of illicit activities. As the leader of the DHS nuclear and radiological pre-detonation attribution program, LLNL is uniquely positioned to play a national leadership role in this effort. Ensuring that individuals or organizations engaged in illicit trafficking are rapidly identified and apprehended following theft or diversion of nuclear material provides a strong deterrent against unlawful activities. Key to establishing this deterrent is developing the ability to rapidly and accurately determine the identity, source and prior use history of any interdicted nuclear material. Taggants offer one potentially effective means for positively identifying lost or stolen nuclear fuels. Taggants are materials that can be encoded with a unique signature and introduced into nuclear fuel during fuel fabrication. During a nuclear forensics investigation, the taggant signature can be recovered and the nuclear material identified through comparison with information stored in an appropriate database. Unlike serial numbers or barcodes, microtaggants can provide positive identification with only partial recovery, providing extreme resistance to any attempt to delete or alter them

Experience with nuclear fuel utilization in Bulgaria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harizanov, Y [Committee on the Use of Atomic Energy for Peaceful Purposes, Sofia (Bulgaria)

1997-12-01

The presentation on experience with nuclear fuel utilization in Bulgaria briefly reviews the situation with nuclear energy in Bulgaria and then discusses nuclear fuel performance (amount of fuel loaded, type of fuel, burnup, fuel failures, assemblies deformation). 2 tabs.

An approach for evaluating the integrity of fuel applied in Innovative Nuclear Energy Systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakae, Nobuo; Ozawa, Takayuki; Ohta, Hirokazu; Ogata, Takanari; Sekimoto, Hiroshi

2014-01-01

One of the important issues in the study of Innovative Nuclear Energy Systems is evaluating the integrity of fuel applied in Innovative Nuclear Energy Systems. An approach for evaluating the integrity of the fuel is discussed here based on the procedure currently used in the integrity evaluation of fast reactor fuel. The fuel failure modes determining fuel life time were reviewed and fuel integrity was analyzed and compared with the failure criteria. Metal and nitride fuels with austenitic and ferritic stainless steel (SS) cladding tubes were examined in this study. For the purpose of representative irradiation behavior analyses of the fuel for Innovative Nuclear Energy Systems, the correlations of the cladding characteristics were modeled based on well-known characteristics of austenitic modified 316 SS (PNC316), ferritic–martensitic steel (PNC–FMS) and oxide dispersion strengthened steel (PNC–ODS). The analysis showed that the fuel lifetime is limited by channel fracture which is a nonductile type (brittle) failure associated with a high level of irradiation-induced swelling in the case of austenitic steel cladding. In case of ferritic steel, on the other hand, the fuel lifetime is controlled by cladding creep rupture. The lifetime evaluated here is limited to 200 GW d/t, which is lower than the target burnup value of 500 GW d/t. One of the possible measures to extend the lifetime may be reducing the fuel smeared density and ventilating fission gas in the plenum for metal fuel and by reducing the maximum cladding temperature from 650 to 600 °C for both metal and nitride fuel

An approach for evaluating the integrity of fuel applied in Innovative Nuclear Energy Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakae, Nobuo, E-mail: nakae-nobuo@jnes.go.jp [Center for Research into Innovative Nuclear Energy System, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-N1-19, Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550 (Japan); Ozawa, Takayuki [Advanced Nuclear System Research and Development Directorate, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 4-33, Muramatsu, Tokai-mura, Ibaraki-ken 319-1194 (Japan); Ohta, Hirokazu; Ogata, Takanari [Nuclear Technology Research Laboratory, Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, 2-11-1, Iwado Kita, Komae-shi, Tokyo 201-8511 (Japan); Sekimoto, Hiroshi [Center for Research into Innovative Nuclear Energy System, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-N1-19, Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550 (Japan)

2014-03-15

One of the important issues in the study of Innovative Nuclear Energy Systems is evaluating the integrity of fuel applied in Innovative Nuclear Energy Systems. An approach for evaluating the integrity of the fuel is discussed here based on the procedure currently used in the integrity evaluation of fast reactor fuel. The fuel failure modes determining fuel life time were reviewed and fuel integrity was analyzed and compared with the failure criteria. Metal and nitride fuels with austenitic and ferritic stainless steel (SS) cladding tubes were examined in this study. For the purpose of representative irradiation behavior analyses of the fuel for Innovative Nuclear Energy Systems, the correlations of the cladding characteristics were modeled based on well-known characteristics of austenitic modified 316 SS (PNC316), ferritic–martensitic steel (PNC–FMS) and oxide dispersion strengthened steel (PNC–ODS). The analysis showed that the fuel lifetime is limited by channel fracture which is a nonductile type (brittle) failure associated with a high level of irradiation-induced swelling in the case of austenitic steel cladding. In case of ferritic steel, on the other hand, the fuel lifetime is controlled by cladding creep rupture. The lifetime evaluated here is limited to 200 GW d/t, which is lower than the target burnup value of 500 GW d/t. One of the possible measures to extend the lifetime may be reducing the fuel smeared density and ventilating fission gas in the plenum for metal fuel and by reducing the maximum cladding temperature from 650 to 600 °C for both metal and nitride fuel.

Nuclear power and the nuclear fuel cycle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1976-07-01

The IAEA is organizing a major conference on nuclear power and the nuclear fuel cycle, which is to be held from 2 to 13 May 1977 in Salzburg, Austria. The programme for the conference was published in the preceding issue of the IAEA Bulletin (Vol.18, No. 3/4). Topics to be covered at the conference include: world energy supply and demand, supply of nuclear fuel and fuel cycle services, radioactivity management (including transport), nuclear safety, public acceptance of nuclear power, safeguarding of nuclear materials, and nuclear power prospects in developing countries. The articles in the section that follows are intended to serve as an introduction to the topics to be discussed at the Salzburg Conference. They deal with the demand for uranium and nuclear fuel cycle services, uranium supplies, a computer simulation of regional fuel cycle centres, nuclear safety codes, management of radioactive wastes, and a pioneering research project on factors that determine public attitudes toward nuclear power. It is planned to present additional background articles, including a review of the world nuclear fuel reprocessing situation and developments in the uranium enrichment industry, in future issues of the Bulletin. (author)

Report of “the 2013 international forum on peaceful use of nuclear energy, nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear security. Ensuring nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear security of nuclear fuel cycle options in consideration of the accident at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station”

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamura, Tsukasa; Suda, Kazunori; Tomikawa, Hirofumi; Suzuki, Mitsutoshi; Kuno, Yusuke; Mochiji, Toshiro

2014-03-01

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) held “International Forum on Peaceful Use of Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Non-proliferation and Nuclear Security – Ensuring Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Nuclear Security of Nuclear Fuel Cycle Options in consideration of the Accident at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station –” on 3 and 4 December 2013, with the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA) and School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, as co-hosts. In the Forum, officials from Japan, the United States, France and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) explained their efforts regarding peaceful use of nuclear energy and nuclear non-proliferation. Discussion was made in two panels, entitled “Nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear security measures of nuclear fuel cycle options in consideration of the Accident at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station” and “Roles of safeguards and technical measures for ensuring nuclear non-proliferation for nuclear fuel cycle options”. In the first panel based on the implications of the Accident at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station on the domestic and global nuclear energy use and increased interest in the back end of nuclear fuel cycle, discussion was made on nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear security challenges on both fuel cycle options from the policy and institutional viewpoints whereas in the second panel the roles of safeguards and proliferation resistant nuclear technology including plutonium burning technology in ensuring nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear security in the back end of nuclear fuel cycle were discussed. Officials and experts from Japan, IAEA, the United States, France and Republic of Korea participated in the panel and made contributions to active discussion. This report includes abstracts of keynote speeches, summaries of two panel discussions and materials of the presentations in the forum. The editors take full responsibility for the wording

Nuclear fuels policy. Report of the Atlantic Council's Nuclear Fuels Policy working group

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1976-01-01

The purpose of the policy paper presented is to recommend the actions deemed necessary to assure that future US and other non-Communist countries' nuclear fuels supply will be adequate to meet future energy demand. Taken together, the recommended decisions and actions form a nuclear fuels supply policy for the United States Government and for the private sector, and new areas of responsibility for the appropriate international organizations in which the US participates. The principal conclusions and recommendations are that the US and the other industrialized non-Communist countries should strive for increased flexibility of primary energy fuel sources, and that a balanced energy strategy therefore depends upon the security of supply of energy resources and the ability to substitute one form of fuel for another. The substitutability and efficient use of energy resources are enhanced by accelerating the supply and use of electricity

On recycling of nuclear fuel in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

In Japan, atomic energy has become to accomplish the important role in energy supply. Recently the interest in the protection of global environment heightened, and the anxiety on oil supply has been felt due to the circumstances in Mideast. Therefore, the importance of atomic energy as an energy source for hereafter increased, and the future plan of nuclear fuel recycling in Japan must be promoted on such viewpoint. At present in Japan, the construction of nuclear fuel cycle facilities is in progress in Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture. The prototype FBR 'Monju' started the general functional test in May, this year. The transport of the plutonium reprocessed in U.K. and France to Japan will be carried out in near future. This report presents the concrete measures of nuclear fuel recycling in Japan from the long term viewpoint up to 2010. The necessity and meaning of nuclear fuel recycling in Japan, the effort related to nuclear nonproliferation, the plan of nuclear fuel recycling for hereafter in Japan, the organization of MOX fuel fabrication in Japan and abroad, the method of utilizing recovered uranium and the reprocessing of spent MOX fuel are described. (K.I.)

Nuclear Energy - Hydrogen Production - Fuel Cell: A Road Towards Future China's Sustainable Energy Strategy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhiwei Zhou

2006-01-01

Sustainable development of Chinese economy in 21. century will mainly rely on self-supply of clean energy with indigenous natural resources. The burden of current coal-dominant energy mix and the environmental stress due to energy consumptions has led nuclear power to be an indispensable choice for further expanding electricity generation capacity in China and for reducing greenhouse effect gases emission. The application of nuclear energy in producing substitutive fuels for road transportation vehicles will also be of importance in future China's sustainable energy strategy. This paper illustrates the current status of China's energy supply and the energy demand required for establishing a harmonic and prosperous society in China. In fact China's energy market faces following three major challenges, namely (1) gaps between energy supply and demand; (2) low efficiency in energy utilization, and (3) severe environmental pollution. This study emphasizes that China should implement sustainable energy development policy and pay great attention to the construction of energy saving recycle economy. Based on current forecast, the nuclear energy development in China will encounter a high-speed track. The demand for crude oil will reach 400-450 million tons in 2020 in which Chinese indigenous production will remain 180 million tons. The increase of the expected crude oil will be about 150 million tons on the basis of 117 million tons of imported oil in 2004 with the time span of 15 years. This demand increase of crude oil certainly will influence China's energy supply security and to find the substitution will be a big challenge to Chinese energy industry. This study illustrates an analysis of the market demands to future hydrogen economy of China. Based on current status of technology development of HTGR in China, this study describes a road of hydrogen production with nuclear energy. The possible technology choices in relation to a number of types of nuclear reactors are

Evaluation of nuclear energy in the context of energy security

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Irie, Kazutomo; Kanda, Keiji

2002-01-01

This paper analyzes the view expressed by the Japanese government on the role of nuclear energy for energy security through scrutiny of Japan's policy documents. The analysis revealed that the contribution by nuclear energy to Japan's energy security has been defined in two ways. Nuclear energy improves short-term energy security with its characteristics such as political stability in exporting countries of uranium, easiness of stockpiling of nuclear fuels, stability in power generation cost, and reproduction of plutonium and other fissile material for use by reprocessing of spent fuel. Nuclear energy also contributes to medium- and long-term energy security through its characteristics that fissile material can be reproduced (multiplied in the case of breeder reactor) from spent fuels. Further contribution can be expected by nuclear fusion. Japan's energy security can be strengthened not only by expanding the share of nuclear energy in total energy supply, but also by improving nuclear energy's characteristics which are related to energy security. Policy measures to be considered for such improvement will include (a) policy dialogue with exporting countries of uranium, (b) government assistance to development of uranium mines, (c) nuclear fuel stockpiling, (d) reprocessing and recycling of spent fuels, (e) development of fast breeder reactor, and (f) research of nuclear fusion. (author)

Activities of the IAEA Nuclear Energy Department in the area of fuel engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bychkov, A.; ); Inozemtsev, V.; )

2012-01-01

The IAEA presentation provides an outlook on the current status and projections of nuclear power development in the world taking into account the affect of the Fukushima accident, as well as information about the IAEA Action Plan on Nuclear Safety that was unanimously enforced by 151 Member States at the IAEA General Conference in September 2011. Details are given about the implementation tools of the sub-programme 'Nuclear Power Reactor Fuel Engineering': Technical Meetings, Coordinated Research Projects, and Expert Reviews. This information about recent, on-going and planned IAEA activities related to fuel R and D, design, manufacturing, in-reactor behaviour and operational experience will be useful for specialists interested in corresponding publications or for those planning participation in the IAEA projects. Particular emphasis is made on CQCNF priority subjects, including preparation of the IAEA Nuclear Energy Series Guide on Quality and Reliability of Fuel for Water-Cooled Power Reactors, where the expert group from the Nuclear Fuel Complex in Hyderabad was among the key contributors. (author)

Sustainability Features of Nuclear Fuel Cycle Options

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefano Passerini

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The nuclear fuel cycle is the series of stages that nuclear fuel materials go through in a cradle to grave framework. The Once Through Cycle (OTC is the current fuel cycle implemented in the United States; in which an appropriate form of the fuel is irradiated through a nuclear reactor only once before it is disposed of as waste. The discharged fuel contains materials that can be suitable for use as fuel. Thus, different types of fuel recycling technologies may be introduced in order to more fully utilize the energy potential of the fuel, or reduce the environmental impacts and proliferation concerns about the discarded fuel materials. Nuclear fuel cycle systems analysis is applied in this paper to attain a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of fuel cycle alternatives. Through the use of the nuclear fuel cycle analysis code CAFCA (Code for Advanced Fuel Cycle Analysis, the impact of a number of recycling technologies and the associated fuel cycle options is explored in the context of the U.S. energy scenario over 100 years. Particular focus is given to the quantification of Uranium utilization, the amount of Transuranic Material (TRU generated and the economics of the different options compared to the base-line case, the OTC option. It is concluded that LWRs and the OTC are likely to dominate the nuclear energy supply system for the period considered due to limitations on availability of TRU to initiate recycling technologies. While the introduction of U-235 initiated fast reactors can accelerate their penetration of the nuclear energy system, their higher capital cost may lead to continued preference for the LWR-OTC cycle.

World nuclear fuel cycle requirements 1991

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1991-10-10

The nuclear fuel cycle consists of mining and milling uranium ore, processing the uranium into a form suitable for generating electricity, burning'' the fuel in nuclear reactors, and managing the resulting spent nuclear fuel. This report presents projections of domestic and foreign requirements for natural uranium and enrichment services as well as projections of discharges of spent nuclear fuel. These fuel cycle requirements are based on the forecasts of future commercial nuclear power capacity and generation published in a recent Energy Information Administration (EIA) report. Also included in this report are projections of the amount of spent fuel discharged at the end of each fuel cycle for each nuclear generating unit in the United States. The International Nuclear Model is used for calculating the projected nuclear fuel cycle requirements. 14 figs., 38 tabs.

World nuclear fuel cycle requirements 1991

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-01-01

The nuclear fuel cycle consists of mining and milling uranium ore, processing the uranium into a form suitable for generating electricity, ''burning'' the fuel in nuclear reactors, and managing the resulting spent nuclear fuel. This report presents projections of domestic and foreign requirements for natural uranium and enrichment services as well as projections of discharges of spent nuclear fuel. These fuel cycle requirements are based on the forecasts of future commercial nuclear power capacity and generation published in a recent Energy Information Administration (EIA) report. Also included in this report are projections of the amount of spent fuel discharged at the end of each fuel cycle for each nuclear generating unit in the United States. The International Nuclear Model is used for calculating the projected nuclear fuel cycle requirements. 14 figs., 38 tabs

Synergistic production of hydrogen using fossil fuels and nuclear energy application of nuclear-heated membrane reformer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hori, M.; Matsui, K.; Tashimo, M.; Yasuda, I.

2004-01-01

Processes and technologies to produce hydrogen synergistically by the steam reforming reaction using fossil fuels and nuclear heat are reviewed. Formulas of chemical reactions, required heats for reactions, saving of fuel consumption or reduction of carbon dioxide emission, possible processes and other prospects are examined for such fossil fuels as natural gas, petroleum and coal. The 'membrane reformer' steam reforming with recirculation of reaction products in a closed loop configuration is considered to be the most advantageous among various synergistic hydrogen production methods. Typical merits of this method are: nuclear heat supply at medium temperature below 600 deg. C, compact plant size and membrane area for hydrogen production, efficient conversion of feed fuel, appreciable reduction of carbon dioxide emission, high purity hydrogen without any additional process, and ease of separating carbon dioxide for future sequestration requirements. With all these benefits, the synergistic production of hydrogen by membrane reformer using fossil fuels and nuclear energy can be an effective solution in this century for the world which has to use. fossil fuels any way to some extent while reducing carbon dioxide emission. For both the fossil fuels industry and the nuclear industry, which are under constraint of resource, environment and economy, this production method will be a viable symbiosis strategy for the coming hydrogen economy era. (author)

Nuclear fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

The nuclear fuel is one of the key component of a nuclear reactor. Inside it, the fission reactions of heavy atoms, uranium and plutonium, take place. It is located in the core of the reactor, but also in the core of the whole nuclear system. Its design and properties influence the behaviour, the efficiency and the safety of the reactor. Even if it represents a weak share of the generated electricity cost, its proper use represents an important economic stake. Important improvements remain to be made to increase its residence time inside the reactor, to supply more energy, and to improve its robustness. Beyond the economical and safety considerations, strategical questions have to find an answer, like the use of plutonium, the management of resources and the management of nuclear wastes and real technological challenges have to be taken up. This monograph summarizes the existing knowledge about the nuclear fuel, its behaviour inside the reactor, its limits of use, and its R and D tracks. It illustrates also the researches in progress and presents some key results obtained recently. Content: 1 - Introduction; 2 - The fuel of water-cooled reactors: aspect, fabrication, behaviour of UO 2 and MOX fuels inside the reactor, behaviour in loss of tightness situation, microscopic morphology of fuel ceramics and evolution under irradiation - migration and localisation of fission products in UOX and MOX matrices, modeling of fuels behaviour - modeling of defects and fission products in the UO 2 ceramics by ab initio calculations, cladding and assembly materials, pellet-cladding interaction, advanced UO 2 and MOX ceramics, mechanical behaviour of the fuel assembly, fuel during a loss of coolant accident, fuel during a reactivity accident, fuel during a serious accident, fuel management inside reactor cores, fuel cycle materials balance, long-term behaviour of the spent fuel, fuel of boiling water reactors; 3 - the fuel of liquid metal fast reactors: fast neutrons radiation

Energy Fuels Nuclear, Inc. Arizona Strip Operations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pool, T.C.

1993-01-01

Founded in 1975 by uranium pioneer, Robert W. Adams, Energy Fuels Nuclear, Inc. (EFNI) emerged as the largest US uranium mining company by the mid-1980s. Confronting the challenges of declining uranium market prices and the development of high-grade ore bodies in Australia and Canada, EFNI aggressively pursued exploration and development of breccia-pipe ore bodies in Northwestern Arizona. As a result, EFNI's production for the Arizona Strip of 18.9 million pounds U 3 O 8 over the period 1980 through 1991, maintained the company's status as a leading US uranium producer

Nuclear fuel resources: enough to last?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Price, R.; Blaise, J.R.

2002-01-01

The need to meet ever-growing energy demands in an environmentally sustainable manner has turned attention to the potential for nuclear energy to play an expanded role in future energy supply mixes. One of the key aspects in defining the sustainability of any energy source is the availability of fuel resources. This article shows that available nuclear energy fuel resources can meet future needs for hundreds, even thousands, of years

The nuclear fuel cycle, an overview

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ballery, J.L.; Cazalet, J.; Hagemann, R.

1995-01-01

Because uranium is widely distributed on the face of the Earth, nuclear energy has a very large potential as an energy source in view of future depletion of fossil fuel reserves. Also future energy requirements will be very sizeable as populations of developing countries are often growing and make the energy question one of the major challenges for the coming decades. Today, nuclear contributes some 340 GWe to the energy requirements of the world. Present and future nuclear programs require an adequate fuel cycle industry, from mining, refining, conversion, enrichment, fuel fabrication, fuel reprocessing and the storage of the resulting wastes. The commercial fuel cycle activities amount to an annual business in the 7-8 billions of US Dollars in the hands of a large number of industrial operators. This paper gives details about companies and countries involved in each step of the fuel cycle and about the national strategies and options chosen regarding the back end of the fuel cycle (waste storage and reprocessing). These options are illustrated by considering the policy adopted in three countries (France, United Kingdom, Japan) versed in reprocessing. (J.S.). 13 figs., 2 tabs

Spent nuclear fuel in Bulgaria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peev, P.; Kalimanov, N.

1999-01-01

The development of the nuclear energy sector in Bulgaria is characterized by two major stages. The first stage consisted of providing a scientific basis for the programme for development of the nuclear energy sector in the country and was completed with the construction of an experimental water-water reactor. At present, spent nuclear fuel from this reactor is placed in a water filled storage facility and will be transported back to Russia. The second stage consisted of the construction of the 6 NPP units at the Kozloduy site. The spent nuclear fuel from the six units is stored in at reactor pools and in an additional on-site storage facility which is nearly full. In order to engage the government of the country with the on-site storage problems, the new management of the National Electric Company elaborated a policy on nuclear fuel cycle and radioactive waste management. The underlying policy is de facto the selection of the 'deferred decision' option for its spent fuel management. (author)

Transportation capabilities study of DOE-owned spent nuclear fuel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clark, G.L.; Johnson, R.A.; Smith, R.W. [Packaging Technology, Inc., Tacoma, WA (United States); Abbott, D.G.; Tyacke, M.J. [Lockheed Idaho Technologies Co., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

1994-10-01

This study evaluates current capabilities for transporting spent nuclear fuel owned by the US Department of Energy. Currently licensed irradiated fuel shipping packages that have the potential for shipping the spent nuclear fuel are identified and then matched against the various spent nuclear fuel types. Also included are the results of a limited investigation into other certified packages and new packages currently under development. This study is intended to support top-level planning for the disposition of the Department of Energy`s spent nuclear fuel inventory.

Nuclear fuel cycle system analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ko, W. I.; Kwon, E. H.; Kim, S. G.; Park, B. H.; Song, K. C.; Song, D. Y.; Lee, H. H.; Chang, H. L.; Jeong, C. J.

2012-04-01

The nuclear fuel cycle system analysis method has been designed and established for an integrated nuclear fuel cycle system assessment by analyzing various methodologies. The economics, PR(Proliferation Resistance) and environmental impact evaluation of the fuel cycle system were performed using improved DB, and finally the best fuel cycle option which is applicable in Korea was derived. In addition, this research is helped to increase the national credibility and transparency for PR with developing and fulfilling PR enhancement program. The detailed contents of the work are as follows: 1)Establish and improve the DB for nuclear fuel cycle system analysis 2)Development of the analysis model for nuclear fuel cycle 3)Preliminary study for nuclear fuel cycle analysis 4)Development of overall evaluation model of nuclear fuel cycle system 5)Overall evaluation of nuclear fuel cycle system 6)Evaluate the PR for nuclear fuel cycle system and derive the enhancement method 7)Derive and fulfill of nuclear transparency enhancement method The optimum fuel cycle option which is economical and applicable to domestic situation was derived in this research. It would be a basis for establishment of the long-term strategy for nuclear fuel cycle. This work contributes for guaranteeing the technical, economical validity of the optimal fuel cycle option. Deriving and fulfillment of the method for enhancing nuclear transparency will also contribute to renewing the ROK-U.S Atomic Energy Agreement in 2014

The sustainable development of nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo Huifang

2012-01-01

The wide use of nuclear energy has promoted the development of China's economy and the improvement of people's living standards. To some extent, the exploitation of nuclear power plants will solve the energy crisis faced with human society. Before the utilization of nuclear fusion energy, nuclear fission energy will be greatly needed for the purpose of alleviating energy crisis for a long period of time. Compared with fossil fuel, on the one hand, nuclear fission energy is more cost-efficient and cleaner, but on the other hand it will bring about many problems hard to deal with, such as the reprocessing and disposal of nuclear spent fuel, the contradiction between nuclear deficiency and nuclear development. This paper will illustrate the future and prospect of nuclear energy from the perspective of the difficulty of nuclear development, the present reprocessing way of spent fuel, and the measures taken to ensure the sustainable development of nuclear energy. By the means of data quoting and comparison, the feasibility of sustainable development of nuclear energy will be analyzed and the conclusion that as long as the nuclear fuel cycling system is established the sustainable development of nuclear energy could be a reality will be drawn. (author)

Nuclear Energy R and D Imperative 3: Enable a Transition Away from Fossil Fuel in the Transportation and Industrial Sectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petti, David; Herring, J. Stephen

2010-01-01

As described in the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy's Nuclear Energy R and D Roadmap, nuclear energy can play a significant role in supplying energy for a growing economy while reducing both our dependence on foreign energy supplies and emissions from the burning of fossil fuels. The industrial and transportation sectors are responsible for more than half of the greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., and imported oil supplies 70% of the energy used in the transportation sector. It is therefore important to examine the various ways nuclear energy can facilitate a transition away from fossil fuels to secure environmentally sustainable production and use of energy in the transportation and manufacturing industry sectors. Imperative 3 of the Nuclear Energy R and D Roadmap, entitled 'Enable a Transition Away from Fossil Fuels by Producing Process Heat for use in the Transportation and Industrial Sectors', addresses this need. This document presents an Implementation Plan for R and D efforts related to this imperative. The expanded use of nuclear energy beyond the electrical grid will contribute significantly to overcoming the three inter-linked energy challenges facing U.S. industry: the rising and volatile prices for premium fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas, dependence on foreign sources for these fuels, and the risks of climate change resulting from carbon emissions. Nuclear energy could be used in the industrial and transportation sectors to: (1) Generate high temperature process heat and electricity to serve industrial needs including the production of chemical feedstocks for use in manufacturing premium fuels and fertilizer products, (2) Produce hydrogen for industrial processes and transportation fuels, and (3) Provide clean water for human consumption by desalination and promote wastewater treatment using low-grade nuclear heat as a useful additional benefit. Opening new avenues for nuclear energy will significantly enhance our nation

Nuclear energy and the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Hinnawi, E.E.

1980-01-01

Chapters are presented concerning the environmental impact of mining and milling of radioactive ores, upgrading processes, and fabrication of nuclear fuels; environmental impacts of nuclear power plants; non-radiological environmental implications of nuclear energy; radioactive releases from nuclear power plant accidents; environmental impact of reprocessing; nuclear waste disposal; fuel cycle; and the future of nuclear energy

Sufficiency of the Nuclear Fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pevec, D.; Knapp, V.; Matijevic, M.

2008-01-01

Estimation of the nuclear fuel sufficiency is required for rational decision making on long-term energy strategy. In the past an argument often invoked against nuclear energy was that uranium resources are inadequate. At present, when climate change associated with CO 2 emission is a major concern, one novel strong argument for nuclear energy is that it can produce large amounts of energy without the CO 2 emission. Increased interest in nuclear energy is evident, and a new look into uranium resources is relevant. We examined three different scenarios of nuclear capacity growth. The low growth of 0.4 percent per year in nuclear capacity is assumed for the first scenario. The moderate growth of 1.5 percent per year in nuclear capacity preserving the present share in total energy production is assumed for the second scenario. We estimated draining out time periods for conventional resources of uranium using once through fuel cycle for the both scenarios. For the first and the second scenario we obtained the draining out time periods for conventional uranium resources of 154 years and 96 years, respectively. These results are, as expected, in agreement with usual evaluations. However, if nuclear energy is to make a major impact on CO 2 emission it should contribute much more in the total energy production than at present level of 6 percent. We therefore defined the third scenario which would increase nuclear share in the total energy production from 6 percent in year 2020 to 30 percent by year 2060 while the total world energy production would grow by 1.5 percent per year. We also looked into the uranium requirement for this scenario, determining the time window for introduction of uranium or thorium reprocessing and for better use of uranium than what is the case in the once through fuel cycle. The once through cycle would be in this scenario sustainable up to about year 2060 providing most of the expected but undiscovered conventional uranium resources were turned

Reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kidd, S.

2008-01-01

The closed fuel cycle is the most sustainable approach for nuclear energy, as it reduces recourse to natural uranium resources and optimises waste management. The advantages and disadvantages of used nuclear fuel reprocessing have been debated since the dawn of the nuclear era. There is a range of issues involved, notably the sound management of wastes, the conservation of resources, economics, hazards of radioactive materials and potential proliferation of nuclear weapons. In recent years, the reprocessing advocates win, demonstrated by the apparent change in position of the USA under the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) program. A great deal of reprocessing has been going on since the fourties, originally for military purposes, to recover plutonium for weapons. So far, some 80000 tonnes of used fuel from commercial power reactors has been reprocessed. The article indicates the reprocessing activities and plants in the United Kigdom, France, India, Russia and USA. The aspect of plutonium that raises the ire of nuclear opponents is its alleged proliferation risk. Opponents of the use of MOX fuels state that such fuels represent a proliferation risk because the plutonium in the fuel is said to be 'weapon-use-able'. The reprocessing of used fuel should not give rise to any particular public concern and offers a number of potential benefits in terms of optimising both the use of natural resources and waste management.

Nuclear Fuel Cycle Options Catalog: FY16 Improvements and Additions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Price, Laura L. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Barela, Amanda Crystal [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Schetnan, Richard Reed [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Walkow, Walter M. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2016-08-31

The United States Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy, Fuel Cycle Technology Program sponsors nuclear fuel cycle research and development. As part of its Fuel Cycle Options campaign, the DOE has established the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Options Catalog. The catalog is intended for use by the Fuel Cycle Technologies Program in planning its research and development activities and disseminating information regarding nuclear energy to interested parties. The purpose of this report is to document the improvements and additions that have been made to the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Options Catalog in the 2016 fiscal year.

Nuclear Fuel Cycle Options Catalog FY15 Improvements and Additions.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Price, Laura L. [Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Barela, Amanda Crystal [Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Schetnan, Richard Reed [Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Walkow, Walter M. [Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2015-11-01

The United States Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy, Fuel Cycle Technology Program sponsors nuclear fuel cycle research and development. As part of its Fuel Cycle Options campaign, the DOE has established the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Options Catalog. The catalog is intended for use by the Fuel Cycle Technologies Program in planning its research and development activities and disseminating information regarding nuclear energy to interested parties. The purpose of this report is to document the improvements and additions that have been made to the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Options Catalog in the 2015 fiscal year.

Commercialization of nuclear fuel cycle business

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yakabe, Hideo

1998-01-01

Japan depends on foreign countries almost for establishing nuclear fuel cycle. Accordingly, uranium enrichment, spent fuel reprocessing and the safe treatment and disposal of radioactive waste in Japan is important for securing energy. By these means, the stable supply of enriched uranium, the rise of utilization efficiency of uranium and making nuclear power into home-produced energy can be realized. Also this contributes to the protection of earth resources and the preservation of environment. Japan Nuclear Fuel Co., Ltd. operates four business commercially in Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture, aiming at the completion of nuclear fuel cycle by the technologies developed by Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation and the introduction of technologies from foreign countries. The conditions of location of nuclear fuel cycle facilities and the course of the location in Rokkasho are described. In the site of about 740 hectares area, uranium enrichment, burying of low level radioactive waste, fuel reprocessing and high level waste control have been carried out, and three businesses except reprocessing already began the operation. The state of operation of these businesses is reported. Hereafter, efforts will be exerted to the securing of safety through trouble-free operation and cost reduction. (K.I.)

Nuclear fuel tax in court

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leidinger, Tobias

2014-01-01

Besides the 'Nuclear Energy Moratorium' (temporary shutdown of eight nuclear power plants after the Fukushima incident) and the legally decreed 'Nuclear Energy Phase-Out' (by the 13th AtG-amendment), also the legality of the nuclear fuel tax is being challenged in court. After receiving urgent legal proposals from 5 nuclear power plant operators, the Hamburg fiscal court (4V 154/13) temporarily obliged on 14 April 2014 respective main customs offices through 27 decisions to reimburse 2.2 b. Euro nuclear fuel tax to the operating companies. In all respects a remarkable process. It is not in favour of cleverness to impose a political target even accepting immense constitutional and union law risks. Taxation 'at any price' is neither a statement of state sovereignty nor one for a sound fiscal policy. Early and serious warnings of constitutional experts and specialists in the field of tax law with regard to the nuclear fuel tax were not lacking. (orig.)

Regulation at nuclear fuel cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

This bulletin contains information about activities of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority of the Slovak Republic (UJD). In this leaflet the role of the UJD in regulation at nuclear fuel cycle is presented. The Nuclear Fuel Cycle (NFC) is a complex of activities linked with production of nuclear fuel for nuclear reactors as a source of energy used for production of electricity and heat, and of activities linked with spent nuclear fuel handling. Activities linked with nuclear fuel (NF) production, known as the Front-End of Nuclear Fuel Cycle, include (production of nuclear fuel from uranium as the most frequently used element). After discharging spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from nuclear reactor the activities follow linked with its storage, reprocessing and disposal known as the Back-End of Nuclear Fuel Cycle. Individual activity, which penetrates throughout the NFC, is transport of nuclear materials various forms during NF production and transport of NF and SNF. Nuclear reactors are installed in the Slovak Republic only in commercial nuclear power plants and the NFC is of the open type is imported from abroad and SNF is long-term supposed without reprocessing. The main mission of the area of NFC is supervision over: - assurance of nuclear safety throughout all NFC activities; - observance of provisions of the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons during nuclear material handling; with an aim to prevent leakage of radioactive substances into environment (including deliberated danage of NFC sensitive facilities and misuse of nuclear materials to production of nuclear weapons. The UJD carries out this mission through: - assessment of safety documentation submitted by operators of nuclear installations at which nuclear material, NF and SNF is handled; - inspections concentrated on assurance of compliance of real conditions in NFC, i.e. storage and transport of NF and SNF; storage, transport and disposal of wastes from processing of SNF; with assumptions of the safety

Nuclear re-think [The case for nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moore, P.

2006-01-01

In the early 1970s, Patrick Moore, a co-founder of Greenpeace, believed that nuclear energy was synonymous with nuclear holocaust. Thirty years on, his views have changed because nuclear energy is the only non-greenhouse-gas-emitting power source that can effectively replace fossil fuels while satisfying the world's increasing demand for energy. Today, 441 nuclear plants operating globally avoid the release of nearly 3 billion tonnes of CO 2 emissions annually-the equivalent of the exhaust from more than 428 million cars. Concerns associated with nuclear energy are discussed including costs of nuclear energy, safety of nuclear plants, radioactive waste management, vulnerability of nuclear plants to terrorist attacks and diversion of nuclear fuel for weaponization. It is concluded that nuclear energy is the best way to produce safe, clean, reliable baseload electricity, and will play a key role in achieving global energy security. With climate change at the top of the international agenda, we must all do our part to encourage a nuclear energy renaissance

Global Nuclear Energy Partnership Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wigeland, R.A.

2008-01-01

The proposed Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) Program, which is part of the President's Advanced Energy Initiative, is intended to support a safe, secure, and sustainable expansion of nuclear energy, both domestically and internationally. Domestically, the GNEP Program would promote technologies that support economic, sustained production of nuclear-generated electricity, while reducing the impacts associated with spent nuclear fuel disposal and reducing proliferation risks. The Department of Energy (DOE) proposed action envisions changing the United States nuclear energy fuel cycle from an open (or once-through) fuel cycle - in which nuclear fuel is used in a power plant one time and the resulting spent nuclear fuel is stored for eventual disposal in a geologic repository - to a closed fuel cycle in which spent nuclear fuel would be recycled to recover energy-bearing components for use in new nuclear fuel. At this time, DOE has no specific proposed actions for the international component of the GNEP Program. Rather, the United States, through the GNEP Program, is considering various initiatives to work cooperatively with other nations. Such initiatives include the development of grid-appropriate reactors and the development of reliable fuel services (to provide an assured supply of fresh nuclear fuel and assist with the management of the used fuel) for nations who agree to employ nuclear energy only for peaceful purposes, such as electricity generation.

Global Nuclear Energy Partnership Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

R.A. Wigeland

2008-10-01

Abstract: The proposed Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) Program, which is part of the President’s Advanced Energy Initiative, is intended to support a safe, secure, and sustainable expansion of nuclear energy, both domestically and internationally. Domestically, the GNEP Program would promote technologies that support economic, sustained production of nuclear-generated electricity, while reducing the impacts associated with spent nuclear fuel disposal and reducing proliferation risks. The Department of Energy (DOE) proposed action envisions changing the United States nuclear energy fuel cycle from an open (or once-through) fuel cycle—in which nuclear fuel is used in a power plant one time and the resulting spent nuclear fuel is stored for eventual disposal in a geologic repository—to a closed fuel cycle in which spent nuclear fuel would be recycled to recover energy-bearing components for use in new nuclear fuel. At this time, DOE has no specific proposed actions for the international component of the GNEP Program. Rather, the United States, through the GNEP Program, is considering various initiatives to work cooperatively with other nations. Such initiatives include the development of grid-appropriate reactors and the development of reliable fuel services (to provide an assured supply of fresh nuclear fuel and assist with the management of the used fuel) for nations who agree to employ nuclear energy only for peaceful purposes, such as electricity generation.

Department of Energy Programmatic Spent Nuclear Fuel Management and Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programs, Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Volume 1, Appendix D: Part A, Naval Spent Nuclear Fuel Management

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-06-01

Volume 1 to the Department of Energy`s Programmatic Spent Nuclear Fuel Management and Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Environmental Management Programs Environmental Impact Statement evaluates a range of alternatives for managing naval spent nuclear fuel expected to be removed from US Navy nuclear-powered vessels and prototype reactors through the year 2035. The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) considers a range of alternatives for examining and storing naval spent nuclear fuel, including alternatives that terminate examination and involve storage close to the refueling or defueling site. The EIS covers the potential environmental impacts of each alternative, as well as cost impacts and impacts to the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program mission. This Appendix covers aspects of the alternatives that involve managing naval spent nuclear fuel at four naval shipyards and the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program Kesselring Site in West Milton, New York. This Appendix also covers the impacts of alternatives that involve examining naval spent nuclear fuel at the Expended Core Facility in Idaho and the potential impacts of constructing and operating an inspection facility at any of the Department of Energy (DOE) facilities considered in the EIS. This Appendix also considers the impacts of the alternative involving limited spent nuclear fuel examinations at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. This Appendix does not address the impacts associated with storing naval spent nuclear fuel after it has been inspected and transferred to DOE facilities. These impacts are addressed in separate appendices for each DOE site.

Performance assessment analyses unique to Department of Energy spent nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loo, H.H.; Duguid, J.J.

2000-01-01

This paper describes the iterative process of grouping and performance assessment that has led to the current grouping of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) spent nuclear fuel (SNF). The unique sensitivity analyses that form the basis for incorporating DOE fuel into the total system performance assessment (TSPA) base case model are described. In addition, the chemistry that results from dissolution of DOE fuel and high level waste (HLW) glass in a failed co-disposal package, and the effects of disposal of selected DOE SNF in high integrity cans are presented

Glossary of nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seo, Du Hwan

1987-01-01

This book gives descriptions of explanations of terminologies concerning to nuclear energy such as analysis of financial safety of nuclear energy, radwaste disposal, fast breeder reactor, nuclear reactor and device, nuclear fuel and technique for concentration, using of nuclear energy radiation and measurement, plan for development of nuclear energy and international institution. This book includes 160 terms on nuclear energy and arranges in Korean alphabetical order.

Department of Nuclear Energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

Full text: The activities of Department was engaged in the selected topics in nuclear fission reactor science and engineering. Present and future industry competitiveness, economic prosperity and living standards within the world are strongly dependent on maintaining the availability of energy at reasonable prices and with security of supply. Also, protection of man and the environment from the harmful effects of all uses of energy is an important element of the quality of life especially in Europe. It is unrealistic to assume that the technology for renewable (hydro, wind, solar and biomass) available within a 20-30 year perspective could provide the production capacity to replace present use of nuclear power and at the same time substantially reduce the use of fossil fuels, especially when considering that energy demand in industrialized countries can be expected to continue to increase even within a framework of overall energy conservation and continued improvement of efficiency in energy usage. In the area of nuclear fission, we continue support to maintain and develop the competence needed to ensure the safety of existing and future reactors and other nuclear installations. In addition support is given to explore the potential for improving present fission technology from a sustainable development point of view. The focus on advanced modelling of improved reactor and fuel cycle concepts, including supporting experimental research, with a view to improving the utilisation of the inherent energy content of uranium and other nuclear fuels, whilst at the same time reducing the amount of long-lived radioactive waste produced. A common scientific understanding of the frequently used concept of ''reasonable assurance of safety'' for the long-term, post-closure phase of repositories for spent fuel and high-level waste developed in order to ensure reasonably equivalent legal interpretations in environmental impact assessment and licensing procedures. Also, research is

Quality management of nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-01-01

The Guide presents the quality management requirements to be complied with in the procurement, design, manufacture, transport, receipt, storage, handling and operation of nuclear fuel. The Guide also applies to control rods and shield elements to be placed in the reactor. The Guide is mainly aimed for the licensee responsible for the procurement and operation of fuel, for the fuel designer and manufacturer and for other organisations, whose activities affect fuel quality and the safety of fuel transport, storage and operation. General requirements for nuclear fuel are presented in Section 114 of the Finnish Nuclear Energy Decree and in Section 15 of the Government Decision (395/1991). Regulatory control of the safety of fuel is described in Guides YVL6.1, YVL6.2 and YVL6.3. An overview of the regulatory control of nuclear power plants carried out by STUK (Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, Finland) is clarified in Guide YVL1.1

Nuclear energy national plan. The directions for nuclear energy policy in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-11-01

Nuclear energy is a key attaining an integrated solution for energy security and global warming issues. Under the Framework for Nuclear Energy Policy Japan aims to (1) maintain the 30 to 40% or more share of nuclear energy on electricity generation up to 2030 and afterwards, (2) promote the nuclear fuel cycle and (3) commercialize the fast-breeder reactors. As for policies to realize the basic targets, the 'Nuclear Energy National Plan' was compiled in August 2006 as follows: (1) Investment to construct new nuclear power plants and replace existing reactors in an era of electric power liberalization, 2) Appropriate use of existing nuclear power plants with assuring safety as a key prerequisite, (3) Steady advancement of the nuclear fuel cycle and strategic reinforcement of nuclear fuel cycle industries, (4) Strategy to secure uranium supplied, (5) Early commercialization of the fast breeder reactor cycle, (6) Achieving and developing advanced, technologies, industries and personnel, (7) Assisting the Japanese nuclear industry in promoting the international development, (8) Involved in and/or creating international frameworks to uphold both nonproliferation and expansion of nuclear power generation, (9) Fostering trust between the sates and communities where plants are located by making public hearings and public relations highly detailed and (10) Steady promotion of measures for disposal of radioactive wastes. Implementation policies were presented in details in this book with relevant data and documents. (T. Tanaka)

Development of System Engineering Technology for Nuclear Fuel Cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Hodong; Choi, Iljae

2013-04-01

The development of efficient process for spent fuel and establishment of system engineering technology to demonstrate the process are required to develop nuclear energy continuously. The demonstration of pyroprocess technology which is proliferation resistance nuclear fuel cycle technology can reduce spent fuel and recycle effectively. Through this, people's trust and support on nuclear power would be obtained. Deriving the optimum nuclear fuel cycle alternative would contribute to establish a policy on back-end nuclear fuel cycle in the future, and developing the nuclear transparency-related technology would contribute to establish amendments of the ROK-U. S. Atomic Energy Agreement scheduled in 2014

Report of the international forum on nuclear energy, nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear security. Measures to ensure nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear security for the back end of nuclear fuel cycle and regional cooperation in Asia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tazaki, Makiko; Yamamura, Tsukasa; Suzuki, Mitsutoshi; Kuno, Yusuke; Mochiji, Toshiro

2013-03-01

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) held 'International Forum on Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Non-proliferation and Nuclear Security - Measures to ensure nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear security for the back end of nuclear fuel cycle and regional cooperation in Asia-' on 12 and 13 December 2012, co-hosted by the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA) and School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo. In the forum, keynote speakers from Japan, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the U.S., France and Republic of Korea (ROK), respectively explained their efforts regarding peaceful use of nuclear energy and nuclear non-proliferation. In two panel discussions, entitled 'Measures to ensure nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear security of nuclear fuel cycle back end' and 'Measures to ensure nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear security for nuclear energy use in the Asian region and a multilateral cooperative framework', active discussions were made among panelists from Japan, IAEA, the U.S., France, ROK, Russia and Kazakhstan. This report includes abstracts of keynote speeches, summaries of two panel discussions and materials of the presentations in the forum. The editors take full responsibility for the wording and content of this report except presentation materials. (author)

Sustainable hydrocarbon fuels by recycling CO2 and H2O with renewable or nuclear energy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Graves, Christopher R.; Ebbesen, Sune; Mogensen, Mogens Bjerg

2011-01-01

) and biofuels have received the most attention, similar hydrocarbons can be produced without using fossil fuels or biomass. Using renewable and/or nuclear energy, carbon dioxide and water can be recycled into liquid hydrocarbon fuels in non-biological processes which remove oxygen from CO2 and H2O (the reverse...... of fuel combustion). Capture of CO2 from the atmosphere would enable a closed-loop carbon-neutral fuel cycle. This article critically reviews the many possible technological pathways for recycling CO2 into fuels using renewable or nuclear energy, considering three stages—CO2 capture, H2O and CO2...... by Fischer–Tropsch synthesis is identified as one of the most promising, feasible routes. An analysis of the energy balance and economics of this CO2 recycling process is presented. We estimate that the full system can feasibly operate at 70% electricity-to-liquid fuel efficiency (higher heating value basis...

Nuclear fuel cycle modelling using MESSAGE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guiying Zhang; Dongsheng Niu; Guoliang Xu; Hui Zhang; Jue Li; Lei Cao; Zeqin Guo; Zhichao Wang; Yutong Qiu; Yanming Shi; Gaoliang Li

2017-01-01

In order to demonstrate the possibilities of application of MESSAGE tool for the modelling of a Nuclear Energy System at the national level, one of the possible open nuclear fuel cycle options based on thermal reactors has been modelled using MESSAGE. The steps of the front-end and back-end of nuclear fuel cycle and nuclear reactor operation are described. The optimal structure for Nuclear Power Development and optimal schedule for introducing various reactor technologies and fuel cycle options; infrastructure facilities, nuclear material flows and waste, investments and other costs are demonstrated. (author)

Spent nuclear fuel storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Romanato, Luiz Sergio

2005-01-01

When a country becomes self-sufficient in part of the nuclear cycle, as production of fuel that will be used in nuclear power plants for energy generation, it is necessary to pay attention for the best method of storing the spent fuel. Temporary storage of spent nuclear fuel is a necessary practice and is applied nowadays all over the world, so much in countries that have not been defined their plan for a definitive repository, as well for those that already put in practice such storage form. There are two main aspects that involve the spent fuels: one regarding the spent nuclear fuel storage intended to reprocessing and the other in which the spent fuel will be sent for final deposition when the definitive place is defined, correctly located, appropriately characterized as to several technical aspects, and licentiate. This last aspect can involve decades of studies because of the technical and normative definitions at a given country. In Brazil, the interest is linked with the storage of spent fuels that will not be reprocessed. This work analyses possible types of storage, the international panorama and a proposal for future construction of a spent nuclear fuel temporary storage place in the country. (author)

The nuclear fuel cycle light and shadow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giraud, A.

1977-01-01

The nuclear fuel cycle industry has a far reaching effect on future world energy developments. The growth in turnover of this industry follows a known patterm; by 1985 this turnover will have reached a figure of 2 billion dollars. Furthermore, the fuel cycle plays a determining role in ensuring the physical continuity of energy supplies for countries already engaged in the nuclear domain. Finally, the development of this industry is subject to economic and political constraints which imply the availability of raw materials, technological know-how, and production facilities. Various factors which could have an adverse influence on the cycle: technical, economic, or financial difficulties, environmental impact, nuclear safety, theft or diversion of nuclear materials, nuclear weapon, proliferation risks, are described, and the interaction between the development of the cycle, energy independance, and the fulfillment of nuclear energy programs is emphasized. It is concluded that the nuclear fuel cycle industry is confronted with difficulties due to its extremely rapid growth rate (doubling every 5 years); it is a long time since such a growth rate has been experienced by any heavy industry. The task which lays before us is difficult, but the fruit is worth the toil, as it is the fuel cycle which will govern the growth of the nuclear industry [fr

Assessment and balancing of nuclear fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reinhard, H.

1982-01-01

In 1981 nuclear energy had a share of ca. 17% in the electric power supply of the F.R. of Germany. The amount of nuclear fuels required is equal to ca. 15 million tce. In public technical discussions the economic importance which must be assigned to nuclear energy, e.g. with regard to curbing the energy price development or relieving our balance of payments, is discussed in detail. On the other hand, a number of industrial aspects of nuclear energy utilization - problems of commercial or fiscal law - have been little considered in the technical literature. The following contribution is to present the principles of commercial and fiscal law which have taken shape in connection with the assessment and balancing of the single stages of the nuclear fuel cycle. (orig./UA) [de

Nuclear energy - a professional assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-01-01

The report falls under the headings: the role of the Watt Committee in nuclear energy; supply and demand, and economics of nuclear power; technical means (types of reactor; fuel cycle; nuclear energy for applications other than large-scale electricity generation); availability of resources (nuclear fuel; British industrial capacity; manpower requirements for a British nuclear power programme); environment (environmental issues; disposal of radioactive wastes); balance of risk and advantage in the peaceful use of nuclear energy (proliferation; safety and risk; benefits; public acceptability, awareness, education); summary and general comments. (U.K.)

Nuclear energy - a professional assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1984-01-01

The report falls under the headings: the role of the Watt Committee in nuclear energy; supply and demand, and economics of nuclear power; technical means (types of reactor; fuel cycle; nuclear energy for applications other than large-scale electricity generation); availability of resources (nuclear fuel; British industrial capacity; manpower requirements for a British nuclear power programme); environment (environmental issues; disposal of radioactive wastes); balance of risk and advantage in the peaceful use of nuclear energy (proliferation; safety and risk; benefits; public acceptability, awareness, education); summary and general comments.

Nuclear Fuels & Materials Spotlight Volume 4

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

I. J. van Rooyen,; T. M. Lillo; Y. Q. WU; P.A. Demkowicz; L. Scott; D.M. Scates; E. L. Reber; J. H. Jackson; J. A. Smith; D.L. Cottle; B.H. Rabin; M.R. Tonks; S.B. Biner; Y. Zhang; R.L. Williamson; S.R. Novascone; B.W. Spencer; J.D. Hales; D.R. Gaston; C.J. Permann; D. Anders; S.L. Hayes; P.C. Millett; D. Andersson; C. Stanek; R. Ali; S.L. Garrett; J.E. Daw; J.L. Rempe; J. Palmer; B. Tittmann; B. Reinhardt; G. Kohse; P. Ramuhali; H.T. Chien; T. Unruh; B.M. Chase; D.W. Nigg; G. Imel; J. T. Harris

2014-04-01

As the nation's nuclear energy laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory brings together talented people and specialized nuclear research capability to accomplish our mission. This edition of the Nuclear Fuels and Materials Division Spotlight provides an overview of some of our recent accomplishments in research and capability development. These accomplishments include: • The first identification of silver and palladium migrating through the SiC layer in TRISO fuel • A description of irradiation assisted stress corrosion testing capabilities that support commercial light water reactor life extension • Results of high-temperature safety testing on coated particle fuels irradiated in the ATR • New methods for testing the integrity of irradiated plate-type reactor fuel • Description of a 'Smart Fuel' concept that wirelessly provides real time information about changes in nuclear fuel properties and operating conditions • Development and testing of ultrasonic transducers and real-time flux sensors for use inside reactor cores, and • An example of a capsule irradiation test. Throughout Spotlight, you'll find examples of productive partnerships with academia, industry, and government agencies that deliver high-impact outcomes. The work conducted at Idaho National Laboratory helps to spur innovation in nuclear energy applications that drive economic growth and energy security. We appreciate your interest in our work here at INL, and hope that you find this issue informative.

National Policy on Nuclear Fuel Cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soedyartomo, S.

1996-01-01

National policy on nuclear fuel cycle is aimed at attaining the expected condition, i.e. being able to support optimality the national energy policy and other related Government policies taking into account current domestic nuclear fuel cycle condition and the trend of international nuclear fuel cycle development, the national strength, weakness, thread and opportunity in the field of energy. This policy has to be followed by the strategy to accomplish covering the optimization of domestic efforts, cooperation with other countries, and or purchasing licences. These policy and strategy have to be broken down into various nuclear fuel cycle programmes covering basically assesment of the whole cycle, performing research and development of the whole cycle without enrichment and reprocessing being able for weapon, as well as programmes for industrialization of the fuel cycle stepwisery commencing with the middle part of the cycle and ending with the edge of the back-end of the cycle

Nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hesketh, Ross.

1985-01-01

The subject is treated under the headings: nuclear energy -what is it; fusion (principles; practice); fission (principles); reactor types and systems (fast (neutron) reactors as breeders; fast reactors; thermal reactors; graphite-moderated thermal reactors; the CANDU reactor; light water reactors - the BWR and the PWR); the nuclear fuel cycle (waste storage; fuel element manufacture; enrichment processes; uranium mining); safety and risk assessment; the nuclear power industry and the economy (regulating authorities; economics; advantages and disadvantages). (U.K.)

The nuclear energy outlook--a new book from the OECD nuclear energy agency.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshimura, Uichiro

2011-01-01

This paper summarizes the key points of a report titled Nuclear Energy Outlook, published in 2008 by the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which has 30 member nations. The report discusses the commitment of many nations to increase nuclear power generating capacity and the potential rate of building new electricity-generating nuclear plants by 2030 to 2050. The resulting decrease in carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel combustion resulting from an increase in nuclear power sources is described. Other topics that are discussed include the need to develop non-proliferative nuclear fuels, the importance of developing geological disposal facilities or reprocessing capabilities for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste materials, and the requirements for a larger nuclear workforce and greater cost competitiveness for nuclear power generation. Copyright © 2010 Health Physics Society

Nuclear energy data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

This new edition of Nuclear Energy Data, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency's annual compilation of essential statistics on nuclear energy in OECD countries, offers additional textual and graphical information as compared with previous editions. It provides the reader with a comprehensive but easy-to-access overview on the status of and trends in the nuclear power and fuel cycle sector. This publication is an authoritative information source of interest to policy makers, experts and academics involved in the nuclear energy field. (authors)

Nuclear energy data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

This new edition of Nuclear Energy Data, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency's annual compilation of essential statistics on nuclear energy in OECD countries, offers additional textual and graphical information as compared with previous editions. It provides the reader with a comprehensive but easy-to-access overview on the status of and trends in the nuclear power and fuel cycle sector. This publication is an authoritative information source of interest to policy makers, experts and academics involved in the nuclear energy field. (author)

Status report: conceptual fuel cycle studies for the Hanford Nuclear Energy Center

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merrill, E.T.; Fleischman, R.M.

1975-07-01

A summary is presented of the current status of studies to determine the logistics of onsite plutonium recycle and the timing involved in introducing the associated reprocessing and fabrication fuel cycle facilities at the Hanford Nuclear Energy Center

Nonproliferation norms in civilian nuclear fuel cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawata, Tomio

2005-01-01

For sustainable use of nuclear energy in large scale, it seems inevitable to choose a closed cycle option. One of the important questions is, then, whether we can really achieve the compatibility between civilian nuclear fuel cycle and nonproliferation norms. In this aspect, Japan is very unique because she is now only one country with full-scope nuclear fuel cycle program as a non-nuclear weapon state in NPT regime. In June 2004 in the midst of heightened proliferation concerns in NPT regime, the IAEA Board of Governors concluded that, for Japanese nuclear energy program, non-diversion of declared nuclear material and the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities were verified through the inspections and examinations under Comprehensive Safeguards and the Additional Protocol. Based on this conclusion, the IAEA announced the implementation of Integrated Safeguards in Japan in September 2004. This paper reviews how Japan has succeeded in becoming the first country with full-scope nuclear fuel cycle program to qualify for integrated Safeguards, and identifies five key elements that have made this achievement happen: (1) Obvious need of nuclear fuel cycle program, (2) Country's clear intention for renunciation of nuclear armament, (3) Transparency of national nuclear energy program, (4) Record of excellent compliance with nonproliferation obligations for many decades, and (5) Numerous proactive efforts. These five key elements will constitute a kind of an acceptance model for civilian nuclear fuel cycle in NNWS, and may become the basis for building 'Nonproliferation Culture'. (author)

Hydrogen Production from Nuclear Energy

Science.gov (United States)

Walters, Leon; Wade, Dave

2003-07-01

During the past decade the interest in hydrogen as transportation fuel has greatly escalated. This heighten interest is partly related to concerns surrounding local and regional air pollution from the combustion of fossil fuels along with carbon dioxide emissions adding to the enhanced greenhouse effect. More recently there has been a great sensitivity to the vulnerability of our oil supply. Thus, energy security and environmental concerns have driven the interest in hydrogen as the clean and secure alternative to fossil fuels. Remarkable advances in fuel-cell technology have made hydrogen fueled transportation a near-term possibility. However, copious quantities of hydrogen must be generated in a manner independent of fossil fuels if environmental benefits and energy security are to be achieved. The renewable technologies, wind, solar, and geothermal, although important contributors, simply do not comprise the energy density required to deliver enough hydrogen to displace much of the fossil transportation fuels. Nuclear energy is the only primary energy source that can generate enough hydrogen in an energy secure and environmentally benign fashion. Methods of production of hydrogen from nuclear energy, the relative cost of hydrogen, and possible transition schemes to a nuclear-hydrogen economy will be presented.

Nuclear fuel cycle and legal regulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimoyama, Shunji; Kaneko, Koji.

1980-01-01

Nuclear fuel cycle is regulated as a whole in Japan by the law concerning regulation of nuclear raw materials, nuclear fuel materials and reactors (hereafter referred to as ''the law concerning regulation of reactors''), which was published in 1957, and has been amended 13 times. The law seeks to limit the use of atomic energy to peaceful objects, and nuclear fuel materials are controlled centering on the regulation of enterprises which employ nuclear fuel materials, namely regulating each enterprise. While the permission and report of uses are necessary for the employment of nuclear materials under Article 52 and 61 of the law concerning regulation of reactors, the permission provisions are not applied to three kinds of enterprises of refining, processing and reprocessing and the persons who install reactors as the exceptions in Article 52, when nuclear materials are used for the objects of the enterprises themselves. The enterprises of refining, processing and reprocessing and the persons who install reactors are stipulated respectively in the law. Accordingly the nuclear material regulations are applied only to the users of small quantity of such materials, namely universities, research institutes and hospitals. The nuclear fuel materials used in Japan which are imported under international contracts including the nuclear energy agreements between two countries are mostly covered by the security measures of IAEA as internationally controlled substances. (Okada, K.)

Energy Outlook and Nuclear Energy in China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Mooneon; Kang, Jun-young; Song, Kiwon; Park, Hyun Sun; Park, Chang Kue [Pohang university of science and technology, Pohang (Korea, Republic of)

2015-05-15

China receives attention from the whole world as not only have they become a country spending the most energy in the world, but also the amount of energy they need is still increasing. Consequently, many problems related to environmental pollution have occurred in China. Recently, China agreed to reduce carbon emission in order to deal with this issue. Therefore, they need to find energy sources other than fossil fuel; the nuclear energy could be an alternative. In addition, it is considered to be a base load owing to its low fuel cost and continuation of electricity generation. In reality, the Chinese government is planning to build about 400 Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) up to 2050. Therefore, it is expected that China will become a giant market in the nuclear industry. It could give us either chances to join the huge market or challenges to meet not merely nuclear fuel price crisis but competitors from China in the world nuclear power plant market. In any case, it is obvious that the energy policy of China would influence us significantly. Accordingly, we need appropriate prediction of the Chinese nuclear industry to cope with the challenges.

IAEA activities on nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basak, U.

2011-01-01

In this paper a brief description and the main objectives of IAEA Programme B on Nuclear fuel cycle are given. The following Coordinated Research Projects: 1) FUel performance at high burn-up and in ageing plant by management and optimisation of WAter Chemistry Technologies (FUWAC ); 2) Near Term and Promising Long Term Options for Deployment of Thorium Based Nuclear Energy; 3) Fuel Modelling (FUMEX-III) are shortly described. The data collected by the IAEA Expert Group of Fuel Failures in Water Cooled Reactors including information about fuel failure cause for PWR (1994-2006) and failure mechanisms for BWR fuel (1994-2006) are shown. The just published Fuel Failure Handbook as well as preparation of a Monograph on Zirconium including an overview of Zirconium for nuclear applications are presented. The current projects in Sub-programme B2 - Power Reactor Fuel Engineering are also listed

Spent nuclear fuel storage - Basic concept

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krempel, Ascanio; Santos, Cicero D. Pacifici dos; Sato, Heitor Hitoshi; Magalhaes, Leonardo de

2009-01-01

According to the procedures adopted in others countries in the world, the spent nuclear fuel elements burned to produce electrical energy in the Brazilian Nuclear Power Plant of Angra do Reis, Central Nuclear Almirante Alvaro Alberto - CNAAA will be stored for a long time. Such procedure will allow the next generation to decide how they will handle those materials. In the future, the reprocessing of the nuclear fuel assemblies could be a good solution in order to have additional energy resource and also to decrease the volume of discarded materials. This decision will be done in the future according to the new studies and investigations that are being studied around the world. The present proposal to handle the nuclear spent fuel is to storage it for a long period of time, under institutional control. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to introduce a proposal of a basic concept of spent fuel storage, which involves the construction of a new storage building at site, in order to increase the present storage capacity of spent fuel assemblies in CNAAA installation; the concept of the spent fuel transportation casks that will transfer the spent fuel assemblies from the power plants to the Spent Fuel Complementary Storage Building and later on from this building to the Long Term Intermediate Storage of Spent Fuel; the concept of the spent fuel canister and finally the basic concept of the spent fuel long term storage. (author)

242mAm Fueled Nuclear Battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yigal Ronen, Y.; Hatav, A.; Hazenshprung, N.

2004-01-01

A nuclear battery based on a direct energy conversion of the fission products is presented. The principal behind direct-charging or direct-conversion [1] is based on the direct conversion of fission product energy into electrical energy, using a high voltage potential. The kinetic energy of the fission products is thus converted to potential energy and the charges collected in the conductive electrodes create an electrical current. High-power nuclear batteries are important due to the fact that they have almost no moving parts. As a result, maintenance problems (especially important in outer space) are considerably reduced. Such energy conversion is possible by using a nuclear reactor with ultra-thin fuel elements of 0.2 m of 242m Am. The amount of nuclear fuel is 376g and the dimensions of the battery are 2.4*2.4*2.4m (including the vacuum spacing), with a BeO moderator and Be electrodes. The total power of the reactor is 10.6 MW and the electrical power is 0.672 MW. The reactor is composed of 242m Am as a nuclear fuel with a thickness of 0.2μm and a moderator of 4 cm of BeO and two 0.5 cm thickness electrodes of Be, as presented in Fig. 1. The moderator-to-fuel-volume ratio is V m /V f = 250000. The infinite multiplication factor for this design is [2] k ∞ = 1.8

International nuclear fuel cycle evaluation (INFCE)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlupp, C.

1986-07-01

The study describes and analyzes the structures, the procedures and decision making processes of the International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation (INFCE). INFCE was agreed by the Organizing Conference to be a technical and analytical study and not a negotiation. The results were to be transmitted to governments for their consideration in developing their nuclear energy policies and in international discussions concerning nuclear energy cooperation and related controls and safeguards. Thus INFCE provided a unique example for decision making by consensus in the nuclear world. It was carried through under mutual respect for each country's choices and decisions, without jeopardizing their respective fuel cycle policies or international co-operation agreements and contracts for the peaceful use of nuclear energy, provided that agreed safeguards are applied. (orig.)

Development of Nuclear Energy Security Code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimamura, Takehisa; Suzuki, Atsuyuki; Okubo, Hiroo; Kikuchi, Masahiro.

1990-01-01

In establishing of the nuclear fuel cycle in Japan that have a vulnerability in own energy structure, an effectiveness of energy security should be taken into account as well as an economy based on the balance of supply and demand of nuclear fuels. NMCC develops the 'Nuclear Energy Security Code' which was able to evaluate the effectiveness of energy security. Evaluation method adopted in this code is 'Import Premium' which was proposed in 'World Oil', EMF Report 6. The viewpoints of evaluation are as follows: 1. How much uranium fuel quantity can be reduced by using plutonium fuel? 2. How much a sudden rise of fuel cost can be absorbed by establishing the plutonium cycle beforehand the energy crisis? (author)

Critical review of nuclear fuel cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuster, N.

1996-01-01

Transmutation of long-lived radionuclides is considered as an alternative to the in-depth disposal of spent nuclear fuel, in particular, on the final stage of the nuclear fuel cycle. The majority of conclusions is the result of the common work of the Karlsruhe FZK and the Commissariat on nuclear energy of France (CEA)

Nuclear Energy Data - 2017

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-01-01

Nuclear Energy Data is the Nuclear Energy Agency's annual compilation of statistics and country reports documenting nuclear power status in NEA member countries and in the OECD area. Information provided by governments includes statistics on total electricity produced by all sources and by nuclear power, fuel cycle capacities and requirements, and projections to 2035, where available. Country reports summarise energy policies, updates of the status in nuclear energy programs and fuel cycle developments. In 2016, nuclear power continued to supply significant amounts of low-carbon baseload electricity, despite strong competition from low-cost fossil fuels and subsidised renewable energy sources. Three new units were connected to the grid in 2016, in Korea, Russia and the United States. In Japan, an additional three reactors returned to operation in 2016, bringing the total to five under the new regulatory regime. Three reactors were officially shut down in 2016 - one in Japan, one in Russia and one in the United States. Governments committed to having nuclear power in the energy mix advanced plans for developing or increasing nuclear generating capacity, with the preparation of new build projects making progress in Finland, Hungary, Turkey and the United Kingdom. Further details on these and other developments are provided in the publication's numerous tables, graphs and country reports

Nuclear energy and renewable energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

The nuclear energy and the renewable energies namely: solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy and biomass are complementary. They are not polluting and they are expected to develop in the future to replace the fossil fuels

Advances in nuclear fuel technology. 3. Development of advanced nuclear fuel recycle systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arie, Kazuo; Abe, Tomoyuki; Arai, Yasuo

2002-01-01

Fast breeder reactor (FBR) cycle technology has a technical characteristics flexibly easy to apply to diverse fuel compositions such as plutonium, minor actinides, and so on and fuel configurations. By using this characteristics, various feasibilities on effective application of uranium resources based on breeding of uranium of plutonium for original mission of FBR, contribution to radioactive wastes problems based on amounts reduction of transuranium elements (TRU) in high level radioactive wastes, upgrading of nuclear diffusion resistance, extremely upgrading of economical efficiency, and so on. In this paper, were introduced from these viewpoints, on practice strategy survey study on FBR cycle performed by cooperation of the Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC) with electric business companies and so on, and on technical development on advanced nuclear fuel recycle systems carried out at the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, and so on. Here were explained under a vision on new type of fuels such as nitride fuels, metal fuels, and so on as well as oxide fuels, a new recycle system making possible to use actinides except uranium and plutonium, an 'advanced nuclear fuel cycle technology', containing improvement of conventional wet Purex method reprocessing technology, fuel manufacturing technology, and so on. (G.K.)

Analysis of Russian transition scenarios to innovative nuclear energy system based on thermal and fast reactors with closed nuclear fuel cycle using INPRO methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kagramanyan, V.S.; Poplavskaya, E.V.; Korobeynikov, V.V.; Kalashnikov, A.G.; Moseev, A.L.; Korobitsyn, V.E.; Andreeva-Andrievskaya, L.N.

2011-01-01

This paper presents the results of the analysis of modeling of Russian nuclear energy (NE) scenarios on the basis of thermal and fast reactors with closed nuclear fuel cycle (NFC). Modeling has been carried out with use of CYCLE code (SSC RF IPPE's tool) designed for analysis of Nuclear Energy System (NES) with closed NFC taking into account plutonium and minor actinides (MA) isotopic composition change during multi-recycling of fuel in fast reactors. When considering fast reactor introduction scenarios, one of important questions is to define optimal time for their introduction and related NFC's facilities. Analysis of the results obtained has been fulfilled using the key INPRO indicators for sustainable energy development. It was shown that a delay in fast reactor introduction led to serious ecological, social and finally economic risks for providing energy security and sustainable development of Russia in long-term prospects and loss of knowledge and experience in mastering innovative technologies of fast reactors and related nuclear fuel cycle. (author)

Nuclear energy data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

Nuclear Energy Data is the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency's annual compilation of basic statistics on electricity generation and nuclear power in OECD countries. The reader will find quick and easy reference to the present status of and projected trends in total electricity generating capacity, nuclear generating capacity, and actual electricity production as well as on supply and demand for nuclear fuel cycle services [fr

Nuclear energy and the nuclear industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1979-01-01

These notes have been prepared by the Department of Energy to provide information and to answer questions often raised about nuclear energy and the nuclear industry and in the hope that they will contribute to the public debate about the future of nuclear energy in the UK. The subject is dealt with under the headings; contribution of nuclear power, energy forecasts, nuclear fuels and reactor types, cost, thermal reactor strategy, planning margin, safety, nuclear licensing, unlike an atomic bomb, radiation, waste disposal, transport of nuclear materials, emergency arrangements at nuclear sites, siting of nuclear stations, security of nuclear installations, world nuclear programmes, international regulation and non-proliferation, IAEA safeguards arrangements in the UK, INFCE, and uranium supplies. (U.K.)

Nuclear energy data 2010

CERN Document Server

2010-01-01

This 2010 edition of Nuclear Energy Data , the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency's annual compilation of official statistics and country reports on nuclear energy, provides key information on plans for new nuclear plant construction, nuclear fuel cycle developments as well as current and projected nuclear generating capacity to 2035 in OECD member countries. This comprehensive overview provides authoritative information for policy makers, experts and other interested stakeholders.

Nuclear power, nuclear fuel cycle and waste management, 1986-1999. International Atomic Energy Agency publications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-04-01

This catalogue lists all sales publications of the International Atomic Energy Agency dealing with nuclear power and nuclear fuel cycle and waste management and issued during the period of 1986-1999. Some earlier titles which form part of an established series or are still considered of importance have been included. Most publications are in English. Proceedings of conferences, symposia and panels of experts may contain papers in languages other than English, but all of these papers have abstracts in English

Energy Frontier Research Center, Center for Materials Science of Nuclear Fuels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Todd R. Allen

2011-12-01

This is a document required by Basic Energy Sciences as part of a mid-term review, in the third year of the five-year award period and is intended to provide a critical assessment of the Center for Materials Science of Nuclear Fuels (strategic vision, scientific plans and progress, and technical accomplishments).

Prospective thorium fuels for future nuclear energy generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lainetti, Paulo E.O.

2017-01-01

In the beginning of the Nuclear Era, many countries were interested on thorium, particularly during the 1950 1970 periods. Nevertheless, since its discovery almost two centuries ago, the use of thorium has been restricted to gas mantles employed in gas lighting. The future world energy needs will increase and, even if we assumed a conservative contribution of nuclear generation, it will be occur a significant increasing in the uranium prices, taking into account that uranium, as used in the present thermal reactors, is a finite resource. Nowadays approximately the worldwide yearly requirement of uranium for about 435 nuclear reactors in operation is 65,000 metric t. Therefore, alternative solutions for future must be developed. Thorium is nearly three times more abundant than uranium in The Earth's crust. Despite thorium is not a fissile material, 232 Th can be converted to 233 U (fissile) more efficiently than 238 U to 239 Pu. Besides this, thorium is an environment alternative energy source and also inherently resistant to proliferation.. Many countries had initiated research on thorium in the past, Nevertheless, the interest evanesced due new uranium resources discoveries and availability of enriched uranium at low prices from obsolete weapons. Some papers evaluate the thorium resources in Brazil over 1.200.000 metric t. Then, the thorium alternative must be seriously considered in Brazil for strategic reasons. A brief history of thorium and its utilization are presented, besides a very short discussion about prospective thorium nuclear fuels for the next generation of nuclear reactors. (author)

Prospective thorium fuels for future nuclear energy generation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lainetti, Paulo E.O., E-mail: lainetti@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2017-07-01

In the beginning of the Nuclear Era, many countries were interested on thorium, particularly during the 1950 1970 periods. Nevertheless, since its discovery almost two centuries ago, the use of thorium has been restricted to gas mantles employed in gas lighting. The future world energy needs will increase and, even if we assumed a conservative contribution of nuclear generation, it will be occur a significant increasing in the uranium prices, taking into account that uranium, as used in the present thermal reactors, is a finite resource. Nowadays approximately the worldwide yearly requirement of uranium for about 435 nuclear reactors in operation is 65,000 metric t. Therefore, alternative solutions for future must be developed. Thorium is nearly three times more abundant than uranium in The Earth's crust. Despite thorium is not a fissile material, {sup 232}Th can be converted to {sup 233}U (fissile) more efficiently than {sup 238}U to {sup 239}Pu. Besides this, thorium is an environment alternative energy source and also inherently resistant to proliferation.. Many countries had initiated research on thorium in the past, Nevertheless, the interest evanesced due new uranium resources discoveries and availability of enriched uranium at low prices from obsolete weapons. Some papers evaluate the thorium resources in Brazil over 1.200.000 metric t. Then, the thorium alternative must be seriously considered in Brazil for strategic reasons. A brief history of thorium and its utilization are presented, besides a very short discussion about prospective thorium nuclear fuels for the next generation of nuclear reactors. (author)

Nuclear energy: a sensible alternative

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ott, K.O.; Spinrad, B.I.

1985-01-01

This book presents information on energy futures; energy demand, energy supplies; exclusive paths and difficult choices--hard, soft, and moderate energy paths; an energy-deficient society; energy shortages; economics of light-water reactors; fast breeder reactor economics; international cooperation in the nuclear field; nuclear recycling; alternative fuels, fuel cycles, and reactors; the nuclear weapons proliferation issue; paths to a world with more reliable nuclear safeguards; the homemade bomb issue; LWR risk assessment; accident analysis and risk assessment; the waste disposal risk; radon problems; risks in our society; health effects of low-level radiation; routine releases of radioactivity from the nuclear industry; low-level radioactivity and infant mortality; the myth of plutonium toxicity; myths about high-level radioactive waste; the aging reactor myth; the police state myth; insurance and nuclear power--the Price-Anderson Act; and solar and nuclear power as partners

The IFR modern nuclear fuel cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hannum, W.H.

1991-01-01

Nuclear power is an essential component of the world's energy supply. The IFR program, by returning to fundamentals, offers a fresh approach to closing the nuclear fuel cycle. This closed fuel cycle represents the ultimate in efficient resource utilization and environmental accountability. 35 refs., 2 tabs

Material input of nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rissanen, S.; Tarjanne, R.

2001-01-01

The Material Input (MI) of nuclear fuel, expressed in terms of the total amount of natural material needed for manufacturing a product, is examined. The suitability of the MI method for assessing the environmental impacts of fuels is also discussed. Material input is expressed as a Material Input Coefficient (MIC), equalling to the total mass of natural material divided by the mass of the completed product. The material input coefficient is, however, only an intermediate result, which should not be used as such for the comparison of different fuels, because the energy contents of nuclear fuel is about 100 000-fold compared to the energy contents of fossil fuels. As a final result, the material input is expressed in proportion to the amount of generated electricity, which is called MIPS (Material Input Per Service unit). Material input is a simplified and commensurable indicator for the use of natural material, but because it does not take into account the harmfulness of materials or the way how the residual material is processed, it does not alone express the amount of environmental impacts. The examination of the mere amount does not differentiate between for example coal, natural gas or waste rock containing usually just sand. Natural gas is, however, substantially more harmful for the ecosystem than sand. Therefore, other methods should also be used to consider the environmental load of a product. The material input coefficient of nuclear fuel is calculated using data from different types of mines. The calculations are made among other things by using the data of an open pit mine (Key Lake, Canada), an underground mine (McArthur River, Canada) and a by-product mine (Olympic Dam, Australia). Furthermore, the coefficient is calculated for nuclear fuel corresponding to the nuclear fuel supply of Teollisuuden Voima (TVO) company in 2001. Because there is some uncertainty in the initial data, the inaccuracy of the final results can be even 20-50 per cent. The value

Nuclear power - an inland energy source, in a way. Nuclear electricity generation permits a balanced energy mix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalthoff, B.

1997-01-01

The primary energy demand of Germany currently is met to more than 50 per cent by imports of crude oil, natural gas and coal, with crude oil imports representing by far the largest quota, due to minor inland resources. Nuclear power is the energy source that reduces the country's dependence on imports, so that, also thanks to the nuclear energy source, oil consumption in Germany could be cut back to half in the years from 1970 until 1995. Although nuclear fuels have to be imported, too, uranium resources are plenty, and fuel supplies in the nuclear fuel cycle are guaranteed, so that this energy source can be considered as a quasi inland energy source. (orig.) [de

Potential information requirements for spent nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Disbrow, J.A.

1991-01-01

This paper reports that the Energy Information Administration (EIA) has performed analyses of the requirements for data and information for the management of commercial spent nuclear fuel (SNF) designated for disposal under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA). Subsequently, the EIA collected data on the amounts and characteristics of SNF stored at commercial nuclear facilities. Most recently, the EIA performed an analysis of the international and domestic laws and regulations which have been established to ensure the safeguarding, accountability, and safe management of special nuclear materials (SNM). The SNM of interest are those designated for permanent disposal by the NWPA. This analysis was performed to determine what data and information may be needed to fulfill the specific accountability responsibilities of the Department of Energy (DOE) related to SNF handling, transportation, storage and disposal; to work toward achieving a consistency between nuclear fuel assembly identifiers and material weights as reported by the various responsible parties; and to assist in the revision of the Nuclear Fuel Data Form RW-859 used to obtain spent nuclear fuel characteristics data from the nuclear utilities

International cooperation in supply of nuclear fuel and fuel cycle services

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sievering, N.F. Jr.

1977-01-01

In the face of costlier, decreasingly available oil and a desire to achieve a higher degree of self-sufficiency, nuclear power has become an increasingly important ingredient in the mix of energy options looked to by a growing number of industrialized and developing states. One of the central concerns of states that are placing greater reliance on nuclear energy is the assurance that adequate nuclear fuels will be available on a timely basis and on economically acceptable terms. Greater emphasis on nuclear energy and on self-sufficiency entails greater potential risks as sensitive facilities and technologies associated with the nuclear fuel cycle threaten to proliferate. This paper explores the juxtaposition of the spread of nuclear technology and facilities in support of legitimate desires to achieve greater energy self-sufficiency and economic and social progress, on the one hand, and the implications of widely disseminated nuclear fuel cycle capacity for the objective of non-proliferation, on the other hand. It examines the recent evolution of nuclear fuel cycle activities including the scope of cooperation both among nuclear supplier states and between supplier and non-supplier states; explores the arenas in which common efforts are, can and should be undertaken (e.g., in terms of the nuclear resource base, the provision of essential services such as enrichment, and the management of nuclear waste), and identifies means by which national aspirations and international security concerns can be effectively accommodated. Particular attention is given to the methods by which the dissemination of sensitive technologies at facilities can be controlled without sacrificing the legitimate interests of any state, as well as to methods by which controls over potentially dangerous materials such as plutonium can be strengthened. The paper concludes that there are significant opportunities to achieve a high degree of international cooperation in the arena of fuel cycle

On the nuclear fuel and fossil fuel reserves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fettweis, G.

1978-01-01

A short discussion of the nuclear fuel and fossil fuel reserves and the connected problem of prices evolution is presented. The need to regard fuel production under an economic aspect is emphasized. Data about known and assessed fuel reserves, world-wide and with special consideration of Austria, are reviewed. It is concluded that in view of the fuel reserves situation an energy policy which allows for a maximum of options seems adequate. (G.G.)

Nuclear energy data 2005

CERN Document Server

Publishing, OECD

2005-01-01

This 2005 edition of Nuclear Energy Data, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency's annual compilation of essential statistics on nuclear energy in OECD countries, offers a projection horizon lengthened to 2025 for the first time.  It presents the reader with a comprehensive overview on the status and trends in nuclear electricity generation in OECD countries and in the various sectors of the nuclear fuel cycle.

Nuclear policies: fuel without the bomb

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wohlstetter, A.; Gilinsky, V.; Gillette, R.; Wohlstetter, R.

1978-01-01

The essays, developed from studies conducted by the California seminar on arms control and foreign policy, address technical, political, and economic aspects of nonproliferation. How to halt nuclear proliferation commands worldwide attention today. The search for new energy resources by industrial as well as nonindustral nations has led to the spread of nuclear technology and the production of weapons grade fuel materials such as plutonium and enriched uranium in the name of energy independence. The background and consequences of this growing danger and possible solutions to it are the substance of the essays. Conceding the desirability (if not necessity) of developing nuclear power as an energy source, the writers focus on the different reactor technologies; an historical perspective of proliferation through the example of India; the rationales for stringent international monitoring; and finally, the link between proliferation and the spread of nuclear weapons. The chapters are: Nuclear technology: essential elements for decisionmakers, Robert Gillette; Must we decide now for worldwide commerce in plutonium fuel, Albert Wohlstetter; US peaceful aid and the Indian bomb, Roberta Wohlstetter; International discipline over the uses of nuclear energy, Victor Gilinsky; and Nuclear energy and the proliferation of nuclear weapons, Victor Gilinsky

International Summer School on Nuclear Fuel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-07-01

In cooperation with the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), the Halden Reactor Project organised a Summer School on nuclear fuel in the period August 28 September 1, 2000. The summer school was primarily intended for people who wanted to become acquainted with fuel-related subjects and issues without being experts. It was especially hoped that the summer school would serve to transfer knowledge to the ''young generation'' in the field of nuclear fuel. Experts from Halden Project member organisations gave the following presentations: (1) Overview of the nuclear community, (2) Criteria for safe operation and design of nuclear fuel, (3) Fuel design and fabrication, (4) Cladding Manufacturing, (5) Overview of the Halden Reactor Project, (6) Fuel performance evaluation and modelling, (7) Fission gas release, and (8) Cladding issues. Except for the Overview, which is a written paper, the other contributions are overhead figures from spoken lectures.

Nuclear Fusion Fuel Cycle Research Perspectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, Hongsuk; Koo, Daeseo; Park, Jongcheol; Kim, Yeanjin; Yun, Sei-Hun

2015-01-01

As a part of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) Project, we at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) and our National Fusion Research Institute (NFRI) colleagues are investigating nuclear fusion fuel cycle hardware including a nuclear fusion fuel Storage and Delivery System (SDS). To have a better knowledge of the nuclear fusion fuel cycle, we present our research efforts not only on SDS but also on the Fuel Supply System (FS), Tokamak Exhaust Processing System (TEP), Isotope Separation System (ISS), and Detritiation System (DS). To have better knowledge of the nuclear fusion fuel cycle, we presented our research efforts not only on SDS but also on the Fuel Supply System (FS), Tokamak Exhaust Processing System (TEP), Isotope Separation System (ISS), and Detritiation System (DS). Our efforts to enhance the tritium confinement will be continued for the development of cleaner nuclear fusion power plants

Romanian nuclear fuel cycle development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rapeanu, S.N.; Comsa, Olivia

1998-01-01

Romanian decision to introduce nuclear power was based on the evaluation of electricity demand and supply as well as a domestic resources assessment. The option was the introduction of CANDU-PHWR through a license agreement with AECL Canada. The major factors in this choice have been the need of diversifying the energy resources, the improvement the national industry and the independence of foreign suppliers. Romanian Nuclear Power Program envisaged a large national participation in Cernavoda NPP completion, in the development of nuclear fuel cycle facilities and horizontal industry, in R and D and human resources. As consequence, important support was being given to development of industries involved in Nuclear Fuel Cycle and manufacturing of equipment and nuclear materials based on technology transfer, implementation of advanced design execution standards, QA procedures and current nuclear safety requirements at international level. Unit 1 of the first Romanian nuclear power plant, Cernavoda NPP with a final profile 5x700 Mw e, is now in operation and its production represents 10% of all national electricity production. There were also developed all stages of FRONT END of Nuclear Fuel Cycle as well as programs for spent fuel and waste management. Industrial facilities for uranian production, U 3 O 8 concentrate, UO 2 powder and CANDU fuel bundles, as well as heavy water plant, supply the required fuel and heavy water for Cernavoda NPP. The paper presents the Romanian activities in Nuclear Fuel Cycle and waste management fields. (authors)

Energy strategies and nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hafele, W.

1983-01-01

The results of two quantitative scenarios balancing global energy supply with demand for the period 1980-2030 are reviewed briefly. The results suggest that during these 50 years there will be a persistent demand worldwide for liquid fuels, a continuing reliance on ever more expensive and ''dirty'' fossil fuels, and a limited penetration rate of nuclear generated electricity into the energy market. The paper therefore addresses a possible ''second'' grid driven by nuclear heat - a grid based not on electricity but on ''clean'' liquid fuels manufactured from gaseous and solid fossil fuels using nuclear power. Such a second grid would be an important complement to the electricity grid if the world is to progress towards a truly sustainable energy system after 2030

The IFR modern nuclear fuel cycle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hannum, W.H.

1991-01-01

Nuclear power is an essential component of the world's energy supply. The IFR program, by returning to fundamentals, offers a fresh approach to closing the nuclear fuel cycle. This closed fuel cycle represents the ultimate in efficient resource utilization and environmental accountability. 35 refs., 2 tabs.

DOE not planning to accept spent nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1995-01-01

Samuel K. Skinner, president of Commonwealth Edison Co. (ComEd), said open-quotes The federal government has a clear responsibility to begin accepting spent nuclear fuel in 1988,close quotes citing the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Based in Chicago, ComEd operates 12 nuclear units, making it the nation's largest nuclear utility. open-quotes Since 1983, the consumers who use electricity produced at all nuclear power plants have been paying to fund federal management of spent nuclear fuel. Consumer payments and obligations, with interest, now total more than $10 billion. Electricity consumers have held up their side of the deal. The federal government must do the same,close quotes Skinner added. Skinner represented the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) before the committee. NEI is the Washington-based trade association of the nuclear energy industries. For more than 12 years, utility customers have been paying one-tenth of a cent per kWhr to fund a federal spent fuel management program under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982. Under this act, the federal government assumed responsibility for management of spent fuel from the nation's nuclear power plants. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) was assigned to manage the storage and disposal program. DOE committed to begin accepting spent fuel from nuclear power plants by January 31, 1988. DOE has spent almost $5 million studying a site in Nevada, but is about 12 years behind schedule and does not plan to accept spent fuel beginning in 1998. DOE has said a permanent storage site will not be ready until 2010. This poses a major problem for many of the nation's nuclear power plants which supply about 20% of the electricity in the US

Nuclear fuel behavior activities at the OECD/NEA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-12-01

The work programme regarding nuclear fuel behavior issues at OECD/NEA is carried out in two sections. The Nuclear Science and Data Bank Division deals with basic phenomena in fuel behavior under normal operating conditions, while the Safety Division concentrates upon regulation and safety issues in fuel behavior. A new task force addressing these latter issues has been set up and will produce a report providing recommendations in this field. The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency jointly with the International Atomic Energy Agency established an International Fuel Performance Experiments Database which is operated by the NEA Data Bank. (author). 1 tab.

Nuclear fuel behavior activities at the OECD/NEA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-01-01

The work programme regarding nuclear fuel behavior issues at OECD/NEA is carried out in two sections. The Nuclear Science and Data Bank Division deals with basic phenomena in fuel behavior under normal operating conditions, while the Safety Division concentrates upon regulation and safety issues in fuel behavior. A new task force addressing these latter issues has been set up and will produce a report providing recommendations in this field. The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency jointly with the International Atomic Energy Agency established an International Fuel Performance Experiments Database which is operated by the NEA Data Bank. (author). 1 tab

Review of nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mattila, L.; Anttila, M.; Pirilae, P.; Vuori, S.

1997-05-01

The report is an overview on the production of the nuclear energy all over the world. The amount of production at present and in future, availability of the nuclear fuel, development of nuclear technology, environmental and safety issues, radioactive waste management and commissioning of the plants and also the competitivity of nuclear energy compared with other energy forms are considered. (91 refs.)

Governmental interventions in the energy market. Study of the Dutch level playing field for fossil fuels, renewable sources, nuclear energy and energy conservation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Visser, E.; Winkel, T.; De Jager, D.; De Vos, R.; Blom, M.; Afman, M.

2011-06-01

This study has made an inventory of 53 governmental interventions in the Dutch energy market. Moreover, the consequences for the playing field for fossil fuels, renewable sources, nuclear energy and energy saving have been quantified. It shows that the government still stimulates the use of energy and fossil fuels more than it stimulates use of renewable energy sources. Policy that focuses on decreasing the price differences between sustainable and fossil should therefore focus on the phase-out of this support and subsequently on bridging the remaining financial gap. [nl

World nuclear capacity and fuel cycle requirements 1992

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-12-01

This analysis report presents the current status and projections of nuclear capacity, generation, and fuel cycle requirements for all countries in the world using nuclear power to generate electricity for commercial use. Long-term projections of US nuclear capacity, generation, fuel cycle requirements, and spent fuel discharges for three different scenarios through 2030 are provided in support of the Department of Energy's activities pertaining to the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (as amended in 1987). The projections of uranium requirements also support the Energy Information Administration's annual report, Domestic Uranium Mining and Milling Industry: Viability Assessment for the Lower and Upper Reference case scenarios were obtained from the Office of Integrated Analysis and Forecasting, Energy Information Administration. Most of these projections were developed using the World Integrated Nuclear Evaluation System (WINES) model

The advanced fuel cycle facility (AFCF) role in the global nuclear energy partnership

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Griffith, Andrew

2007-01-01

The Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP), launched in February, 2006, proposes to introduce used nuclear fuel recycling in the United States with improved proliferation-resistance and a more effective waste management approach. This program is evaluating ways to close the fuel cycle in a manner that builds on recent laboratory breakthroughs in U.S. national laboratories and draws on international and industry partnerships. Central to moving this advanced fuel recycling technology from the laboratory to commercial implementation is a flexible research, development and demonstration facility, called the Advanced Fuel Cycle Facility (AFCF). The AFCF was introduced as one of three projects under GNEP and will provide the U.S. with the capabilities to evaluate technologies that separate used fuel into reusable material and waste in a proliferation-resistant manner. The separations technology demonstration capability is coupled with a remote transmutation fuel fabrication demonstration capability in an integrated manner that demonstrates advanced safeguard technologies. This paper will discuss the key features of AFCF and its support of the GNEP objectives. (author)

Spent nuclear fuel discharges from US reactors 1993

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-02-01

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) administers the Nuclear Fuel Data Survey, Form RW-859. This form is used to collect data on fuel assemblies irradiated at commercial nuclear reactors operating in the United States, and the current inventories and storage capacities of those reactors. These data are important to the design and operation of the equipment and facilities that DOE will use for the future acceptance, transportation, and disposal of spent fuels. The data collected and presented identifies trends in burnup, enrichment, and spent nuclear fuel discharged form commercial light-water reactor as of December 31, 1993. The document covers not only spent nuclear fuel discharges; but also site capacities and inventories; canisters and nonfuel components; and assembly type characteristics

1: the atom. 2: radioactivity. 3: man and radiations. 4: the energy. 5: nuclear energy: fusion and fission. 6: the operation of a nuclear reactor. 7: the nuclear fuel cycle; 1: l'atome. 2: la radioactivite. 3: l'homme et les rayonnements. 4: l'energie. 5: l'energie nucleaire: fusion et fission. 6: le fonctionnement d'un reacteur nucleaire. 7: le cycle du combustible nucleaire

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2002-07-01

This series of 7 digest booklets present the bases of the nuclear physics and of the nuclear energy: 1 - the atom (structure of matter, chemical elements and isotopes, the four fundamental interactions, nuclear physics); 2 - radioactivity (definition, origins of radioelements, applications of radioactivity); 3 - man and radiations (radiations diversity, biological effects, radioprotection, examples of radiation applications); 4 - energy (energy states, different forms of energy, characteristics); 5 - nuclear energy: fusion and fission (nuclear energy release, thermonuclear fusion, nuclear fission and chain reaction); 6 - operation of a nuclear reactor (nuclear fission, reactor components, reactor types); 7 - nuclear fuel cycle (nuclear fuel preparation, fuel consumption, reprocessing, wastes management). (J.S.)

Proceedings of the 2006 International Meeting on LWR fuel performance 'Nuclear Fuel: Addressing the future' - TopFuel 2006 Transactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-01-01

From 22-26 October, 340 researchers, nuclear engineers and scientists from across Europe and beyond congregated in the ancient university city of Salamanca, Spain, to discuss the challenges facing the developers and manufacturers of new high-performance nuclear fuels-fuels that will help meet current and future energy demand and reduce man's over dependence upon CO 2 -emitting fossil fuels. TopFuel is an annual topical meeting organised by ENS, the American Nuclear Society and the Atomic Energy Society of Japan. This year it was co-sponsored by the IAEA, the OECD/NEA and the Spanish Nuclear Society (SNE). TopFuel's primary objective was to bring together leading specialists in the field from around the world to analyse advances in nuclear fuel management technology and to use the findings of the latest cutting-edge research to help manufacture the high performance nuclear fuels of today and tomorrow. The TopFuel 2006 agenda revolved around ten technical sessions dedicated to priority issues such as security of supply, new fuel and reactor core designs, fuel cycle strategies and spent fuel management. Among the many topics under discussion were new developments in fuel performance modelling, advanced fuel assembly design and the improved conditioning and processing of spent fuel. During the week, a poster exhibition also gave delegates the opportunity to display and discuss the results of their latest work and to network with fellow professionals. One important statement to emerge from TopFuel 2006 was that the world has enough reserves of uranium to support the large-scale and long-term production of nuclear energy. The OECD/NEA and the IAEA recently published a report entitled Uranium 2005: Resources, Production and Demand (the Red Book). The report, which makes a comprehensive assessment of uranium supplies and projected demand up until the year 2025, concludes by saying 'the uranium resource base is adequate to meet projected future requirements'. With the

The role of nuclear energy system for Korean long-term energy supply strategy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chae, K.N.; Lee, D.G.; Lim, C.Y.; Lee, B.W.

1995-01-01

The energy supply optimization model MESSAGE-III is improved to evaluate the role of nuclear energy system in Korean long-term energy supply strategy. Emphasis is placed on the potential contribution of nuclear energy in case of environmental constraints and energy resource limitation. The time horizon is 1993-2040. A program to forecast useful energy demand is developed, and optimization is performed from the overall energy system to the nuclear energy system. Reactor and fuel cycle strategy and the expanded utilization options for nuclear energy system are suggested. FBRs, HTGRs and thorium fuel cycle would play key roles in the long run. The most important factors for nuclear energy in Korean energy supply strategy would be the availability of fossil fuels, CO 2 reduction regulation, and the supply capability of nuclear energy. (author)

Report of Nuclear Fuel Cycle Subcommittee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-01-01

In order to secure stable energy supply over a long period of time, the development and utilization of atomic energy have been actively promoted as the substitute energy for petroleum. Accordingly, the establishment of nuclear fuel cycle is indispensable to support this policy, and efforts have been exerted to promote the technical development and to put it in practical use. The Tokai reprocessing plant has been in operation since the beginning of 1981, and the pilot plant for uranium enrichment is about to start the full scale operation. Considering the progress in the refining and conversion techniques, plutonium fuel fabrication and son on, the prospect to technically establish the nuclear fuel cycle in Japan has been bright. The important problem for the future is to put these techniques in practical use economically. The main point of technical development hereafter is the enlargement and rationalization of the techniques, and the cooperation of the government and the people, and the smooth transfer of the technical development results in public corporations to private organization are necessary. The important problems for establishing the nuclear fuel cycle, the securing of enriched uranium, the reprocessing of spent fuel, unused resources, and the problems related to industrialization, location and fuel storing are reported. (Kako, I.)

Strategies of management of the nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leon, J.R.; Perez, A.; Filella, J.M.

1996-01-01

The management of nuclear fuel is depending on several factors: - Regulatory commission. The enterprises owner of the NPPs.The enterprise owner of the energy distribution. These factors are considered for the management of nuclear fuel. The design of fuel elements, the planning of cycles, the design of core reactors and the costs are analyzed. (Author)

Energy and the need for nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-11-01

The subject is discussed under the headings: fuel and mankind (world population estimates); fuel supply and demand (world nuclear and total primary energy demand forecasts); oil dependence; oil, gas and coal (world oil production and consumption; world coal reserves); nuclear option (consumption of nuclear energy in Western Europe; nuclear plant worldwide at December 1981; uranium reserves 1981); renewable resources; price of energy; Britain's need for nuclear power. (U.K.)

Nuclear energy and nuclear technology in Switzerland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Graf, P.

1975-01-01

The energy crisis, high fuel costs and slow progress in the development of alternative energy sources, e.g. solar energy have given further impetus to nuclear power generation. The Swiss nuclear energy programme is discussed and details are given of nuclear station in operation, under construction, in the project stage and of Swiss participation in foreign nuclear stations. Reference is made to the difficulties, delays and resulting cost increases caused by local and regional opposition to nuclear power stations. The significant contributions made by Swiss industry and Swiss consulting engineers are discussed. (P.G.R.)

Development of nuclear fuel cycle technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuoki, Akira; Matsumoto, Takashi; Suzuki, Kazumichi; Kawamura, Fumio

1995-01-01

In the long term plan for atomic energy that the Atomic Energy Commission decided the other day, the necessity of the technical development for establishing full scale fuel cycle for future was emphasized. Hitachi Ltd. has engaged in technical development and facility construction in the fields of uranium enrichment, MOX fuel fabrication, spent fuel reprocessing and so on. In uranium enrichment, it took part in the development of centrifuge process centering around Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation (PNC), and took its share in the construction of the Rokkasho uranium enrichment plant of Japan Nuclear Fuel Service Co., Ltd. Also it cooperates with Laser Enrichment Technology Research Association. In Mox fuel fabrication, it took part in the construction of the facilities for Monju plutonium fuel production of PNC, for pellet production, fabrication and assembling processes. In spent fuel reprocessing, it cooperated with the technical development of maintenance and repair of Tokai reprocessing plant of PNC, and the construction of spent fuel stores in Rokkasho reprocessing plant is advanced. The centrifuge process and the atomic laser process of uranium enrichment are explained. The high reliability of spent fuel reprocessing plants and the advancement of spent fuel reprocessing process are reported. Hitachi Ltd. Intends to exert efforts for the technical development to establish nuclear fuel cycle which increases the importance hereafter. (K.I.)

Freedom from nuclear energy myth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Wonsik

2001-09-01

This book generalizes the history of nuclear energy with lots of myths. The contents of this book are a fundamental problem of nuclear power generation, the myth that nuclear energy is infinite energy, the myth that nuclear energy overcomes the crisis of oil, the myth that nuclear energy is cheap, safe and clean, the myth that nuclear fuel can be recycled, the myth that nuclear technology is superior and the future and present of nuclear energy problem related radiation waste and surplus of plutonium.

Proceedings of GLOBAL 2007 conference on advanced nuclear fuel cycles and systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

In keeping with the 12-year history of this conference, GLOBAL 2007 focuses on future nuclear energy systems and fuel cycles. With the increasing public acceptance and political endorsement of nuclear energy, it is a pivotal time for nuclear energy research. Significant advances have been made in development of advanced nuclear fuels and materials, reactor designs, partitioning, transmutation and reprocessing technologies, and waste management strategies. In concert with the technological advances, it is more important than ever to develop sensible nuclear proliferation policies, to promote sustainability, and to continue to increase international collaboration. To further these aims, GLOBAL 2007 highlights recent developments in the following areas: advanced integrated fuel cycle concepts, spent nuclear fuel reprocessing, advanced reprocessing technology, advanced fuels and materials, advanced waste management technology, novel concepts for waste disposal and repository development, advanced reactors, partitioning and transmutation, developments in nuclear non-proliferation technology, policy, and implementation, sustainability and expanded global utilization of nuclear energy, and international collaboration on nuclear energy

Resolving Past Liabilities for Future Reduction in Greenhouse Gases; Nuclear Energy and the Outstanding Federal Liability of Spent Nuclear Fuel

Science.gov (United States)

Donohue, Jay

This thesis will: (1) examine the current state of nuclear power in the U.S.; (2) provide a comparison of nuclear power to both existing alternative/renewable sources of energy as well as fossil fuels; (3) dissect Standard Contracts created pursuant to the National Waste Policy Act (NWPA), Congress' attempt to find a solution for Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF), and the designation of Yucca Mountain as a repository; (4) the anticipated failure of Yucca Mountain; (5) explore WIPP as well as attempts to build a facility on Native American land in Utah; (6) examine reprocessing as a solution for SNF used by France and Japan; and, finally, (7) propose a solution to reduce GHG's by developing new nuclear energy plants with financial support from the U.S. government and a solution to build a storage facility for SNF through the sitting of a repository based on a "bottom-up" cooperative federalism approach.

Nuclear fuel: the thinking man's alternative

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chamberlain, N.

1989-01-01

'Nuclear Fuel ' The Thinking Man's Alternative' is the title of the 55th Melchett Lecture given by Neville Chamberlain, Chief Executive of British Nuclear Fuels plc. This article is based on the address, the essence of which is that the case for nuclear power should be based upon an appreciation of the totality and sophistication of man's handling of his energy needs - not on a glib catch-phase or on a simple political dogma or on an economic argument. Arguments in favour of nuclear power were discussed. The conclusion was that nuclear energy is the thinking man's alternative because only thinking man could have and can develop it; secondly, only thinking men should be authorized to exploit and control it; thirdly, a thinking person will appreciate that, properly thought out and controlled, it must be the most important source of future energy for the benefit of mankind. (author)

Globalization of the nuclear fuel cycle impact of developments on fuel management

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van Den Durpel, L.; Bertel, E. [OCDE-NEA, Nuclear Development Div., 92 - Issy-les-Moulineaux (France)

1999-07-01

Nuclear energy will have to cope more and more with a rapid changing environment due to economic competitive pressure and the de-regulatory progress. In current economic environment, utilities will have to focus strongly on the reduction of their total generation costs, covering the fuel cycle costs, which are only partly under their control. Developments in the fuel cycle will be in the short-term rather evolutionary addressing the current needs of utilities. However, within the context of sustainable development and more and more inclusion of externalities in energy generation costs, more performing developments in the fuel cycle could become important and feasible. A life-cycle design approach of the fuel cycle will be requested in order to cover all factors in order to decrease significantly the nuclear energy generation cost to compete with other alternative fuels in the long-term. This paper will report on some of the trends one could distinguish in the fuel cycle with emphasis on cost reduction. OECD/NEA is currently conducting a study on the fuel cycle aiming to assess current and future nuclear fuel cycles according the potential for further improvement of the full added-value chain of these cycles from a mainly technological and economical perspective including environmental and social considerations. (authors)

Globalisation of the nuclear fuel cycle - impact of developments on fuel management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Durpel, L. van den; Bertel, E.

2000-01-01

Nuclear energy will have to cope more and more with a rapid changing environment due to economic competitive pressure and the deregulatory progress. In current economic environment, utilities will have to focus strongly on the reduction of their total generation costs, covering the fuel cycle costs, which are only partly under their control. Developments in the fuel cycle will be in the short-term rather evolutionary addressing the current needs of utilities. However, within the context of sustainable development and more and more inclusion of externalities in energy generation costs, more performing developments in the fuel cycle could become important and feasible. A life-cycle design approach of the fuel cycle will be requested in order to cover all factors in order to decrease significantly the nuclear energy generation cost to complete with other alternative fuels in the long-term. This paper will report on some of the trends one could distinguish in the fuel cycle with emphasis on cost reduction. OECD/NEA is currently conducting a study on the fuel cycle aiming to assess current and future nuclear fuel cycles according to the potential for further improvement of the full added-value chain of these cycles from a mainly technological and economic perspective including environmental and social considerations. (orig.) [de

Status of Chinese NPP Industry and Nuclear Fuel Cycle Policy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gao, R. X. [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Ko, W. I.; Kim, S. K. [Univ. of Science and Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2013-05-15

China still extended their experiences to both domestic and overseas so far. Chinese State Council approved its 'Medium and Long-term Nuclear Power Development Plan' in November 2007, indicating further definition for nuclear energy as indispensable energy option and future self-reliance development of nuclear industry. China intends to become self-sufficient not only in NPPs capacity, but also in the fuel production for all those plants. There are currently 17 NPPs in operation, and 28 NPPs under construction. However, domestic uranium mining supplying is currently less than a quarter of nuclear fuel demands. This paper investigated and summarized the updated status of NPP industry in China and Nuclear Fuel Cycle(NFC) policy. There still remain a number of technical innovation and comprehensive challenges for this nuclear developing country in the long-term, but its large ambitions and dramatic improvements toward future should not be ignored. As shown in this paper, the most suitable approach for China to achieve both environmentally-friendly power supplying and increasing energy demands meeting simultaneously must be considered. Nuclear energy now was recognized as the most potential and optimal way of energy supply system. In addition, to accommodate such a high-speed NPP construction in China, it should also focus on when and how spent nuclear fuel should be reprocessed. Finally, the nuclear back-end fuel cycle policy should be established, taking into accounts of all costs, uranium resource security, spent fuel management, proliferation resistance and environmental impact.

The impact of the multilateral approach to the nuclear fuel cycle in Malaysia's nuclear fuel cycle policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baharuddin, B.; Ferdinand, P.

2014-01-01

Since the Pakistan-India nuclear weapon race, the North Korean nuclear test and the September 11 attack revealed Abdul Qadeer Khan's clandestine nuclear black market and the fear that Iran's nuclear program may be used for nuclear weapon development, scrutiny of activities related to nuclear technologies, especially technology transfer has become more stringent. The nuclear supplier group has initiated a multilateral nuclear fuel cycle regime with the purpose of guaranteeing nuclear fuel supply and at the same time preventing the spread of nuclear proliferation. Malaysia wants to develop a programme for the peaceful use of nuclear energy and it needs to accommodate itself to this policy. When considering developing a nuclear fuel cycle policy, the key elements that Malaysia needs to consider are the extent of the fuel cycle technologies that it intends to acquire and the costs (financial and political) of acquiring them. Therefore, this paper will examine how the multilateral approach to the nuclear fuel cycle may influence Malaysia's nuclear fuel cycle policy, without jeopardising the country's rights and sovereignty as stipulated under the NPT. (authors)

Nuclear Fuels & Materials Spotlight Volume 5

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petti, David Andrew

2016-01-01

As the nation's nuclear energy laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory brings together talented people and specialized nuclear research capability to accomplish our mission. This edition of the Nuclear Fuels and Materials Division Spotlight provides an overview of some of our recent accomplishments in research and capability development. These accomplishments include: • Evaluation and modeling of light water reactor accident tolerant fuel concepts • Status and results of recent TRISO-coated particle fuel irradiations, post-irradiation examinations, high-temperature safety testing to demonstrate the accident performance of this fuel system, and advanced microscopy to improve the understanding of fission product transport in this fuel system. • Improvements in and applications of meso and engineering scale modeling of light water reactor fuel behavior under a range of operating conditions and postulated accidents (e.g., power ramping, loss of coolant accident, and reactivity initiated accidents) using the MARMOT and BISON codes. • Novel measurements of the properties of nuclear (actinide) materials under extreme conditions, (e.g. high pressure, low/high temperatures, high magnetic field) to improve the scientific understanding of these materials. • Modeling reactor pressure vessel behavior using the GRIZZLY code. • New methods using sound to sense temperature inside a reactor core. • Improved experimental capabilities to study the response of fusion reactor materials to a tritium plasma. Throughout Spotlight, you'll find examples of productive partnerships with academia, industry, and government agencies that deliver high-impact outcomes. The work conducted at Idaho National Laboratory helps spur innovation in nuclear energy applications that drive economic growth and energy security. We appreciate your interest in our work here at Idaho National Laboratory, and hope that you find this issue informative.

Nuclear energy data 2011

CERN Document Server

2011-01-01

 . Nuclear Energy Data, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency's annual compilation of statistics and country reports on nuclear energy, contains official information provided by OECD member country governments on plans for new nuclear plant construction, nuclear fuel cycle developments as well as current and projected nuclear generating capacity to 2035. For the first time, it includes data for Chile, Estonia, Israel and Slovenia, which recently became OECD members. Key elements of this edition show a 2% increase in nuclear and total electricity production and a 0.5% increase in nuclear generating ca

Nuclear energy data 2007

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

This new edition of Nuclear Energy Data, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency's annual compilation of essential statistics on nuclear energy in OECD countries, offers projections lengthened to 2030 for the first time and information on the development of new centrifuge enrichment capacity in member countries. The compilation gives readers a comprehensive and easy-to-access overview of the current situation and expected trends in various sectors of the nuclear fuel cycle, providing authoritative information to policy makers, experts and academics working in the nuclear energy field

AN ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK FOR ASSESSING RELIABLE NUCLEAR FUEL SERVICE APPROACHES: ECONOMIC AND NON-PROLIFERATION MERITS OF NUCLEAR FUEL LEASING

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kreyling, Sean J.; Brothers, Alan J.; Short, Steven M.; Phillips, Jon R.; Weimar, Mark R.

2010-01-01

The goal of international nuclear policy since the dawn of nuclear power has been the peaceful expansion of nuclear energy while controlling the spread of enrichment and reprocessing technology. Numerous initiatives undertaken in the intervening decades to develop international agreements on providing nuclear fuel supply assurances, or reliable nuclear fuel services (RNFS) attempted to control the spread of sensitive nuclear materials and technology. In order to inform the international debate and the development of government policy, PNNL has been developing an analytical framework to holistically evaluate the economics and non-proliferation merits of alternative approaches to managing the nuclear fuel cycle (i.e., cradle-to-grave). This paper provides an overview of the analytical framework and discusses preliminary results of an economic assessment of one RNFS approach: full-service nuclear fuel leasing. The specific focus of this paper is the metrics under development to systematically evaluate the non-proliferation merits of fuel-cycle management alternatives. Also discussed is the utility of an integrated assessment of the economics and non-proliferation merits of nuclear fuel leasing.

What can nuclear energy do for society.

Science.gov (United States)

Rom, F. E.

1972-01-01

It is pointed out that the earth's crust holds 30,000 times as much energy in the form of fissionable atoms as fossil fuel. Moreover, nuclear fuel costs less per unit of energy than fossil fuel. Capital equipment used to release nuclear energy, on the other hand, is expensive. For commercial electric-power production and marine propulsion, advantages of nuclear power have outweighed disadvantages. As to nuclear submarines, applications other than military may prove feasible. The industry has proposed cargo submarines to haul oil from the Alaskan North Slope beneath the Arctic ice. Other possible applications for nuclear power are in air-cushion-vehicles, aircraft, and rockets.-

Nuclear Fuel Cycle Introductory Concepts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karpius, Peter Joseph [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2017-02-02

The nuclear fuel cycle is a complex entity, with many stages and possibilities, encompassing natural resources, energy, science, commerce, and security, involving a host of nations around the world. This overview describes the process for generating nuclear power using fissionable nuclei.

Nuclear Fuel Cycle Introductory Concepts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karpius, Peter Joseph

2017-01-01

The nuclear fuel cycle is a complex entity, with many stages and possibilities, encompassing natural resources, energy, science, commerce, and security, involving a host of nations around the world. This overview describes the process for generating nuclear power using fissionable nuclei.

Nuclear energy in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guillemard, B.

1978-01-01

After having described the nuclear partners in Japan, the author analyzes the main aspects of Japan's nuclear energy: nuclear power plants construction program; developping of light water reactors; fuel cycle politics [fr

Nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D Hondt, P.

1998-01-01

The research and development programme on nuclear fuel at the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK/CEN is described. The objective of this programme is to enhance the quantitative prediction of the operational limits of nuclear fuel and to assess the behaviour of fuel under incidental and accidental conditions. Progress is described in different domains including the modelling of fission gas release in LWR fuel, thermal conductivity, basic physical phenomena, post-irradiation examination for fuel performance assessment, and conceptual studies of incidental and accidental fuel experiments

Preserving R and D: a crucial challenge for the nuclear fuel industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vignon, D.

1999-01-01

Electricity of nuclear origin, accounts for about 30 % of the total consumption of the OECD countries. This percentage is considerably higher in several European countries (Sweden, Belgium, and France), which decided in the 1970's to put special emphasis on nuclear energy. At the heart of nuclear energy is the fuel. This is what is periodically replaced in the reactors, and therefore contributes a substantial share to the operating cost. This is also where the by-products of the nuclear chain reaction accumulate. It is the original source of the releases related to nuclear reactor operation, as well as the accidental releases. At the end of the fuel cycle in the reactor, the nuclear fuel still contains fissile materials (uranium and plutonium), but also neutron capture and fission products that must be stored. The spent fuel is the point of departure of the problem of radioactive wastes. Can a representative of the nuclear energy industry finally remind his audience that nuclear fuel is also a high-technology product - complex in its design, but that must remain simple to produce, and which customers want to have 'just in time'. Nuclear fuel is an industrial product behind which are found the factories, production facilities, and the men and women who must adapt it to the nuclear energy of tomorrow. It would be presumptuous of me to pretend to sketch out an exhaustive panorama of the problems related to nuclear fuel in my opening remarks to this conference. However, I would like to emphasize how the nuclear fuel industry has long anticipated and taken into account the requirements of the nuclear energy industry, amplified by the competitive pressures due to deregulation of the electricity markets: cost reduction and public acceptance of nuclear energy. Nuclear fuel plays an essential role to ensure the competitiveness of nuclear energy today and its acceptance by the public tomorrow. (authors)

Nuclear energy basic knowledge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Volkmer, Martin

2013-11-01

The following topics are dealt with: Atoms, nuclear decays and radioactivity, energy, nuclear fission and the chain reaction, controlled nuclear fission, nuclear power plants, safety installations in nuclear power plants, fuel supply and disposal, radiation measurement and radiation exposition of man. (HSI)

World nuclear energy paths

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Connolly, T.J.; Hansen, U.; Jaek, W.; Beckurts, K.H.

1979-01-01

In examing the world nuclear energy paths, the following assumptions were adopted: the world economy will grow somewhat more slowly than in the past, leading to reductions in electricity demand growth rates; national and international political impediments to the deployment of nuclear power will gradually disappear over the next few years; further development of nuclear power will proceed steadily, without serious interruption but with realistic lead times for the introduction of advanced technologies. Given these assumptions, this paper attempts a study of possible world nuclear energy developments, disaggregated on a regional and national basis. The scenario technique was used and a few alternative fuel-cycle scenarios were developed. Each is an internally consistent model of technically and economically feasible paths to the further development of nuclear power in an aggregate of individual countries and regions of the world. The main purpose of this modeling exercise was to gain some insight into the probable international locations of reactors and other nuclear facilities, the future requirements for uranium and for fuel-cycle services, and the problems of spent-fuel storage and waste management. The study also presents an assessment of the role that nuclear power might actually play in meeting future world energy demand

Overview of the nuclear fuel cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knief, R.A.

1978-01-01

The nuclear fuel cycle is substantially more complicated than the energy production cycles of conventional fuels because of the very low abundance of uranium 235, the presence of radioactivity, the potential for producing fissile nuclides from irradiation, and the risk that fissile materials will be used for nuclear weapons. These factors add enrichment, recycling, spent fuel storage, and safeguards to the cycle, besides making the conventional steps of exploration, mining, processing, use, waste disposal, and transportation more difficult

Energy Return on Investment - Fuel Recycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halsey, W.; Simon, A.J.; Fratoni, M.; Smith, C.; Schwab, P.; Murray, P.

2012-01-01

This report provides a methodology and requisite data to assess the potential Energy Return On Investment (EROI) for nuclear fuel cycle alternatives, and applies that methodology to a limited set of used fuel recycle scenarios. This paper is based on a study by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and a parallel evaluation by AREVA Federal Services LLC, both of which were sponsored by the DOE Fuel Cycle Technologies (FCT) Program. The focus of the LLNL effort was to develop a methodology that can be used by the FCT program for such analysis that is consistent with the broader energy modeling community, and the focus of the AREVA effort was to bring industrial experience and operational data into the analysis. This cooperative effort successfully combined expertise from the energy modeling community with expertise from the nuclear industry. Energy Return on Investment is one of many figures of merit on which investment in a new energy facility or process may be judged. EROI is the ratio of the energy delivered by a facility divided by the energy used to construct, operate and decommission that facility. While EROI is not the only criterion used to make an investment decision, it has been shown that, in technologically advanced societies, energy supplies must exceed a minimum EROI. Furthermore, technological history shows a trend towards higher EROI energy supplies. EROI calculations have been performed for many components of energy technology: oil wells, wind turbines, photovoltaic modules, biofuels, and nuclear reactors. This report represents the first standalone EROI analysis of nuclear fuel reprocessing (or recycling) facilities.

Direction of Nuclear Energy. Activity report 2010

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-11-01

This report proposes an overview of the research activities performed by the French DEN (Direction de l'Energie Nucleaire, Direction of Nuclear Energy) within the CEA. These activities address the future nuclear industrial systems (4. generation reactors, back-end of the future fuel cycle, basic scientific and technological research), the optimization of the industrial nuclear power (fuel cycle front end, second and third generation reactors, back-end of the present fuel cycle), major tools for the development of nuclear energy (simulation tools, Jules Horowitz reactor, value creation), clean up and dismantling of nuclear facilities (present status, the Passage project in Grenoble, the Aladin project in Fontenay-aux-Roses, projects at Marcoule, flow management of radioactive wastes, materials and disused fuels, transport). Three research centres are presented: Marcoule, Cadarache and Saclay

Fossil fuels, renewable and nuclear options to meet the energy and the environmental challenges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bacher, P.; Moncomble, J.E.

1995-01-01

In order to meet the world strongly growing energy demand, and especially electricity demand, there are a number of primary energy sources: hydro and new renewable, oil, natural gas, coal and nuclear. The energy mix adopted in each country will depend on a number of factors, such as geography, security of supply, financing capacity, environment, etc. Shares of the different fuels in electricity output are reviewed. Nuclear energy facts and issues are discussed from safety, environment and economics points of view, with a particular view on long-lived wastes that can be and are strictly controlled; properly managed, a nuclear program can be very cost efficient as demonstrated in France, Belgium or Canada, and it has many advantages: site selection, security of supply, no air pollution. 3 refs., 5 figs

International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Fact Book

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leigh, I.W.; Patridge, M.D.

1991-05-01

As the US Department of Energy (DOE) and DOE contractors have become increasingly involved with other nations in nuclear fuel cycle and waste management cooperative activities, a need has developed for a ready source of information concerning foreign fuel cycle programs, facilities, and personnel. This Fact Book was compiled to meet that need. The information contained in the International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Fact Book has been obtained from many unclassified sources: nuclear trade journals and newsletters; reports of foreign visits and visitors; CEC, IAEA, and OECN/NEA activities reports; not reflect any one single source but frequently represent a consolidation/combination of information.

OECD - HRP Summer School on Nuclear Fuel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-07-01

In cooperation with the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), the Halden Reactor Project organised a Summer School on nuclear fuel in the period August 28 September 1, 2000. The summer school was primarily intended for people who wanted to become acquainted with fuel-related subjects and issues without being experts. It was especially hoped that the summer school would serve to transfer knowledge to the ''young generation'' in the field of nuclear fuel. Experts from Halden Project member organisations gave the following presentations: (1) Overview of the nuclear community, (2) Criteria for safe operation and design of nuclear fuel, (3) Fuel design and fabrication, (4) Cladding Manufacturing, (5) Overview of the Halden Reactor Project, (6) Fuel performance evaluation and modelling, (7) Fission gas release, and (8) Cladding issues. Except for the Overview, which is a written paper, the other contributions are overhead figures from spoken lectures.

OECD - HRP Summer School on Nuclear Fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-01-01

In cooperation with the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), the Halden Reactor Project organised a Summer School on nuclear fuel in the period August 28 September 1, 2000. The summer school was primarily intended for people who wanted to become acquainted with fuel-related subjects and issues without being experts. It was especially hoped that the summer school would serve to transfer knowledge to the ''young generation'' in the field of nuclear fuel. Experts from Halden Project member organisations gave the following presentations: (1) Overview of the nuclear community, (2) Criteria for safe operation and design of nuclear fuel, (3) Fuel design and fabrication, (4) Cladding Manufacturing, (5) Overview of the Halden Reactor Project, (6) Fuel performance evaluation and modelling, (7) Fission gas release, and (8) Cladding issues. Except for the Overview, which is a written paper, the other contributions are overhead figures from spoken lectures

White paper on nuclear energy, 1996

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-01-01

Japan has scant energy resources, and more than 80% of its energy demand depends on other countries. The energy problem should be considered not only from the domestic viewpoint of energy supply and demand but also from the global viewpoint. Japanese nuclear power generation accounts for about 30% of its total electric power. The main strategy of Japan is to secure stable energy supply through the establishment of nuclear fuel cycle, and to efficiently use the plutonium and residual uranium recovered from spent nuclear fuel. The sodium leakage from the prototype FBR 'Monju' in December, 1995 raised the anxiety about the nuclear policy. People living in Japan should be assured the peace of mind about the development and utilization of nuclear energy. Regarding coexistence of nuclear energy and people, stronger demand of clearer reflection of public opinion to nuclear policy, holding of the round table conferences on nuclear policy, various efforts toward the coexistence of nuclear energy and people and so on are discussed. The development and utilization of nuclear energy in Japan and overseas are reported on nuclear nonproliferation, safety assurance, information disclosure, present and future of nuclear power generation, international cooperation and others. (K.I.)

Nuclear fuel cycle. V. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-01-01

Nuclear fuel cycle information in the main countries that develop, supply or use nuclear energy is presented. Data about Japan, FRG, United Kingdom, France and Canada are included. The information is presented in a tree-like graphic way. (C.S.A.) [pt

Nuclear energy outlook 2008

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

With the launch today of its first Nuclear Energy Outlook, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) makes an important contribution to ongoing discussions of nuclear energy's potential role in the energy mixes of its member countries. As world energy demand continues to grow unabated, many countries face serious concerns about the security of energy supplies, rising energy prices and climate change stemming from fossil fuel consumption. In his presentation, the NEA Director-General Luis Echavarri is emphasizing the role that nuclear power could play in delivering cost-competitive and stable supplies of energy, while also helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In one Outlook scenario, existing nuclear power technologies could provide almost four times the current supply of nuclear-generated electricity by 2050. Under this scenario, 1400 reactors of the size commonly in use today would be in operation by 2050. But in order to accomplish such an expansion, securing political and societal support for the choice of nuclear energy is vital. An ongoing relationship between policy makers, the nuclear industry and society to develop knowledge building and public involvement will become increasingly important, the publication notes. Moreover, governments have a clear responsibility to maintain continued effective safety regulation, advance efforts to develop radioactive waste disposal solutions and uphold and reinforce the international non-proliferation regime. The authors find that the security of energy from nuclear power is more reliable than that for oil or gas. Additionally, uranium's high energy density means that transport is less vulnerable to disruption, and storing a large energy reserve is easier than for fossil fuels. One tonne of uranium produces the same energy as 10 000 to 16 000 tonnes of oil using current technology. Ongoing technological developments are likely to improve that performance even more. Until the middle of the century the dominant reactor

On the problems of the fuel cycles of nuclear fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmidt-Kuester, W.J.; Wagner, H.F.

1976-01-01

A secured procurement with nuclear energy can be only achieved if a completely closed fuel cycle will be established. In the Federal Republic of Germany efforts are concentrated on the front end as well as on the back end of the fuel cycle. At the front end the main tasks are to secure uranium supply and to establish the necessary enrichment capacity. The German concept for the back end of the fuel cycle will provide for an integrated and co-located system for all necessary facilities including reprocessing, plutonium fuel fabrication, treatment, interim storage and final disposal of the radioactive wastes to be operational in the mid-80's. Responsibilities for establishing this system are shared between government and private industry. Government will provide for final waste disposal, industry will built and operate the other facilities. Another important point for the introduction of nuclear energy is to solve reliably the problems of protection of fissionable material, radioactive waste and nuclear facilities. German government has initiated respective activities and has started appropriate R+D-work. (orig.) [de

World nuclear capacity and fuel cycle requirements, November 1993

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

This analysis report presents the current status and projections of nuclear capacity, generation, and fuel cycle requirements for all countries in the world using nuclear power to generate electricity for commercial use. Long-term projections of US nuclear capacity, generation, fuel cycle requirements, and spent fuel discharges for three different scenarios through 2030 are provided in support of the Department of Energy's activities pertaining to the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (as amended in 1987). The projections of uranium requirements also support the Energy Information Administration's annual report, Domestic Uranium Mining and Milling Industry: Viability Assessment

Multilateral controls of nuclear fuel-cycle in Asia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Jor-Shan

2010-01-01

To meet increasing energy demand and climate change issues, nuclear energy is expected to expand during the next decades in both developed and developing countries. This expansion, most visibly in Asian countries would no doubt be accompanied with complex and intractable challenges to global peace and security, notably in the back-end of the nuclear fuel cycle. What to do with the growing stocks of spent fuel in existing nuclear programs? And how to reduce proliferation concerns when spent fuels are generated in less stable regions of the world? The answers to these questions may lie in the possibility of multilateral (or regional) control of nuclear materials and technologies in the back-end of nuclear fuel cycle. One of the areas of interest is technology, e.g., spent fuel treatment (reprocessing) for long term sustainability and environmental-friendly disposal of radioactive wastes, as an alternative to directly disposing spent fuel in geologic repository. The other is to seek for regional centers for centralized interim spent fuel storage which can eventually turn into disposal facilities. Such centers could help facilitate the possibilities of spent fuel take-back/take-away from countries located in less stable regions for fix-period storage. (author)

Nuclear Fuels & Materials Spotlight Volume 5

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Petti, David Andrew [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2016-10-01

As the nation's nuclear energy laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory brings together talented people and specialized nuclear research capability to accomplish our mission. This edition of the Nuclear Fuels and Materials Division Spotlight provides an overview of some of our recent accomplishments in research and capability development. These accomplishments include: • Evaluation and modeling of light water reactor accident tolerant fuel concepts • Status and results of recent TRISO-coated particle fuel irradiations, post-irradiation examinations, high-temperature safety testing to demonstrate the accident performance of this fuel system, and advanced microscopy to improve the understanding of fission product transport in this fuel system. • Improvements in and applications of meso and engineering scale modeling of light water reactor fuel behavior under a range of operating conditions and postulated accidents (e.g., power ramping, loss of coolant accident, and reactivity initiated accidents) using the MARMOT and BISON codes. • Novel measurements of the properties of nuclear (actinide) materials under extreme conditions, (e.g. high pressure, low/high temperatures, high magnetic field) to improve the scientific understanding of these materials. • Modeling reactor pressure vessel behavior using the GRIZZLY code. • New methods using sound to sense temperature inside a reactor core. • Improved experimental capabilities to study the response of fusion reactor materials to a tritium plasma. Throughout Spotlight, you'll find examples of productive partnerships with academia, industry, and government agencies that deliver high-impact outcomes. The work conducted at Idaho National Laboratory helps spur innovation in nuclear energy applications that drive economic growth and energy security. We appreciate your interest in our work here at Idaho National Laboratory, and hope that you find this issue informative.

U.S. Department of Energy operational experience with shipments of foreign research reactor spent nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Messick, Charles E.; Massey, Charles D.; Mustin, Tracy P.

1998-01-01

On May 13, 1996, the U.S. Department of Energy issued a Record of Decision on a Nuclear Weapons Nonproliferation Policy Concerning Foreign Research Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel. The goal of the long-term policy is to recover enriched uranium exported from the United States, while giving foreign research reactor operators sufficient time to develop their own long-term solutions for storage and disposal of spent fuel. The spent fuel accepted by the U.S. DOE under the policy must be out of the research reactors by May 12, 2006 and returned to the United States by May 12, 2009. (author)

The nuclear fuel cycle versus the carbon cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ewing, R.C.

2005-01-01

Nuclear power provides approximately 17% of the world's electricity, which is equivalent to a reduction in carbon emissions of ∼0.5 gigatonnes (Gt) of C/yr. This is a modest reduction as compared with global emissions of carbon, ∼7 Gt C/yr. Most analyses suggest that in order to have a significant and timely impact on carbon emissions, carbon-free sources, such as nuclear power, would have to expand total production of energy by factors of three to ten by 2050. A three-fold increase in nuclear power capacity would result in a projected reduction in carbon emissions of 1 to 2 Gt C/yr, depending on the type of carbon-based energy source that is displaced. This three-fold increase utilizing present nuclear technologies would result in 25,000 metric tonnes (t) of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) per year, containing over 200 t of plutonium. This is compared to a present global inventory of approximately 280,000 t of SNF and >1,700 t of Pu. A nuclear weapon can be fashioned from as little as 5 kg of 239 Pu. However, there is considerable technological flexibility in the nuclear fuel cycle. There are three types of nuclear fuel cycles that might be utilized for the increased production of energy: open, closed, or a symbiotic combination of different types of reactor (such as, thermal and fast neutron reactors). The neutron energy spectrum has a significant effect on the fission product yield, and the consumption of long-lived actinides, by fission, is best achieved by fast neutrons. Within each cycle, the volume and composition of the high-level nuclear waste and fissile material depend on the type of nuclear fuel, the amount of burn-up, the extent of radionuclide separation during reprocessing, and the types of materials used to immobilize different radionuclides. As an example, a 232 Th-based fuel cycle can be used to breed fissile 233 U with minimum production of Pu. In this paper, I will contrast the production of excess carbon in the form of CO 2 from fossil fuels with

World nuclear fuel cycle requirements, 1988

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-01-01

This report contains an analysis of the sensitivities of the nuclear fuel cycle projections to different levels and types of projected nuclear capacity, different enrichment tails assays, higher and lower capacity factors, changes in nuclear fuel burnup levels, and other exogenous assumptions. The projections for the United States generally extend through the year 2020, and the (WOCA) World Outside Centrally Planned Economic Areas projections, which include the United States, are provided through 2010. The report also presents annual projections of spent nuclear fuel discharges and inventories of spent fuel. Appendix E includes aggregated domestic spent fuel projections through the year 2020 for the Lower and Upper References cases and through 2037, the last year in which spent fuel is discharged, for the No New Orders case. Annual projections of spent fuel discharges through the year 2037 for individual US reactors in the No New Orders cases are included for the first time in Appendix H. These disaggregated projections are provided at the request of the Department of Energy's Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management

Nuclear energy of hope and dream

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-02-01

This book describes nuclear energy as hopeful and helpful energy for our life. It includes a lot of introductions of carbon energy, green energy, an atomic reactor for generation of electricity and research, a nuclear fuel cycle, radiation in life, radiation measurement, a radioisotope, the principle of utilization of radiation, utilization for clinical medicine, nuclear energy and economy, international cooperation of nuclear energy and control of nuclear energy.

Nanomaterials and nanotechnologies in nuclear energy chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi, W.Q.; Yuan, L.Y.; Li, Z.J.; Lan, J.H.; Zhao, Y.L.; Chai, Z.F.

2012-01-01

With the rapid growth of human demands for nuclear energy and in response to the challenges of nuclear energy development, the world's major nuclear countries have started research and development work on advanced nuclear energy systems in which new materials and new technologies are considered to play important roles. Nanomaterials and nanotechnologies, which have gained extensive attention in recent years, have shown a wide range of application potentials in future nuclear energy system. In this review, the basic research progress in nanomaterials and nanotechnologies for advanced nuclear fuel fabrication, spent nuclear fuel reprocessing, nuclear waste disposal and nuclear environmental remediation is selectively highlighted, with the emphasis on Chinese research achievements. In addition, the challenges and opportunities of nanomaterials and nanotechnologies in future advanced nuclear energy system are also discussed. (orig.)

Japanese status-quo and our activities in the field of nuclear fuel recycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sada, Masao; Imai, Osamu

1983-01-01

Nuclear energy is expected to take the place of current petroleum-base-energy in the near future. In order to effectively utilize the nuclear energy, nuclear fuel recycle system has to be established. The technology for reprocessing the spent fuel, which is a part of this recycle system, is very similar to the ones in chemical industry. Our company has been keeping its eyes on the field of such nuclear energy as one of the future promising businesses and recentrly established Nuclear Energy Department as a center for further expanding the business opportunity in the field of such spent fuel reprocessing as well as other fields of nuclear fuel recycle system. (author)

Nuclear Energy Data - 2014

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2014-01-01

Nuclear Energy Data is the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency's annual compilation of statistics and country reports documenting the status of nuclear power in the OECD area. Information provided by member country governments includes statistics on installed generating capacity, total electricity produced by all sources and by nuclear power, nuclear energy policies and fuel cycle developments, as well as projected generating capacity and electricity production to 2035, where available. Total electricity generation at nuclear power plants and the share of electricity production from nuclear power plants remained steady in 2013 despite the progressive shutdown of all reactors in Japan leading up to September and the permanent closure of six reactors in the OECD area. Governments committed to maintaining nuclear power in the energy mix advanced plans for increasing nuclear generating capacity, and progress was made in the development of deep geological repositories for spent nuclear fuel, with Finland expected to have the first such facility in operation in the early 2020's. Further details on these and other developments are provided in the publication's numerous tables, graphs and country reports. This publication contains 'StatLinks'. For each StatLink, the reader will find a URL which leads to the corresponding spreadsheet. These links work in the same way as an Internet link. (authors)

FERC perspectives on nuclear fuel accounting issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDanal, M.W.

1986-01-01

The purpose of the presentation is to discuss the treatment of nuclear fuel and problems that have evolved in industry practices in accounting for fuel. For some time, revisions to the Uniform System of Accounts have been considered with regard to the nuclear fuel accounts. A number of controversial issues have been encountered on audits, including treatment of nuclear fuel enrichment charges, costs associated with delays in enrichment services, the treatment and recognition of fuel inventories in excess of current or projected needs, and investments in and advances to mining and milling companies for future deliveries of nuclear fuel materials. In an effort to remedy the problems and to adapt the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's accounting to more easily provide for or point out classifications for each problem area, staff is reevaluating the need for contemplated amendments to the Uniform System of Accounts

Technical basis for the proposed high efficiency nuclear fuel program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacDonald, P.E.; Herring, J.S.; Crawford, D.C.; Neimark, L.E.

1999-01-01

Greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fired electricity generating stations will dramatically increase over the next 20 years. Nuclear energy is the only fully developed technology able to supply large amounts of electricity without generation of greenhouse gases. However, the problem of noncompetitive economics and public concerns about radioactive waste disposal, safety, and nuclear weapons proliferation may prevent the reemergence of nuclear power as a preferred option for new electric energy generation in the U.S. This paper discusses a new research program to help address these issues, by developing fuel designs capable of burnup values in excess of 60 MWD/kgU. The objectives of the program are to: improve the reliability and robustness of light water reactor fuel, thereby improving safety margins; Significantly increase the energy generated by each fuel loading, thereby achieving longer operating cycles, higher capacity factors, and lower cost electric power; Significantly reduce the volume of spent nuclear fuel discharged for disposal by allowing more energy to be extracted from each fuel element prior to discharge; Develop fuel that is much more proliferation resistant. (author)

The law for the regulations of nuclear source materials, nuclear fuel materials and reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-01-01

The law intends under the principles of the atomic energy act to regulate the refining, processing and reprocessing businesses of nuclear raw and fuel metarials and the installation and operation of reactors for the peaceful and systematic utilization of such materials and reactors and for securing public safety by preventing disasters, as well as to control internationally regulated things for effecting the international agreements on the research, development and utilization of atomic energy. Basic terms are defined, such as atomic energy; nuclear fuel material; nuclear raw material; nuclear reactor; refining; processing; reprocessing; internationally regulated thing. Any person who is going to engage in refining businesses other than the Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation shall get the special designation by the Prime Minister and the Minister of International Trade Industry. Any person who is going to engage in processing businesses shall get the particular admission of the Prime Minister. Any person who is going to establish reactors shall get the particular admission of the Prime Minister, The Minister of International Trade and Industry or the Minister of Transportation according to the kinds of specified reactors, respectively. Any person who is going to engage in reprocessing businesses other than the Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation and the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute shall get the special designation by the Prime Minister. The employment of nuclear fuel materials and internationally regulated things is defined in detail. (Okada, K.)

The nuclear fuel cycle: (2) fuel element manufacture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doran, J.

1976-01-01

Large-scale production of nuclear fuel in the United Kingdom is carried out at Springfields Works of British Nuclear Fuels Ltd., a company formed from the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority in 1971. The paper describes in some detail the Springfields Works processes for the conversion of uranium ore concentrate to uranium tetrafluoride, then conversion of the tetrafluoride to either uranium metal for cladding in Magnox to form fuel for the British Mk I gas-cooled reactors, or to uranium hexafluoride for enrichment of the fissile 235 U isotope content at the Capenhurst Works of BNFL. Details are given of the reconversion at Springfields Works of this enriched uranium hexafluoride to uranium dioxide, which is pelleted and then clad in either stainless steel or zircaloy containers to form the fuel assemblies for the British Mk II AGR or advanced gas-cooled reactors or for the water reactor fuels. (author)

Safety Aspects of Radioactive Waste Management in Different Nuclear Fuel Cycle Policies, a Comparative Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gad Allah, A.A.

2009-01-01

With the increasing demand of energy worldwide, and due to the depletion of conventional natural energy resources, energy policies in many countries have been devoted to nuclear energy option. On the other hand, adopting a safe and reliable nuclear fuel cycle concept guarantees future nuclear energy sustain ability is a vital request from environmental and economic point of views. The safety aspects of radioactive waste management in the nuclear fuel cycle is a topic of great importance relevant to public acceptance of nuclear energy and the development of nuclear technology. As a part of nuclear fuel cycle safety evaluation studies in the department of nuclear fuel cycle safety, National Center for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Control (NCNSRC), this study evaluates the radioactive waste management policies and radiological safety aspects of three different nuclear fuel cycle policies. The once-through fuel cycle (OT- fuel cycle) or the direct spent fuel disposal concept for both pressurized light water reactor ( PWR) and pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR or CANDU) systems and the s elf-generated o r recycling fuel cycle concept in PWR have been considered in the assessment. The environmental radiological safety aspects of different nuclear fuel cycle options have been evaluated and discussed throughout the estimation of radioactive waste generated from spent fuel from these fuel cycle options. The decay heat stored in the spent fuel was estimated and a comparative safety study between the three fuel cycle policies has been implemented

Evaluation of Waste Arising from Future Nuclear Fuel Cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jubin, Robert Thomas; Taiwo, Temitope; Wigeland, Roald

2015-01-01

A comprehensive study was recently completed at the request of the US Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) to evaluate and screen nuclear fuel cycles. The final report was issued in October 2014. Uranium- and thorium-based fuel cycles were evaluated using both fast and thermal spectrum reactors. Once-through, limited-recycle, and continuous-recycle cases were considered. This study used nine evaluation criteria to identify promising fuel cycles. Nuclear waste management was one of the nine evaluation criteria. The waste generation criterion from this study is discussed herein.

World nuclear fuel cycle requirements 1990

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

This analysis report presents the projected requirements for uranium concentrate and uranium enrichment services to fuel the nuclear power plants expected to be operating under three nuclear supply scenarios. Two of these scenarios, the Lower Reference and Upper Reference cases, apply to the United States, Canada, Europe, the Far East, and other countries with free market economies (FME countries). A No New Orders scenario is presented only for the United States. These nuclear supply scenarios are described in Commercial Nuclear Power 1990: Prospects for the United States and the World (DOE/EIA-0438(90)). This report contains an analysis of the sensitivities of the nuclear fuel cycle projections to different levels and types of projected nuclear capacity, different enrichment tails assays, higher and lower capacity factors, changes in nuclear fuel burnup levels, and other exogenous assumptions. The projections for the United States generally extend through the year 2020, and the FME projections, which include the United States, are provided through 2010. The report also presents annual projections of spent nuclear fuel discharges and inventories of spent fuel. Appendix D includes domestic spent fuel projections through the year 2030 for the Lower and Upper Reference cases and through 2040, the last year in which spent fuel is discharged, for the No New Orders case. These disaggregated projections are provided at the request of the Department of Energy's Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management

Nuclear fuel cycle. V. 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-01-01

Nuclear fuel cycle information in some countries that develop, supply or use nuclear energy is presented. Data about Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, Denmarmark, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Finland, Spain and India are included. The information is presented in a tree-like graphic way. (C.S.A.) [pt

Review of oxidation rates of DOE spent nuclear fuel : Part 1 : nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hilton, B.A.

2000-01-01

The long-term performance of Department of Energy (DOE) spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in a mined geologic disposal system depends highly on fuel oxidation and subsequent radionuclide release. The oxidation rates of nuclear fuels are reviewed in this two-volume report to provide a baseline for comparison with release rate data and technical rationale for predicting general corrosion behavior of DOE SNF. The oxidation rates of nuclear fuels in the DOE SNF inventory were organized according to metallic, Part 1, and non-metallic, Part 2, spent nuclear fuels. This Part 1 of the report reviews the oxidation behavior of three fuel types prototypic of metallic fuel in the DOE SNF inventory: uranium metal, uranium alloys and aluminum-based dispersion fuels. The oxidation rates of these fuels were evaluated in oxygen, water vapor, and water. The water data were limited to pure water corrosion as this represents baseline corrosion kinetics. Since the oxidation processes and kinetics discussed in this report are limited to pure water, they are not directly applicable to corrosion rates of SNF in water chemistry that is significantly different (such as may occur in the repository). Linear kinetics adequately described the oxidation rates of metallic fuels in long-term corrosion. Temperature dependent oxidation rates were determined by linear regression analysis of the literature data. As expected the reaction rates of metallic fuels dramatically increase with temperature. The uranium metal and metal alloys have stronger temperature dependence than the aluminum dispersion fuels. The uranium metal/water reaction exhibited the highest oxidation rate of the metallic fuel types and environments that were reviewed. Consequently, the corrosion properties of all DOE SNF may be conservatively modeled as uranium metal, which is representative of spent N-Reactor fuel. The reaction rate in anoxic, saturated water vapor was essentially the same as the water reaction rate. The long-term intrinsic

The nuclear fuel cycle, From the uranium mine to waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-09-01

Fuel is a material that can be burnt to provide heat. The most familiar fuels are wood, coal, natural gas and oil. By analogy, the uranium used in nuclear power plants is called 'nuclear fuel', because it gives off heat too, although, in this case, the heat is obtained through fission and not combustion. After being used in the reactor, spent nuclear fuel can be reprocessed to extract recyclable energy material, which is why we speak of the nuclear fuel cycle. This cycle includes all the following industrial operations: - uranium mining, - fuel fabrication, - use in the reactor, - reprocessing the fuel unloaded from the reactor, - waste treatment and disposal. 'The nuclear fuel cycle includes an array of industrial operations, from uranium mining to the disposal of radioactive waste'. Per unit or mass (e.g. per kilo), nuclear fuel supplies far more energy than a fossil fuel (coal or oil). When used in a pressurised water reactor, a kilo of uranium generates 10,000 times more energy than a kilo of coal or oil in a conventional power station. Also, the fuel will remain in the reactor for a long time (several years), unlike conventional fuels, which are burnt up quickly. Nuclear fuel also differs from others in that uranium has to undergo many processes between the time it is mined and the time it goes into the reactor. For the sake of simplicity, the following pages will only look at nuclear fuel used in pressurised water reactors (or PWRs), because nuclear power plants consisting of one or more PWRs are the most widely used around the world. (authors)

Nuclear energy in view

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-01-01

This leaflet advertises the availability of the following from UKAEA: film and video titles (nuclear fuel cycle; energy for all; power from the atom; using radioactivity; fast reactor; energy - the nuclear option; principles of fission; radiation); slide-tape packs (16 titles); other information services. (U.K.)

The economy of the nuclear fuel cycle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stoll, W [Alpha Chemie und Metallurgie G.m.b.H. (ALKEM), Hanau (Germany, F.R.)

1989-07-01

Heat extracted from nuclear fuel costs by a factor of 3 to 7 less than heat from conventional fossile fuel. So, nuclear fuel per se has an economical advantage, decreased however partly by higher nuclear plant investment costs. The standard LWR design does not allow all the fission energy stored in the fuel during on cycle to be used. It is therefore the most natural approach to separate fissionable species from fission products and consume them by fissioning. Whether this is economically justified as opposed by storing them indefinitely with spent fuel has widely been debated. The paper outlines the different approaches taken by nuclear communities worldwide and their perceived or proven rational arguments. It will balance economic and other factors for the near and distant future including advanced reactor concepts. The specific solution within the German nuclear programme will be explained, including foreseeable future trends. (orig.).

Elements of nuclear reactor fueling theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Egan, M.R.

1984-01-01

Starting with a review of the simple batch size effect, a more general theory of nuclear fueling is derived to describe the behavior and physical requirements of operating cycle sequences and fueling strategies having practical use in the management of nuclear fuel. The generalized theory, based on linear reactivity modeling, is analytical and represents the effects of multiple-stream, multiple-depletion-batch fueling configurations in systems employing arbitrary, non-integer batch size strategies, and containing fuel with variable energy generation rates. Reactor operating cycles and cycle sequences are represented with realistic structure that includes the effects of variable cycle energy production, cycle lengths, end-of-cycle operating extensions and maneuvering allowances. Results of the analytical theory are first applied to the special case of degenerate equilibrium cycle sequences, yielding several fundamental principles related to the selection of refueling strategy, and which govern fueling decisions normally made by the fuel manager. It is also demonstrated in this application that the simple batch size effect is not valid for non-integer fueling strategies, even in the simplest sequence configurations, and that it systematically underestimates the fueling requirements of degenerate sequences in general

Factors which could limit the nuclear fuel cycle development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pecqueur, M.; Barre, B.

1977-01-01

The nuclear fuel cycle is a most important industry for the energy future of the world. It has also a leading part as regards the physical continuity of energy supply of the countries engaged in the nuclear field. The development of this industry is subject to the economic or political constraints involved by the availability of raw materials, technologies or production means. The various limiting factors which could affect the different stages of the fuel cycle are linked with the technical, economic and financial aspects, with the impact on the environment, nuclear safety, risks of non-pacific uses and proliferation of arms. Interesting to note is also the correlation between the fuel cycle development and the problems of energy independence and security of nuclear programs. As a conclusion, the nuclear fuel cycle industry is confronted to difficulties due to its extremely rapid growth (doubling time 5 years) which only few heavy industries have encountered for long periods. It is more over submitted to the political and safety constraints always linked with nuclear matters. The task is therefore a difficult one. But the objective is worth-while since it is a condition to the development of nuclear industry [fr

Nuclear reactors and fuel cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2014-01-01

The Nuclear Fuel Center (CCN) of IPEN produces nuclear fuel for the continuous operation of the IEA-R1 research reactor of IPEN. The serial production started in 1988, when the first nuclear fuel element was delivered for IEA-R1. In 2011, CCN proudly presents the 100 th nuclear fuel element produced. Besides routine production, development of new technologies is also a permanent concern at CCN. In 2005, U 3 O 8 were replaced by U 3 Si 2 -based fuels, and the research of U Mo is currently under investigation. Additionally, the Brazilian Multipurpose Research Reactor (RMB), whose project will rely on the CCN for supplying fuel and uranium targets. Evolving from an annual production from 10 to 70 nuclear fuel elements, plus a thousand uranium targets, is a huge and challenging task. To accomplish it, a new and modern Nuclear Fuel Factory is being concluded, and it will provide not only structure for scaling up, but also a safer and greener production. The Nuclear Engineering Center has shown, along several years, expertise in the field of nuclear, energy systems and correlated areas. Due to the experience obtained during decades in research and technological development at Brazilian Nuclear Program, personnel has been trained and started to actively participate in design of the main system that will compose the Brazilian Multipurpose Reactor (RMB) which will make Brazil self-sufficient in production of radiopharmaceuticals. The institution has participated in the monitoring and technical support concerning the safety, licensing and modernization of the research reactors IPEN/MB-01 and IEA-R1. Along the last two decades, numerous specialized services of engineering for the Brazilian nuclear power plants Angra 1 and Angra 2 have been carried out. The contribution in service, research, training, and teaching in addition to the development of many related technologies applied to nuclear engineering and correlated areas enable the institution to fulfill its mission that is

Nuclear reactors and fuel cycle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2014-07-01

The Nuclear Fuel Center (CCN) of IPEN produces nuclear fuel for the continuous operation of the IEA-R1 research reactor of IPEN. The serial production started in 1988, when the first nuclear fuel element was delivered for IEA-R1. In 2011, CCN proudly presents the 100{sup th} nuclear fuel element produced. Besides routine production, development of new technologies is also a permanent concern at CCN. In 2005, U{sub 3}O{sub 8} were replaced by U{sub 3}Si{sub 2}-based fuels, and the research of U Mo is currently under investigation. Additionally, the Brazilian Multipurpose Research Reactor (RMB), whose project will rely on the CCN for supplying fuel and uranium targets. Evolving from an annual production from 10 to 70 nuclear fuel elements, plus a thousand uranium targets, is a huge and challenging task. To accomplish it, a new and modern Nuclear Fuel Factory is being concluded, and it will provide not only structure for scaling up, but also a safer and greener production. The Nuclear Engineering Center has shown, along several years, expertise in the field of nuclear, energy systems and correlated areas. Due to the experience obtained during decades in research and technological development at Brazilian Nuclear Program, personnel has been trained and started to actively participate in design of the main system that will compose the Brazilian Multipurpose Reactor (RMB) which will make Brazil self-sufficient in production of radiopharmaceuticals. The institution has participated in the monitoring and technical support concerning the safety, licensing and modernization of the research reactors IPEN/MB-01 and IEA-R1. Along the last two decades, numerous specialized services of engineering for the Brazilian nuclear power plants Angra 1 and Angra 2 have been carried out. The contribution in service, research, training, and teaching in addition to the development of many related technologies applied to nuclear engineering and correlated areas enable the institution to

Energy paper II: Nuclear energy revival

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anonymous

2008-01-01

ESI Energy paper is called 'Issue Paper' awarded by think-tank Energy Security Institute. The second issue focuses on the energy security of countries from the perspective of Renaissance of construction of nuclear power plants. Topicality is documented by fluctuations in fossil fuel prices on the world commodity markets and by extortionate potential, disposed by their main producers. The Slovak Republic is actively engaged into international dialogue on the need for the development of nuclear energy.

World nuclear fuel cycle requirements 1985

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moden, R.; O'Brien, B.; Sanders, L.; Steinberg, H.

1985-01-01

Projections of uranium requirements (both yellowcake and enrichment services) and spent fuel discharges are presented, corresponding to the nuclear power plant capacity projections presented in ''Commercial Nuclear Power 1984: Prospects for the United States and the World'' (DOE/EIA-0438(85)) and the ''Annual Energy Outlook 1984:'' (DOE/EIA-0383(84)). Domestic projections are provided through the year 2020, with foreign projections through 2000. The domestic projections through 1995 are consistent with the integrated energy forecasts in the ''Annual Energy Outlook 1984.'' Projections of capacity beyond 1995 are not part of an integrated energy foreccast; the methodology for their development is explained in ''Commercial Nuclear Power 1984.'' A range of estimates is provided in order to capture the uncertainty inherent in such forward projections. The methodology and assumptions are also stated. A glossary is provided. Two appendixes present additional material. This report is of particular interest to analysts involved in long-term planning for the disposition of radioactive waste generated from the nuclear fuel cycle. 14 figs., 18 tabs

Nuclear fuel tax in court; Kernbrennstoffsteuer vor Gericht

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leidinger, Tobias [Gleiss Lutz Rechtsanwaelte, Duesseldorf (Germany)

2014-07-15

Besides the 'Nuclear Energy Moratorium' (temporary shutdown of eight nuclear power plants after the Fukushima incident) and the legally decreed 'Nuclear Energy Phase-Out' (by the 13th AtG-amendment), also the legality of the nuclear fuel tax is being challenged in court. After receiving urgent legal proposals from 5 nuclear power plant operators, the Hamburg fiscal court (4V 154/13) temporarily obliged on 14 April 2014 respective main customs offices through 27 decisions to reimburse 2.2 b. Euro nuclear fuel tax to the operating companies. In all respects a remarkable process. It is not in favour of cleverness to impose a political target even accepting immense constitutional and union law risks. Taxation 'at any price' is neither a statement of state sovereignty nor one for a sound fiscal policy. Early and serious warnings of constitutional experts and specialists in the field of tax law with regard to the nuclear fuel tax were not lacking. (orig.)

Nuclear power: energy security and supply assurances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rogner, H.H.; McDonald, A.

2008-01-01

Expectations are high for nuclear power. This paper first summarizes recent global and regional projections for the medium-term, including the 2007 updates of IAEA projections plus International Energy Agency and World Energy Technology Outlook projections to 2030 and 2050. One driving force for nuclear power is concern about energy supply security. Two potential obstacles are concerns about increased nuclear weapon proliferation risks, and concerns by some countries about potential politically motivated nuclear fuel supply interruptions. Concerning supply security, the paper reviews different definitions, strategies and costs. Supply security is not free; nor does nuclear power categorically increase energy supply security in all situations. Concerning proliferation and nuclear fuel cut-off risks, the IAEA and others are exploring possible 'assurance of supply' mechanisms with 2 motivations. First, the possibility of a political fuel supply interruption is a non-market disincentive discouraging investment in nuclear power. Fuel supply assurance mechanisms could reduce this disincentive. Second, the risk of interruption creates an incentive for a country to insure against that risk by developing a national enrichment capability. Assurance mechanisms could reduce this incentive, thereby reducing the possible spread of new national enrichment capabilities and any associated weapon proliferation risks. (orig.)

Development of nuclear energy and nuclear policy in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

You Deliang

1993-11-01

Status of nuclear power development in China, nuclear policy and nuclear power programme are described. Issues regarding nuclear fuel cycle system, radioactive waste management and international cooperation in the field of peaceful use of nuclear energy are discussed

Proliferation Resistant Nuclear Reactor Fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gray, L.W.; Moody, K.J.; Bradley, K.S.; Lorenzana, H.E.

2011-01-01

Global appetite for fission power is projected to grow dramatically this century, and for good reason. Despite considerable research to identify new sources of energy, fission remains the most plentiful and practical alternative to fossil fuels. The environmental challenges of fossil fuel have made the fission power option increasingly attractive, particularly as we are forced to rely on reserves in ecologically fragile or politically unstable corners of the globe. Caught between a globally eroding fossil fuel reserve as well as the uncertainty and considerable costs in the development of fusion power, most of the world will most likely come to rely on fission power for at least the remainder of the 21st century. Despite inevitable growth, fission power faces enduring challenges in sustainability and security. One of fission power's greatest hurdles to universal acceptance is the risk of potential misuse for nefarious purposes of fissionable byproducts in spent fuel, such as plutonium. With this issue in mind, we have discussed intrinsic concepts in this report that are motivated by the premise that the utility, desirability, and applicability of nuclear materials can be reduced. In a general sense, the intrinsic solutions aim to reduce or eliminate the quantity of existing weapons usable material; avoid production of new weapons-usable material through enrichment, breeding, extraction; or employ engineering solutions to make the fuel cycle less useful or more difficult for producing weapons-usable material. By their nature, these schemes require modifications to existing fuel cycles. As such, the concomitants of these modifications require engagement from the nuclear reactor and fuel-design community to fully assess their effects. Unfortunately, active pursuit of any scheme that could further complicate the spread of domestic nuclear power will probably be understandably unpopular. Nevertheless, the nonproliferation and counterterrorism issues are paramount, and

Nuclear energy technology: theory and practice of commercial nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knief, R.A.

1982-01-01

Reviews Nuclear Energy Technology: Theory and Practice of Commercial Nuclear Power by Ronald Allen Knief, whose contents include an overview of the basic concepts of reactors and the nuclear fuel cycle; the basics of nuclear physics; reactor theory; heat removal; economics; current concerns at the front and back ends of the fuel cycle; design descriptions of domestic and foreign reactor systems; reactor safety and safeguards; Three Mile Island; and a brief overview of the basic concepts of nuclear fusion. Both magnetic and inertial confinement techniques are clearly outlined. Also reviews Nuclear Fuel Management by Harry W. Graves, Jr., consisting of introductory subjects (e.g. front end of fuel cycle); core physics methodology required for fuel depletion calculations; power capability evaluation (analyzes physical parameters that limit potential core power density); and fuel management topics (economics, loading arrangements and core operation strategies)

77 FR 19278 - Informational Meeting on Nuclear Fuel Cycle Options

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-30

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Informational Meeting on Nuclear Fuel Cycle Options AGENCY: Office of Fuel... activities leading to a comprehensive evaluation and screening of nuclear fuel cycle options in 2013. At this... fuel cycle options developed for the evaluation and screening provides a comprehensive representation...

New long-term plan of nuclear development and perspectives of nuclear fuel cycle policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uchiyama, Yohji

2005-01-01

Japan's nuclear fuel cycle policy, recently issued as an interim report of the Council to Formulate the New Long-Term Nuclear Program of the Atomic Energy Commission, is summarized and briefly explained together with the concluding remarks from the sub-committee for discussing technical and economical problems on the spent nuclear fuels with the present state of the Rokkasho reprocessing plant in mind. As for the nuclear fuel treatment, the panel considered four scenarios: (1) total reprocessing (the reprocessing for spent fuel after an appropriate period of storage); (2) partial reprocessing (spent fuel is reprocessed, with direct disposal of any spent fuel in excess of reprocessing capacity); (3) total direct disposal (direct disposal of all spent fuel); and (4) temporary storage (spent fuel is temporarily stored, and in about 2060 a choice will be made about whether to reprocess it or directly dispose of it). These four scenarios were studied from various perspectives, namely: (1) ensuring safety; (2) energy security; (3) environmental compatibility; (4) economic efficiency; (5) nuclear nonproliferation; (6) technical feasibility; (7) social acceptance; (8) securing choices; (9) issues concerning change in policy; and (10) overseas trends. Regarding economic efficiency, the council in particular conducted detailed studies and reassessment of nuclear fuel cycle costs. Scenario 1 (total reprocessing) is about 0.5-0.7 yen/kWh higher than scenario 3 (total direct disposal). However, looking at the situation from the perspectives of energy security, that is the stable supply and moderate use of resources, and environmental compatibility, scenario 1 (total reprocessing) can be evaluated as superior to the other scenarios. And more importantly, if the fast-breeder reactor cycle is commercialized, this superiority increases considerably. (S. Ohno)

Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy and Nuclear Science

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stamenov, J.

2004-01-01

The Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy (INRNE) of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences is the leading Bulgarian Institute for scientific investigations and applications of nuclear science. The main Institute's activities in the field of elementary particles and nuclear physics, high energy physics and nuclear energy, radiochemistry, radioecology, radioactive wastes treatment, monitoring of the environment, nuclear instruments development ect. are briefly described. Several examples for: environmental radiation monitoring; monitoring of the radioactivity and heavy metals in aerosols, 99m Tc clinical use, Boron Neutron Capture Therapy application of IRT-2000 Research Reactor, neutron fluence for reactor vessel embrittlement, NPP safety analysis, nuclear fuel modelling are also presented

Integrated spent nuclear fuel database system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henline, S.P.; Klingler, K.G.; Schierman, B.H.

1994-01-01

The Distributed Information Systems software Unit at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory has designed and developed an Integrated Spent Nuclear Fuel Database System (ISNFDS), which maintains a computerized inventory of all US Department of Energy (DOE) spent nuclear fuel (SNF). Commercial SNF is not included in the ISNFDS unless it is owned or stored by DOE. The ISNFDS is an integrated, single data source containing accurate, traceable, and consistent data and provides extensive data for each fuel, extensive facility data for every facility, and numerous data reports and queries

Galvanic cell for processing of used nuclear fuel

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia-Diaz, Brenda L.; Martinez-Rodriguez, Michael J.; Gray, Joshua R.; Olson, Luke C.

2017-02-07

A galvanic cell and methods of using the galvanic cell is described for the recovery of uranium from used nuclear fuel according to an electrofluorination process. The galvanic cell requires no input energy and can utilize relatively benign gaseous fluorinating agents. Uranium can be recovered from used nuclear fuel in the form of gaseous uranium compound such as uranium hexafluoride, which can then be converted to metallic uranium or UO.sub.2 and processed according to known methodology to form a useful product, e.g., fuel pellets for use in a commercial energy production system.

Electrochemical fluorination for processing of used nuclear fuel

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia-Diaz, Brenda L.; Martinez-Rodriguez, Michael J.; Gray, Joshua R.; Olson, Luke C.

2016-07-05

A galvanic cell and methods of using the galvanic cell is described for the recovery of uranium from used nuclear fuel according to an electrofluorination process. The galvanic cell requires no input energy and can utilize relatively benign gaseous fluorinating agents. Uranium can be recovered from used nuclear fuel in the form of gaseous uranium compound such as uranium hexafluoride, which can then be converted to metallic uranium or UO.sub.2 and processed according to known methodology to form a useful product, e.g., fuel pellets for use in a commercial energy production system.

Uranium Resource Availability Analysis of Four Nuclear Fuel Cycle Options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Youn, S. R.; Lee, S. H.; Jeong, M. S.; Kim, S. K.; Ko, W. I.

2013-01-01

Making the national policy regarding nuclear fuel cycle option, the policy should be established in ways that nuclear power generation can be maintained through the evaluation on the basis of the following aspects. To establish the national policy regarding nuclear fuel cycle option, that must begin with identification of a fuel cycle option that can be best suited for the country, and the evaluation work for that should be proceeded. Like all the policy decision, however, a certain nuclear fuel cycle option cannot be superior in all aspects of sustain ability, environment-friendliness, proliferation-resistance, economics, technologies, which make the comparison of the fuel cycle options very complicated. For such a purpose, this paper set up four different fuel cycle of nuclear power generation considering 2nd Comprehensive Nuclear Energy Promotion Plan(CNEPP), and analyzed material flow and features in steady state of all four of the fuel cycle options. As a result of an analysis on material flow of each nuclear fuel cycle, it was analyzed that Pyro-SFR recycling is most effective on U resource availability among four fuel cycle option. As shown in Figure 3, OT cycle required the most amount of U and Pyro-SFR recycle consumed the least amount of U. DUPIC recycling, PWR-MOX recycling, and Pyro-SFR recycling fuel cycle appeared to consumed 8.2%, 12.4%, 39.6% decreased amount of uranium respectively compared to OT cycle. Considering spent fuel can be recycled as potential energy resources, U and TRU taken up to be 96% is efficiently used. That is, application period of limited uranium natural resources can be extended, and it brings a great influence on stable use of nuclear energy

The nuclear fuel cycle, Economical, environmental and social aspects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

The nuclear energy part in the durable development depends of many factors, bound to the fuel cycle. This document describes the developments and the tendencies in the fuel cycle domain, susceptible of improve the competitiveness and the durability of the nuclear energy systems at moderate and long-dated. Evaluation criteria and indicators illustrate the analysis. (A.L.B.)

Development of fuel prices and its impact on the future development of nuclear energy, the use of computer code DESAE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panik, M.; Necas, V.

2007-01-01

The thesis is an overview of fuel prices, its key components, such as the particular price and price of natural uranium fuel enrichment. The paper outlines the expected impact of higher fuel prices on the future development of nuclear energy. The last section is devoted to computer code DESAE, designed to calculate and compare advantages and disadvantages of different nuclear systems, but also to calculate the parameters of given nuclear system. They suggested the possibility of using code in practice. (author)

Energy, electricity and nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reuss, P.; Naudet, G.

2008-01-01

After an introduction recalling what energy is, the first part of this book presents the present day energy production and consumption and details more particularly the electricity 'vector' which is an almost perfect form of energy despite the fact that it is not a primary energy source: it must be generated from another energy source and no large scale storage of this energy is possible. The second part of the book is devoted to nuclear energy principles and to the related technologies. Content: 1 - What does energy mean?: the occurrence of the energy concept, the classical notion of energy, energy notion in modern physics, energy transformations, energy conservation, irreversibility of energy transformations, data and units used in the energy domain; 2 - energy production and consumption: energy systems, energy counting, reserves and potentialities of energy resources, production of primary energies, transport and storage of primary energies, energy consumption, energy saving, energy markets and prices, energy indicators; 3 - electric power: specificity of electricity and the electric system, power networks, power generation, electricity storage, power consumption and demand, power generation economics, electricity prices and market; 4 - physical principles of nuclear energy: nuclei structure and binding energy, radioactivity and nuclear reactions, nuclear reactions used in energy generation, basics of fission reactors physics; 5 - nuclear techniques: historical overview, main reactor types used today, perspectives; 6 - fuel cycle: general considerations, uranium mining, conversion, enrichment, fuel fabrication, back-end of the cycle, plutonium recycle in water cooled reactors; 7 - health and environmental aspects of nuclear energy: effects on ionizing radiations, basics of radiation protection, environmental impacts of nuclear energy, the nuclear wastes problem, specific risks; 8 - conclusion; 9 - appendixes (units, physics constants etc..)

Prospects for Australian involvement in the nuclear fuel cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chandra, S.; Hallenstein, C.

1988-05-01

A review of recent overseas developments in the nuclear industry by The Northern Territory Department of Mines and Energy suggests that there are market prospects in all stages of the fuel cycle. Australia could secure those markets through aggressive marketing and competitive prices. This report gives a profile of the nuclear fuel cycle and nuclear fuel cycle technologies, and describes the prospects of Australian involvement in the nuclear fuel cycle. It concludes that the nuclear fuel cycle industry has the potential to earn around $10 billion per year in export income. It recommend that the Federal Government: (1) re-examines its position on the Slayter recommendation (1984) that Australia should develop new uranium mines and further stages of the nuclear fuel cycle, and (2) gives it's in-principle agreement to the Northern Territory to seek expressions of interest from the nuclear industry for the establishment of an integrated nuclear fuel cycle industry in the Northern Territory

On the energy gain enhancement of DT+D3He fuel configuration in nuclear fusion reactor driven by heavy ion beams

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S Khoshbinfar

2016-09-01

Full Text Available It is expected that advanced fuels be employed in the second generation of nuclear fusion reactors. Theoretical calculations show that in such a fuel, a high plasma temperature about 100 keV is a requisite for reaction rate improvement of nuclear fusion. However, creating such a temporal condition requires a more powerful driver than we have today. Here, introducing an optimal fuel configuration consisting of DT and D-3He layers, suitable for inertial fusion reactors and driven by heavy ion beams, the optimal energy gain conditions have been simulated and derived for 1.3 MJ system. It was found that, in this new fuel configuration, the ideal energy gain, is 22 percent more comparing with energy gain in corresponding single DT fuel layer. Moreover, the inner DT fuel layer contributed as an ignition trigger, while the outer D3He fuel acts as particle and radiation shielding as well as fuel layer.

Nuclear fuel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakano, H [Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corp., Tokyo (Japan)

1976-10-01

It is expected that nuclear power generation will reach 49 million kW in 1985 and 129 million kW in 1995, and the nuclear fuel having to be supplied and processed will increase in proportion to these values. The technical problems concerning nuclear fuel are presented on the basis of the balance between the benefit for human beings and the burden on the human beings. Recently, especially the downstream of nuclear fuel attracts public attention. Enriched uranium as the raw material for light water reactor fuel is almost monopolized by the U.S., and the technical information has not been published for fear of the diversion to nuclear weapons. In this paper, the present situations of uranium enrichment, fuel fabrication, transportation, reprocessing and waste disposal and the future problems are described according to the path of nuclear fuel cycle. The demand and supply of enriched uranium in Japan will be balanced up to about 1988, but afterwards, the supply must rely upon the early establishment of the domestic technology by centrifugal separation method. No problem remains in the fabrication of light water reactor fuel, but for the fabrication of mixed oxide fuel, the mechanization of the production facility and labor saving are necessary. The solution of the capital risk for the construction of the second reprocessing plant is the main problem. Japan must develop waste disposal techniques with all-out efforts.

Approaches for Securing the Nuclear Fuel Cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jae San; Kim, Min Su; Jo, Seong Youn

2007-01-01

The greatest challenge to international nuclear nonproliferation regime is posed by nuclear energy's dual nature for both peaceful and military purposes. Uranium enrichment and spent nuclear fuel (SNF) reprocessing (sensitive nuclear technologies) are critical from the non-proliferation viewpoint because they may be used to produce weapons-grade nuclear materials. Therefore, since 1970s the world community started to develop further measures to curb the spread of sensitive nuclear technologies. The establishment of a Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in 1975 was one such measure. The NSG united countries which voluntarily agreed to coordinate their legislation regarding export of nuclear materials, equipment and technologies to countries not possessing nuclear weapons. Alongside measures to limit the spread of sensitive nuclear technologies, multilateral approaches to the nuclear fuel cycle (NFC) started to be discussed. It's becoming increasingly important to link the objective need for an expanded use of nuclear energy with strengthening nuclear non-proliferation by preventing the spread of sensitive nuclear technologies and securing access for interested countries to NFC products and services

Nuclear Fuel Cycle System Analysis (II)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ko, Won Il; Kwon, Eun Ha; Yoon, Ji Sup; Park, Seong Won

2007-04-15

As a nation develops strategies that provide nuclear energy while meeting its various objectives, it must begin with identification of a fuel cycle option that can be best suitable for the country. For such a purpose, this paper takes four different fuel cycle options that are likely adopted by the Korean government, considering the current status of nuclear power generation and the 2nd Comprehensive Nuclear Energy Promotion Plan (CNEPP) - Once-through Cycle, DUPIC Recycle, Thermal Reactor Recycle and GEN-IV Recycle. The paper then evaluates each option in terms of sustainability, environment-friendliness, proliferation-resistance, economics and technologies. Like all the policy decision, however, a nuclear fuel cycle option can not be superior in all aspects of sustainability, environment-friendliness, proliferation-resistance, economics, technologies and so on, which makes the comparison of the options extremely complicated. Taking this into consideration, the paper analyzes all the four fuel cycle options using the Multi-Attribute Utility Theory (MAUT) and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), methods of Multi-Attribute Decision Making (MADM), that support systematical evaluation of the cases with multi- goals or criteria and that such goals are incompatible with each other. The analysis shows that the GEN-IV Recycle appears to be most competitive.

International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carnesale, A.

1980-01-01

As nuclear power expands globally, so too expands the capability for producing nuclear weapons. The International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation (INFCE) was organized in 1977 for the purpose of exploring two areas: (1) ways in which nuclear energy can be made available to help meet world energy needs, and (2) means by which the attendant risk of weapons proliferation can be held to a minimum. INFCE is designed for technical and analytical study rather than negotiation. Its organizational structure and issues under consideration are discussed. Some even broader issues that emerge from consideration of the relationships between the peaceful and military use of nuclear energy are also discussed. These are different notions of the meaning of nuclear proliferation, nuclear export policy, the need of a nuclear policy to be both a domestic as well as a foreign one, and political-military measures that can help reduce incentives of countries to acquire nuclear weapons of their own

The future of nuclear energy (group 17)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moncomble, J.E.

2002-01-01

This article is the work of a group of students from the ''Ecole Nationale d'Administration'', they had to study the perspective of nuclear energy in France. Nuclear energy is an important element to assure the stability of the energy supply of the country. Uranium purchases appear to be safe for being diversified and the price of the nuclear fuel contributes to only 20% of the price of the kWh compared to 40% for natural gas. Today the competitiveness of nuclear energy is assured but technological progress concerning gas turbines might challenge it in the years to come. Sustainable development implies not only abundant energy for all but also a preserved environment for the generations to come. The development of nuclear energy is hampered by the lack of satisfactory answers to the problem of fuel back-end cycle and more generally to the issue of radioactive wastes. On the other hand nuclear energy presents serious assets concerning the preservation of environment: nuclear energy as a whole from the uranium ore mining to the production of electricity emits very few atmospheric pollutants and greenhouse effect gases, and requires little room for its installations. The composition of the future energy mix will depend greatly on opinions and assumptions made about the reserves of fossil fuels, technological perspectives and the perception by the public of industrial risks (environmental damage, nuclear accidents...). (A.C.)

International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Fact Book

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leigh, I.W.

1992-05-01

As the US Department of Energy (DOE) and DOE contractors have become increasingly involved with other nations in nuclear fuel cycle and waste management cooperative activities, a need exists costs for a ready source of information concerning foreign fuel cycle programs, facilities, and personnel. This Fact Book has been compiled to meet that need. The information contained in the International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Fact Book has been obtained from many unclassified sources: nuclear trade journals and newsletters; reports of foreign visits and visitors; CEC, IAEA, and OECD/NMEA activities reports; and proceedings of conferences and workshops. The data listed typically do not reflect any single source but frequently represent a consolidation/combination of information

International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Fact Book

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leigh, I.W.; Mitchell, S.J.

1990-01-01

As the US Department of Energy (DOE) and DOE contractors have become increasingly involved with other nations in nuclear fuel cycle and waste management cooperative activities, a need has developed for a ready source of information concerning foreign fuel cycle programs, facilities, and personnel. This Fact Book was compiled to meet that need. The information contained in the International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Fact Book has been obtained from many unclassified sources: nuclear trade journals and newsletters; reports of foreign visits and visitors; CEC, IAEA, and OECD/NEA activities reports; proceedings of conferences and workshops, etc. The data listed do not reflect any one single source but frequently represent a consolidation/combination of information

International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Fact Book

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leigh, I W; Mitchell, S J

1990-01-01

As the US Department of Energy (DOE) and DOE contractors have become increasingly involved with other nations in nuclear fuel cycle and waste management cooperative activities, a need has developed for a ready source of information concerning foreign fuel cycle programs, facilities, and personnel. This Fact Book was compiled to meet that need. The information contained in the International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Fact Book has been obtained from many unclassified sources: nuclear trade journals and newsletters; reports of foreign visits and visitors; CEC, IAEA, and OECD/NEA activities reports; proceedings of conferences and workshops, etc. The data listed do not reflect any one single source but frequently represent a consolidation/combination of information.

Annotated Bibliography for Drying Nuclear Fuel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rebecca E. Smith

2011-09-01

Internationally, the nuclear industry is represented by both commercial utilities and research institutions. Over the past two decades many of these entities have had to relocate inventories of spent nuclear fuel from underwater storage to dry storage. These efforts were primarily prompted by two factors: insufficient storage capacity (potentially precipitated by an open-ended nuclear fuel cycle) or deteriorating quality of existing underwater facilities. The intent of developing this bibliography is to assess what issues associated with fuel drying have been identified, to consider where concerns have been satisfactorily addressed, and to recommend where additional research would offer the most value to the commercial industry and the U. S. Department of Energy.

Nuclear energy and its synergies with renewable energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carre, F.; Mermilliod, N.; Devezeaux De Lavergne, J.G.; Durand, S.

2011-01-01

France has the ambition to become a world leader in both nuclear industry and in renewable energies. 3 types of synergies between nuclear power and renewable energies are highlighted. First, nuclear power can be used as a low-carbon energy to produce the equipment required to renewable energy production for instance photovoltaic cells. Secondly, to benefit from the complementary features of both energies: continuous/intermittency of the production, centralized/local production. The future development of smart grids will help to do that. Thirdly, to use nuclear energy to produce massively hydrogen from water and synthetic fuels from biomass. (A.C.)

The Nuclear Fuel Cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-08-01

This brochure describes the nuclear fuel cycle, which is an industrial process involving various activities to produce electricity from uranium in nuclear power reactors. The cycle starts with the mining of uranium and ends with the disposal of nuclear waste. The raw material for today's nuclear fuel is uranium. It must be processed through a series of steps to produce an efficient fuel for generating electricity. Used fuel also needs to be taken care of for reuse and disposal. The nuclear fuel cycle includes the 'front end', i.e. preparation of the fuel, the 'service period' in which fuel is used during reactor operation to generate electricity, and the 'back end', i.e. the safe management of spent nuclear fuel including reprocessing and reuse and disposal. If spent fuel is not reprocessed, the fuel cycle is referred to as an 'open' or 'once-through' fuel cycle; if spent fuel is reprocessed, and partly reused, it is referred to as a 'closed' nuclear fuel cycle.

Neutron imaging methods for the investigation of energy related materials. Fuel cells, battery, hydrogen storage and nuclear fuel

Science.gov (United States)

Lehmann, Eberhard H.; Boillat, Pierre; Kaestner, Anders; Vontobel, Peter; Mannes, David

2015-10-01

After a short explanation of the state-of-the-art in the field of neutron imaging we give some examples how energy related materials can be studied successfully. These are in particular fuel cell studies, battery research approaches, the storage of hydrogen, but also some investigations with nuclear fuel components. The high contrast for light isotopes like H-1, Li-6 or B-10 are used to trace low amounts of material even within compact sealing of metals which are relatively transparent for neutrons at the same time.

Department of Energy Programmatic Spent Nuclear Fuel Management and Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programs draft environmental impact statement. Volume 1, Appendix B: Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Spent Nuclear Fuel Management Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-06-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has prepared this report to assist its management in making two decisions. The first decision, which is programmatic, is to determine the management program for DOE spent nuclear fuel. The second decision is on the future direction of environmental restoration, waste management, and spent nuclear fuel management activities at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. Volume 1 of the EIS, which supports the programmatic decision, considers the effects of spent nuclear fuel management on the quality of the human and natural environment for planning years 1995 through 2035. DOE has derived the information and analysis results in Volume 1 from several site-specific appendixes. Volume 2 of the EIS, which supports the INEL-specific decision, describes environmental impacts for various environmental restoration, waste management, and spent nuclear fuel management alternatives for planning years 1995 through 2005. This Appendix B to Volume 1 considers the impacts on the INEL environment of the implementation of various DOE-wide spent nuclear fuel management alternatives. The Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, which is a joint Navy/DOE program, is responsible for spent naval nuclear fuel examination at the INEL. For this appendix, naval fuel that has been examined at the Naval Reactors Facility and turned over to DOE for storage is termed naval-type fuel. This appendix evaluates the management of DOE spent nuclear fuel including naval-type fuel.

Strengthening the nuclear nonproliferation regime: focus on the civilian nuclear fuel cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saltiel, David H.; Pregenzer, Arian Leigh

2005-01-01

Leaders around the world and across the ideological spectrum agree that the global nonproliferation regime is facing a serious test. The emergence of sophisticated terrorist networks, black markets in nuclear technology, and technological leaps associated with globalization have conspired to threaten one of the most successful examples of international cooperation in history. The rampant proliferation of nuclear weapons that was predicted at the start of the nuclear age has been largely held in check and the use of those weapons avoided. Nonetheless, with the thirty-fifth anniversary of the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the threat of nuclear proliferation seems more serious than ever. Although experts readily concede that there exist many pathways to proliferation, the threat posed by the misuse of the civilian nuclear fuel cycle has received considerable recent attention. While the connection between nuclear energy and nonproliferation has been a topic of discussion since the dawn of the nuclear age, world events have brought the issue to the forefront once again. United States President George W. Bush and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Mohammad ElBaradei are among those who have highlighted proliferation risks associated with civilian nuclear power programs and called for revitalizing the nuclear nonproliferation regime to address new threats. From the possibility of diversion or theft of nuclear material or technology, to the use of national civilian programs as a cover for weapons programs - what some have called latent proliferation - the fuel cycle appears to many to represent a glaring proliferation vulnerability. Just as recognition of these risks is not new, neither is recognition of the many positive benefits of nuclear energy. In fact, a renewed interest in exploiting these benefits has increased the urgency of addressing the risks. Global energy demand is expected to at least double by the middle of

Nuclear energy: today and tomorrow in the RSA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schumann, W.A.

1985-01-01

The energy content of relevant materials and world energy resources are briefly discussed. A short review is given of the typical fission fuel cycle. The article also covers the fundamental aspects of uranium enrichment and the disposal of radio-active material as part of the conventional nuclear fuel cycle. The present nuclear energy situation and possible alternatives for the future of power supply in South Africa is discussed. The alternative energy production systems are based on the spectrum of choices presented by the nuclear energy continuum of nuclear fission, fusion and spallation particle accelerator systems

Department of Energy: monitoring and control of British Nuclear Fuels plc. Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1989-01-01

British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) was set up in 1971 to take over the nuclear fuel production and reprocessing activities of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority with the Department of Energy (as majority shareholder) being responsible for the monitoring and control of BNFL's activities. BNFL's activities include the production of nuclear fuel, uranium enrichment, and the transportation and reprocessing of spent fuel. Its major capital investment includes the construction of the Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP) due for completion in 1992. This study examined the effectiveness of the Department's arrangements for monitoring and control and for safeguarding the Government's investment in the company, the arrangements for examining BNFL's capital investment programme and the extent to which the Department's main aims have been achieved. The examination was restricted to the financial performance. The National Audit Office found evidence to suggest that BNFL's financial performance has not kept pace with the general performance level of British Industry. Future success and performance will depend on the success of the THORP plant. (U.K.).

78 FR 40200 - Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, Oconee Nuclear Station Units 1, 2, and 3; Independent Spent Fuel...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-03

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket Nos. 72-1004, 72-40, 50-269, 50-270, and 50-287; NRC-2013-0135] Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, Oconee Nuclear Station Units 1, 2, and 3; Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact AGENCY: Nuclear...

78 FR 45575 - Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC; Oconee Nuclear Station Units 1, 2, and 3; Independent Spent Fuel...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-29

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket Nos.: 72-1004, 72-40, 50-269, 50-270, 50-287; and NRC-2013- 0135] Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC; Oconee Nuclear Station Units 1, 2, and 3; Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Exemption; issuance. SUMMARY: The NRC...

Some technical aspects of the nuclear material accounting and control at nuclear fuel cycle facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, O.A.; Babaev, N.S.; Gryazev, V.M.; Gadzhiev, G.I.; Gabeskiriya, V.Ya.

1977-01-01

The possibilities of nuclear material accounting and control are discussed at nuclear facilities of fuel cycle (WWER-type reactor, fuel fabrication plant, reprocessing plant and uranium enrichment facility) and zero energy fast reactor facility. It is shown that for nuclear material control the main method is the accounting with the application isotopic correlations at the reprocessing plant and enrichment facility. Possibilities and limitations of the application of destructive and non-destructive methods are discussed for nuclear material determinations at fuel facilities and their role in the accounting and safeguards systems as well as possibilities of the application of neutron method at a zero energy fast reactor facility [ru

Nuclear energy and environment: abstracts; Energia nuclear y medio ambiente: resumenes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-07-01

In this meeting on nuclear energy and environment, abstracts on the following subjects were presented: nuclear fuels; materials; radioisotopes and its applications; reactors and nuclear power plants; regulations, energy and environment; radioactive wastes; and analytical techniques.

Benefits and risks of nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnert, H.; Borsch, P.; Feldmann, A.; Jaek, W.; Muench, E.; Voss, A.; Wolters, J.

1983-01-01

In the controversy of the pro's and con's of nuclear energy, emotions and ideologies have replaced factual observations. In this situation, this contribution hopes to offer the public some factual information concerning the problems of nuclear energy. Therefore, the project group Nuclear Energy and the Environment discusses the topics of energy demands, physical principles, fuel cycle, radioactive radiation, and safety of nuclear power plants. (RW) [de

An architecture for nuclear energy in the 21st century

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arthur, E.D.; Cunningham, P.T.; Wagner, R.L. Jr.

1998-01-01

Nuclear energy currently plays a significant role in the energy economies of the US and other major industrial nations. Its future (several scenarios are described later) may involve significant growth in developing countries but controversy and debate surrounds future nuclear energy scenarios. In that ongoing debate, proponents and critics both appear to assume that nuclear technologies, practices and institutions will continue over the long term to look much as they do today. This paper discusses possible global and regional nuclear energy scenarios, and proposes changes in the global nuclear architecture that could reshape technologies, practices and institutions of nuclear energy over the coming decades. In doing so the array of choices available for exercising the nuclear energy option could be enlarged, making such a potential deployment less problematic and perhaps less controversial. How fuel discharged from power reactors is used and disposed of is a central issue of nuclear energy's present controversy and central factor in determining its long-term potential. Many proponents of nuclear power, especially outside the US, believe that extracting all the energy available in reactor fuel--and, in particular, recovering the plutonium from discharged fuel for recycling through breeder reactors--is necessary to realize the technology's ultimate potential as a source of virtually inexhaustible energy. Others consider the plutonium contained in discharged fuel to be a challenge to waste disposal and a potential proliferation risk. Focusing on the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle as a principal arena for improvement represents a fruitful pathway towards creating a significantly improved fuel-cycle architecture

Fuel and nuclear fuel cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prunier, C.

1998-01-01

The nuclear fuel is studied in detail, the best choice and why in relation with the type of reactor, the properties of the fuel cans, the choice of fuel materials. An important part is granted to the fuel assembly of PWR type reactor and the performances of nuclear fuels are tackled. The different subjects for research and development are discussed and this article ends with the particular situation of mixed oxide fuels ( materials, behavior, efficiency). (N.C.)

Development of nuclear fuel cycle technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawahara, Akira; Sugimoto, Yoshikazu; Shibata, Satoshi; Ikeda, Takashi; Suzuki, Kazumichi; Miki, Atsushi.

1990-01-01

In order to establish the stable supply of nuclear fuel as an important energy source, Hitachi ltd. has advanced the technical development aiming at the heightening of reliability, the increase of capacity, upgrading and the heightening of performance of the facilities related to nuclear fuel cycle. As for fuel reprocessing, Japan Nuclear Fuel Service Ltd. is promoting the construction of a commercial fuel reprocessing plant which is the first in Japan. The verification of the process performance, the ensuring of high reliability accompanying large capacity and the technical development for recovering effective resources from spent fuel are advanced. Moreover, as for uranium enrichment, Laser Enrichment Technology Research Association was founded mainly by electric power companies, and the development of the next generation enrichment technology using laser is promoted. The development of spent fuel reprocessing technology, the development of the basic technology of atomic process laser enrichment and so on are reported. In addition to the above technologies recently developed by Hitachi Ltd., the technology of reducing harm and solidification of radioactive wastes, the molecular process laser enrichment and others are developed. (K.I.)

Energy-analysis of the total nuclear energy cycle based on light water reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kistemaker, J.

1975-01-01

The energy economy of the total nuclear energy cycle is investigated. Attention is paid to the importance of fossil fuel saving by using nuclear energy. The energy analysis is based on the construction and operation of power plants with an electric output of 1000MWe. Light water moderated reactors with a 2.7 - 3.2% enriched uranium core are considered. Additionally, the whole fuel cycle including ore winning and refining, enrichment and fuel element manufacturing and reprocessing has been taken into account. Neither radioactive waste storage problems nor safety problems related to the nuclear energy cycle and safeguarding have been dealt with, as exhaustive treatments can be found elswhere

Nuclear energy, energy for the present and the future

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arredondo S, C.

2008-01-01

In this work we will try to show that nuclear energy can contribute to the generation energy in the present and the future, considering that its effect on the climatic change is relatively low and that the fuels that uses are available a large scale. At the moment it is had already commercial thermal fission reactors , there are also them of fast fission that allow the fuel rearing, although these last ones in much smaller number, with both types of fission nuclear reactors can be obtained a very important contribution to the generation of energy at world-wide level during the time that is necessary so that it is developed, constructs and operates the first commercial fusion reactor. The energy that is generated in the present and future must come from different sources, which require to be reliable, to have little effect on the environment, to have wide reserves of fuels and to be viable from an economic and social point of view, they must be viable and safe. Between possible alternative energies it is counted on the lot, the wind one, the geothermal one, originating of the tides and some others. An energy that must be considered so that it has arrived at his maturity and he is already able to contribute widely to cover the present needs and future it is nuclear energy, as much the originating one of the fission of a heavy centre like obtained when fusing two light centers. On base in the nuclear fuel reserves at world-wide level a simple calculation takes control of the lapse in which energy by means of the nuclear fission in rearing can be generated reactors expresses demonstrating that the time sufficient to finish to the investigation and development of fusion reactors which they generate energy in economic, safe and reliable form. Combining these two options the nuclear energy can be considered the future like for the present and the future with practically null effects in the climatic change. (Author)

Problems of attracting nuclear energy resources in order to provide economical and rational consumption of fossil fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nazarov, E.K.; Nikitin, A.T.; Ponomarev-Stepnoy, N.N.; Protsenko, A.N.; Stolyarevskii, A.Ya.; Doroshenko, N.A.

1990-01-01

Depletion of fossil fuel resources and the gradual increase in cost of their extraction and transportation to the places of their consumption put forward into a line of the most urgent tasks the problem of rational and economical utilization of fuel and energy resources, as well as introduction of new energy sources into various sectors of the national economy. The nuclear energy sources which are widely spread in power engineering have not yet been used to a proper extent in the sectors of industrial technologies and residential space heating, which are the most energy consuming sectors in the national economy. The most effective way of solving this problem can be the development and commercialization of high temperature nuclear reactors, as the majority of power consuming industrial processes and those involved in chemico-thermal systems of distant heat transmission demand the temperature of a heat carrier generated by nuclear reactors and assimilated by the above processes to be in the range from 900 0 to 1000 0 C. (author)

How competitive is nuclear energy?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keppler, J.H.

2010-01-01

The economic competitiveness of nuclear energy will be crucial for determining its future share in world electricity production. In addition, the widespread liberalization of power markets, in particular in OECD countries, reinforces the role of commercial criteria in technology selection . The recently published IEA/NEA study on Projected Costs of Generating Electricity: 2010 Edition (IEA/NEA, 2010) provides important indications regarding the relative competitiveness of nuclear energy in OECD member countries as well as in four non-OECD countries (Brazil, China, Russia and South Africa). The results highlight the paramount importance of discount rates and, to a lesser extent, carbon and fuel prices when comparing different technologies. Going beyond this general finding, the study also shows that the relative competitiveness of nuclear energy varies widely from one major region to another, and even from country to country. While the study provides a useful snapshot of the costs of generating electricity with different technologies, it does not provide an absolute picture of the competitiveness of nuclear energy. Like any study, Projected Costs of Generating Electricity makes a number of common assumptions about discount rates as well as carbon and fuel prices. In addition, its calculations are based on a methodology that is referred to as the levelised cost of electricity (LCOE), which assumes that all risks are included in the interest or discount rate, which determines the cost of capital. In other words, neither the electricity price risk for nuclear and renewables, nor the carbon and fuel price risk for fossil fuels such as coal and gas, receive specific consideration. The decisions of private investors, however, will depend to a large extent on their individual appreciations of these risks. The competitiveness of nuclear energy thus depends on three different factors which may vary greatly from market to market: interest rates, carbon and fuel prices, and

Nuclear fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beauvy, M.; Berthoud, G.; Defranceschi, M.; Ducros, G.; Guerin, Y.; Limoge, Y.; Madic, Ch.; Santarini, G.; Seiler, J.M.; Sollogoub, P.; Vernaz, E.; Guillet, J.L.; Ballagny, A.; Bechade, J.L.; Bonin, B.; Brachet, J.Ch.; Delpech, M.; Dubois, S.; Ferry, C.; Freyss, M.; Gilbon, D.; Grouiller, J.P.; Iracane, D.; Lansiart, S.; Lemoine, P.; Lenain, R.; Marsault, Ph.; Michel, B.; Noirot, J.; Parrat, D.; Pelletier, M.; Perrais, Ch.; Phelip, M.; Pillon, S.; Poinssot, Ch.; Vallory, J.; Valot, C.; Pradel, Ph.; Bonin, B.; Bouquin, B.; Dozol, M.; Lecomte, M.; Vallee, A.; Bazile, F.; Parisot, J.F.; Finot, P.; Roberts, J.F.

2009-01-01

Fuel is one of the essential components in a reactor. It is within that fuel that nuclear reactions take place, i.e. fission of heavy atoms, uranium and plutonium. Fuel is at the core of the reactor, but equally at the core of the nuclear system as a whole. Fuel design and properties influence reactor behavior, performance, and safety. Even though it only accounts for a small part of the cost per kilowatt-hour of power provided by current nuclear power plants, good utilization of fuel is a major economic issue. Major advances have yet to be achieved, to ensure longer in-reactor dwell-time, thus enabling fuel to yield more energy; and improve ruggedness. Aside from economics, and safety, such strategic issues as use of plutonium, conservation of resources, and nuclear waste management have to be addressed, and true technological challenges arise. This Monograph surveys current knowledge regarding in-reactor behavior, operating limits, and avenues for R and D. It also provides illustrations of ongoing research work, setting out a few noteworthy results recently achieved. Content: 1 - Introduction; 2 - Water reactor fuel: What are the features of water reactor fuel? 9 (What is the purpose of a nuclear fuel?, Ceramic fuel, Fuel rods, PWR fuel assemblies, BWR fuel assemblies); Fabrication of water reactor fuels (Fabrication of UO 2 pellets, Fabrication of MOX (mixed uranium-plutonium oxide) pellets, Fabrication of claddings); In-reactor behavior of UO 2 and MOX fuels (Irradiation conditions during nominal operation, Heat generation, and removal, The processes involved at the start of irradiation, Fission gas behavior, Microstructural changes); Water reactor fuel behavior in loss of tightness conditions (Cladding, the first containment barrier, Causes of failure, Consequences of a failure); Microscopic morphology of fuel ceramic and its evolution under irradiation; Migration and localization of fission products in UOX and MOX matrices (The ceramic under irradiation

Nuclear fuels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beauvy, M.; Berthoud, G.; Defranceschi, M.; Ducros, G.; Guerin, Y.; Limoge, Y.; Madic, Ch.; Santarini, G.; Seiler, J.M.; Sollogoub, P.; Vernaz, E.; Guillet, J.L.; Ballagny, A.; Bechade, J.L.; Bonin, B.; Brachet, J.Ch.; Delpech, M.; Dubois, S.; Ferry, C.; Freyss, M.; Gilbon, D.; Grouiller, J.P.; Iracane, D.; Lansiart, S.; Lemoine, P.; Lenain, R.; Marsault, Ph.; Michel, B.; Noirot, J.; Parrat, D.; Pelletier, M.; Perrais, Ch.; Phelip, M.; Pillon, S.; Poinssot, Ch.; Vallory, J.; Valot, C.; Pradel, Ph.; Bonin, B.; Bouquin, B.; Dozol, M.; Lecomte, M.; Vallee, A.; Bazile, F.; Parisot, J.F.; Finot, P.; Roberts, J.F

2009-07-01

Fuel is one of the essential components in a reactor. It is within that fuel that nuclear reactions take place, i.e. fission of heavy atoms, uranium and plutonium. Fuel is at the core of the reactor, but equally at the core of the nuclear system as a whole. Fuel design and properties influence reactor behavior, performance, and safety. Even though it only accounts for a small part of the cost per kilowatt-hour of power provided by current nuclear power plants, good utilization of fuel is a major economic issue. Major advances have yet to be achieved, to ensure longer in-reactor dwell-time, thus enabling fuel to yield more energy; and improve ruggedness. Aside from economics, and safety, such strategic issues as use of plutonium, conservation of resources, and nuclear waste management have to be addressed, and true technological challenges arise. This Monograph surveys current knowledge regarding in-reactor behavior, operating limits, and avenues for R and D. It also provides illustrations of ongoing research work, setting out a few noteworthy results recently achieved. Content: 1 - Introduction; 2 - Water reactor fuel: What are the features of water reactor fuel? 9 (What is the purpose of a nuclear fuel?, Ceramic fuel, Fuel rods, PWR fuel assemblies, BWR fuel assemblies); Fabrication of water reactor fuels (Fabrication of UO{sub 2} pellets, Fabrication of MOX (mixed uranium-plutonium oxide) pellets, Fabrication of claddings); In-reactor behavior of UO{sub 2} and MOX fuels (Irradiation conditions during nominal operation, Heat generation, and removal, The processes involved at the start of irradiation, Fission gas behavior, Microstructural changes); Water reactor fuel behavior in loss of tightness conditions (Cladding, the first containment barrier, Causes of failure, Consequences of a failure); Microscopic morphology of fuel ceramic and its evolution under irradiation; Migration and localization of fission products in UOX and MOX matrices (The ceramic under

Storage of non-defense production reactor spent nuclear fuel at the Department of Energy's Hanford Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlson, A.B.

1998-01-01

In 1992, the US Department of Energy (DOE) established a program at the Hanford Site for management of DOE-owned spent nuclear fuel (SNF) until final disposition. Currently, the DOE-owned SNF Program is developing and implementing plans to assure existing storage, achieve interim storage, and prepare DOE-owned SNF for final disposition. Program requirements for management of the SNF are delineated in the DOE-owned SNF Program Plan.(DOE 1995a) and the DOE Spent Fuel Program's Requirements Document (DOE 1994a). Major program requirements are driven by the following: commitments established in the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) Recommendation 94-1 Implementation Plan (DOE 1995b); corrective action plans for resolving vulnerabilities identified in the DOE Spent Fuel Working Group's Report on Health, Safety, and Environmental Vulnerabilities for Reactor Irradiated Nuclear Materials (DOE 1993); the settlement agreement between the US Department of Navy, the US Department of Energy, and the State of Idaho on the record of decision (ROD) from the DOE Programmatic SNF Management and Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programs Environmental Impact Statement (DOE Programmatic SNF EIS) (Idaho, 1995)

Environmental management at Nuclear Fuel Complex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choudhary, S.; Kalidas, R.

2005-01-01

Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC) a unit of Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) is manufacturing and supplying fuel assemblies and structurals for Atomic Power Reactors, Seamless Stainless Steel/ Special Alloy Tubes and high purity/special materials for various industries including Atomic Energy, Space and Electronics. NFC is spread over about 200 acres area. It consists of various chemical, metallurgical, fabrication and assembly plants engaged in processing uranium from concentrate to final fuel assembly, processing zirconium from ore to metallic products and processing various special high purity materials from ore or intermediate level to the final product. The plants were commissioned in the early seventies and capacities of these plants have been periodically enhanced to cater to the growing demands of the Indian Nuclear Industry. In the two streams of plants processing Uranium and zirconium, various types and categories including low level radioactive wastes are generated. These require proper handling and disposal. The overall management of radioactive and other waste aims at minimizing the generation and release to the environment. In this presentation, the environment management methodologies as practiced in Nuclear Fuel Complex are discussed. (author)

Romanian nuclear fuel program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Budan, O.

1999-01-01

The paper presents and comments the policy adopted in Romania for the production of CANDU-6 nuclear fuel before and after 1990. The CANDU-6 nuclear fuel manufacturing started in Romania in December 1983. Neither AECL nor any Canadian nuclear fuel manufacturer were involved in the Romanian industrial nuclear fuel production before 1990. After January 1990, the new created Romanian Electricity Authority (RENEL) assumed the responsibility for the Romanian Nuclear Power Program. It was RENEL's decision to stop, in June 1990, the nuclear fuel production at the Institute for Nuclear Power Reactors (IRNE) Pitesti. This decision was justified by the Canadian specialists team findings, revealed during a general, but well enough technically founded analysis performed at IRNE in the spring of 1990. All fuel manufactured before June 1990 was quarantined as it was considered of suspect quality. By that time more than 31,000 fuel bundles had already been manufactured. This fuel was stored for subsequent assessment. The paper explains the reasons which provoked this decision. The paper also presents the strategy adopted by RENEL after 1990 regarding the Romanian Nuclear Fuel Program. After a complex program done by Romanian and Canadian partners, in November 1994, AECL issued a temporary certification for the Romanian nuclear fuel plant. During the demonstration manufacturing run, as an essential milestone for the qualification of the Romanian fuel supplier for CANDU-6 reactors, 202 fuel bundles were produced. Of these fuel bundles, 66 were part of the Cernavoda NGS Unit 1 first fuel load (the balance was supplied by Zircatec Precision Industries Inc. ZPI). The industrial nuclear fuel fabrication re-started in Romania in January 1995 under AECL's periodical monitoring. In December 1995, AECL issued a permanent certificate, stating the Romanian nuclear fuel plant as a qualified and authorised CANDU-6 fuel supplier. The re-loading of the Cernavoda NGS Unit 1 started in the middle

Review of nuclear energy; Ydinenergian tilannekatsaus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mattila, L.; Anttila, M.; Pirilae, P.; Vuori, S.

1997-05-01

The report is an overview on the production of the nuclear energy all over the world. The amount of production at present and in future, availability of the nuclear fuel, development of nuclear technology, environmental and safety issues, radioactive waste management and commissioning of the plants and also the competitivity of nuclear energy compared with other energy forms are considered. (91 refs.).

Remote handling technology for nuclear fuel cycle facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakai, Akira; Maekawa, Hiromichi; Ohmura, Yutaka

1997-01-01

Design and R and D on nuclear fuel cycle facilities has intended development of remote handling and maintenance technology since 1977. IHI has completed the design and construction of several facilities with remote handling systems for Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation (PNC), Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI), and Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd. (JNFL). Based on the above experiences, IHI is now undertaking integration of specific technology and remote handling technology for application to new fields such as fusion reactor facilities, decommissioning of nuclear reactors, accelerator testing facilities, and robot simulator-aided remote operation systems in the future. (author)

The Nuclear Environmentalist Is There a Green Road to Nuclear Energy?

CERN Document Server

Gomez Cadenas, Juan José

2012-01-01

The general public has many misconceptions concerning energy sources; for example, how many realise that a nuclear power station releases more radioactivity into the atmosphere than a coal-fired power station, or that smoking just one cigarette carries the same risk as living next door to a nuclear plant for two years?  This book argues that greater awareness of the facts is needed as we start to enter an energy crisis owing to increasing scarcity of fossil fuels and climate change impacts. It carefully explores this coming crisis and concisely examines all of the major technologies related to energy production (fossil fuels, renewables, and nuclear) and their impacts on our society and environment. The author argues that it is wrong to pit alternatives to fossil fuels against each other and proposes that nuclear energy, although by no means free of problems, can be a viable source of reliable and carbon-free electricity. He concludes by calling for a diversified and rational mix of electricity generation in...

Nuclear fuel element

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1974-01-01

A nuclear fuel element for use in the core of a nuclear reactor is disclosed. A heat conducting fission product retaining metal liner of a refractory metal is incorporated in the fuel element between the cladding and the nuclear fuel to inhibit mechanical interaction between the nuclear fuel and the cladding, to isolate fission products and nuclear fuel impurities from contacting the cladding, and to improve the axial thermal peaking gradient along the length of the fuel rod. The metal liner can be in the form of a tube or hollow cylindrical column, a foil of single or multiple layers in the shape of a hollow cylindrical column, or a coating on the internal surface of the cladding. Preferred refractory metal materials are molybdenum, tungsten, rhenium, niobium and alloys of the foregoing metals

Nuclear fuel element

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, J.R.; Rowland, T.C.

1976-01-01

A nuclear fuel element for use in the core of a nuclear reactor is disclosed. A heat conducting, fission product retaining metal liner of a refractory metal is incorporated in the fuel element between the cladding and the nuclear fuel to inhibit mechanical interaction between the nuclear fuel and the cladding, to isolate fission products and nuclear fuel impurities from contacting the cladding and to improve the axial thermal peaking gradient along the length of the fuel rod. The metal liner can be in the form of a tube or hollow cylindrical column, a foil of single or multiple layers in the shape of a hollow cylindrical column, or a coating on the internal surface of the cladding. Preferred refractory metal materials are molybdenum, tungsten, rhenium, niobium and alloys of the foregoing metals

Development of nuclear fuel cycle technologies - bases of long-term provision of fuel and environmental safety of nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Solonin, M.I.; Polyakov, A.S.; Zakharkin, B.S.; Smelov, V.S.; Nenarokomov, E.A.; Mukhin, I.V.

2000-01-01

To-day nuclear power is one of the options, however, to-morrow it may become the main source of the energy, thus, providing for the stable economic development for the long time to come. The availability of the large-scale nuclear power in the foreseeable future is governed by not only the safe operation of nuclear power plants (NPP) but also by the environmentally safe management of spent nuclear fuel, radioactive waste conditioning and long-term storage. More emphasis is to be placed to the closing of the fuel cycle in view of substantial quantities of spent nuclear fuel arisings. The once-through fuel cycle that is cost effective at the moment cannot be considered to be environmentally safe even for the middle term since the substantial build-up of spent nuclear fuel containing thousands of tons Pu will require the resolution of the safe management problem in the nearest future and is absolutely unjustified in terms of moral ethics as a transfer of the responsibility to future generations. The minimization of radioactive waste arisings and its radioactivity is only feasible with the closed fuel cycle put into practice and some actinides and long-lived fission radionuclides burnt out. The key issues in providing the environmentally safe fuel cycle are efficient processes of producing fuel for NPP, radionuclide after-burning included, a long-term spent nuclear fuel storage and reprocessing as well as radioactive waste management. The paper deals with the problems inherent in producing fuel for NPP with a view for the closed fuel cycle. Also discussed are options of the fuel cycle, its effectiveness and environmental safety with improvements in technologies of spent nuclear fuel reprocessing and long-lived radionuclide partitioning. (authors)

Development of nuclear fuel cycle technologies - bases of long-term provision of fuel and environmental safety of nuclear power

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Solonin, M I; Polyakov, A S; Zakharkin, B S; Smelov, V S; Nenarokomov, E A; Mukhin, I V [SSC, RF, A.A. Bochvar ALL-Russia Research Institute of Inorganic Materials, Moscow (Russian Federation)

2000-07-01

To-day nuclear power is one of the options, however, to-morrow it may become the main source of the energy, thus, providing for the stable economic development for the long time to come. The availability of the large-scale nuclear power in the foreseeable future is governed by not only the safe operation of nuclear power plants (NPP) but also by the environmentally safe management of spent nuclear fuel, radioactive waste conditioning and long-term storage. More emphasis is to be placed to the closing of the fuel cycle in view of substantial quantities of spent nuclear fuel arisings. The once-through fuel cycle that is cost effective at the moment cannot be considered to be environmentally safe even for the middle term since the substantial build-up of spent nuclear fuel containing thousands of tons Pu will require the resolution of the safe management problem in the nearest future and is absolutely unjustified in terms of moral ethics as a transfer of the responsibility to future generations. The minimization of radioactive waste arisings and its radioactivity is only feasible with the closed fuel cycle put into practice and some actinides and long-lived fission radionuclides burnt out. The key issues in providing the environmentally safe fuel cycle are efficient processes of producing fuel for NPP, radionuclide after-burning included, a long-term spent nuclear fuel storage and reprocessing as well as radioactive waste management. The paper deals with the problems inherent in producing fuel for NPP with a view for the closed fuel cycle. Also discussed are options of the fuel cycle, its effectiveness and environmental safety with improvements in technologies of spent nuclear fuel reprocessing and long-lived radionuclide partitioning. (authors)

Topical subjects of nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baumgaertel, G.; Borsch, P.; Halaszovich, S.; Laser, M.; Paschke, M.; Richter, B.; Stein, G.; Stippler, R.; Wagner, H.J.

1990-01-01

The report supplements and extends basic information contained in the seminar report 'Use and risk of nuclear energy' (Juel-Conf-17). The contributions deal with nuclear waste management, measures to avoid the misuse of nuclear fuels, and the properties and use of plutonium. As against the last edition, the subject 'Energy and environment' has been added. (orig.) [de

Transition Towards a Sustainable Nuclear Fuel Cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCarthy, K.; Romanello, V.; Schwenk-Ferrero, A.; Vezzoni, B.; Gabrielli, F.; Maschek, W.; Rineiski, A.; Salvatores, M.

2013-01-01

To support the evaluation of R and D needs and relevant technology requirements for future nuclear fuel cycles, the OECD/NEA WPFC Expert Group on Advanced Fuel Cycle Scenarios was created in 2010, replacing the WPFC Expert Group on Fuel Cycle Transition Scenario Studies (1) to assemble, organise and understand the scientific issues of advanced fuel cycles and (2) to provide a framework for assessing specific national needs related to the implementation of advanced fuel cycles. In this framework, a simulation of world transition scenarios towards possible future fuel cycles with fast reactors has been performed, using both a homogeneous and a heterogeneous approach involving different world regions. In fact, it has been found that a crucial feature of any world scenario study is to provide not only trends for an idealised 'homogeneous' description of the world, but also trends for different regions in the world, selected with simple criteria (mostly of geographical type), in order to apply different hypotheses to energy demand growth, different fuel cycle strategies and different reactor types implementation in the different regions. This approach was an attempt to avoid focusing on selected countries, in particular on those where no new spectacular energy demand growth is expected, but to provide trends and conclusions that account for the features of countries that will be major future players in the world's energy development. The heterogeneous approach considered a subdivision of the world in four main macro-regions (where countries have been grouped together according to their economic development dynamics). An original global electricity production envelope was used in simulations and a specific regional energy share was defined. In the regional approach two different fuel cycles were analysed: a once-through LWR cycle was used as the reference and a transition to fast reactor closed cycle to enable a better management of resources and minimisation of waste

Nuclear power, nuclear fuel cycle and waste management, 1980-1993

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-06-01

This document lists all sales publications of the International Atomic Energy Agency dealing with Nuclear Power, Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Management, issued during the period 1980-1993. It gives a short abstract of these publications along with contents and their costs in Austrian Schillings

International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO). 2011 Progress Report. Enhancing Global Nuclear Energy Sustainability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2012-05-15

When INPRO was established in 2000, some key characteristics and main objectives for the project were determined and remain basically unchanged to this day: to help ensure that nuclear energy is available to contribute to satisfying energy needs in the 21st century in a sustainable manner and to bring together technology holders, technology users and other stakeholders to consider jointly the national and international actions required to achieve desired innovations in nuclear reactors and fuel cycles. I wish to use the occasion of this INPRO Progress Report to review some of the key highlights of the past year and share with you my views and vision of INPRO's future. The ''Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami'' and the resulting accident at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant occurred on 11 March 2011. In response to this accident and at the request of its Member States, the IAEA drafted an Action Plan which defines a programme of work o strengthen the global nuclear safety framework. The activities proposed in the Action Plan are meant to be implemented in the near term, to assess the safety of operating nuclear power plants n the light of lessons learned from the Fukushima Daiichi accident. The assessment covers both technical elements, specifically the design of nuclear power plants with regard to site specific extreme natural hazards, and institutional elements, such as the effectiveness of regulatory bodies, operating organizations and the international legal framework in regard to the implementation of IAEA Safety tandards and Conventions. The lessons learned in the medium and long terms will also be reflected n a periodic update of the design requirements for nuclear power plants, international safety tandards, regulations issued by national supervisory authorities, operational procedures, emergency planning and safety assessment methodologies. INPRO has a long term perspective and provides an assessment of the whole nuclear system. Ensuring

International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO). 2011 Progress Report. Enhancing Global Nuclear Energy Sustainability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2012-05-01

When INPRO was established in 2000, some key characteristics and main objectives for the project were determined and remain basically unchanged to this day: to help ensure that nuclear energy is available to contribute to satisfying energy needs in the 21st century in a sustainable manner and to bring together technology holders, technology users and other stakeholders to consider jointly the national and international actions required to achieve desired innovations in nuclear reactors and fuel cycles. I wish to use the occasion of this INPRO Progress Report to review some of the key highlights of the past year and share with you my views and vision of INPRO's future. The ''Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami'' and the resulting accident at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant occurred on 11 March 2011. In response to this accident and at the request of its Member States, the IAEA drafted an Action Plan which defines a programme of work o strengthen the global nuclear safety framework. The activities proposed in the Action Plan are meant to be implemented in the near term, to assess the safety of operating nuclear power plants n the light of lessons learned from the Fukushima Daiichi accident. The assessment covers both technical elements, specifically the design of nuclear power plants with regard to site specific extreme natural hazards, and institutional elements, such as the effectiveness of regulatory bodies, operating organizations and the international legal framework in regard to the implementation of IAEA Safety tandards and Conventions. The lessons learned in the medium and long terms will also be reflected n a periodic update of the design requirements for nuclear power plants, international safety tandards, regulations issued by national supervisory authorities, operational procedures, emergency planning and safety assessment methodologies. INPRO has a long term perspective and provides an assessment of the whole nuclear system. Ensuring

Problems of attracting nuclear energy resources in order to provide economical and rational consumption of fossil fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nazarov, E.K.; Nikitin, A.T.; Ponomarev-Stepnoy, N.N.; Protsenko, A.N.; Stolyarevskii, A.Ya.; Doroshenko, N.A.

1990-01-01

The solution of problems related to increasing costs of fossil fuels and application of nuclear energy in the industrial sector could be the development and commercialization of high temperature nuclear reactors, as the majority of power consuming industrial processes demand that the temperature of heat carrier generated to be in the range from 900-1000 deg. C. In the Soviet Union the strategy adopted for solving energy supply problems was named 'nuclear-hydrogen power engineering and technologies'. Based on analytic research and taking into account the present state of the art, the new alternative energy sources, e.g. nuclear ones, should be introduced into the industry by the following steps: development and mastering of stable operation of high-temperature nuclear reactors; search of rational technical solutions for heat discharge from nuclear reactors; utilisation of meet the power demand of existing production plants; complete substitution of organic raw materials burned now with nuclear energy; review the conditions and development of organizational and engineering solutions acceptable for implementing the nuclear energy in commercial processes

Problems of attracting nuclear energy resources in order to provide economical and rational consumption of fossil fuels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nazarov, E K; Nikitin, A T; Ponomarev-Stepnoy, N N; Protsenko, A N; Stolyarevskii, A Ya; Doroshenko, N A [State Institute of Nitrogen Industry, Moscow (USSR); [I.V. Kurchatov Institute of Atomic Energy, Moscow (USSR)

1990-07-01

The solution of problems related to increasing costs of fossil fuels and application of nuclear energy in the industrial sector could be the development and commercialization of high temperature nuclear reactors, as the majority of power consuming industrial processes demand that the temperature of heat carrier generated to be in the range from 900-1000 deg. C. In the Soviet Union the strategy adopted for solving energy supply problems was named 'nuclear-hydrogen power engineering and technologies'. Based on analytic research and taking into account the present state of the art, the new alternative energy sources, e.g. nuclear ones, should be introduced into the industry by the following steps: development and mastering of stable operation of high-temperature nuclear reactors; search of rational technical solutions for heat discharge from nuclear reactors; utilisation of meet the power demand of existing production plants; complete substitution of organic raw materials burned now with nuclear energy; review the conditions and development of organizational and engineering solutions acceptable for implementing the nuclear energy in commercial processes.

Nuclear's role in 21. century Pacific rim energy use

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singer, Clifford; Taylor, J'Tia

2007-01-01

Extrapolations contrast the future of nuclear energy use in Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) to that of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Japan can expect a gradual rise in the nuclear fraction of a nearly constant total energy use rate as the use of fossil fuels declines. ROK nuclear energy rises gradually with total energy use. ASEAN's total nuclear energy use rate can rapidly approach that of the ROK if Indonesia and Vietnam make their current nuclear energy targets by 2020, but experience elsewhere suggests that nuclear energy growth may be slower than planned. Extrapolations are based on econometric calibration to a utility optimization model of the impact of growth of population, gross domestic product, total energy use, and cumulative fossil carbon use. Fractions of total energy use from fluid fossil fuels, coal, water-driven electrical power production, nuclear energy, and wind and solar electric energy sources are fit to market fractions data. Where historical data is insufficient for extrapolation, plans for non-fossil energy are used as a guide. Extrapolations suggest much more U.S. nuclear energy and spent nuclear fuel generation than for the ROK and ASEAN until beyond the first half of the twenty-first century. (authors)

Does nuclear energy save global environment?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsui, Kazuaki

2006-01-01

Since the ecological footprint analysis in 1970s suggested changing consumption patterns and overpopulation concerns, energy policy such as energy conservation and use of renewable energy has become of prime importance. Several results of the long-term energy demand and supply analysis in 2050 or 2100 to reduce drastically carbon dioxide emission as a measure against global warming, showed the necessity of nuclear power deployment as well as maximum efforts to save energy, exploitation of the separation and disposal of carbon dioxide, and shifting energy sources to fuels that emit less greenhouse gases or non-fossil fuels. As a promising means to contribute to long-term energy supply, nuclear power generation is expected with improving safety, economic efficiency, environmental adaptability, and nuclear proliferation resistance of the technologies. (T.Tanaka)

Department of Energy Programmatic Spent Nuclear Fuel Management and Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programs, Draft Environmental Impact Statement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-06-01

Volume 1 to the Department of Energy's Programmatic Spent Nuclear Fuel Management and Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Environmental Management Programs Environmental Impact Statement evaluates a range of alternatives for managing naval spent nuclear fuel expected to be removed from US Navy nuclear-powered vessels and prototype reactors through the year 2035. The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) considers a range of alternatives for examining and storing naval spent nuclear fuel, including alternatives that terminate examination and involve storage close to the refueling or defueling site. The EIS covers the potential environmental impacts of each alternative, as well as cost impacts and impacts to the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program mission. This Appendix covers aspects of the alternatives that involve managing naval spent nuclear fuel at four naval shipyards and the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program Kesselring Site in West Milton, New York. This Appendix also covers the impacts of alternatives that involve examining naval spent nuclear fuel at the Expended Core Facility in Idaho and the potential impacts of constructing and operating an inspection facility at any of the Department of Energy (DOE) facilities considered in the EIS. This Appendix also considers the impacts of the alternative involving limited spent nuclear fuel examinations at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. This Appendix does not address the impacts associated with storing naval spent nuclear fuel after it has been inspected and transferred to DOE facilities. These impacts are addressed in separate appendices for each DOE site

Development of System Engineering Technology for Nuclear Fuel Cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Ho Dong; Kim, Sung Ki; Song, Kee Chan

2010-04-01

This report is aims to establish design requirements for constructing mock-up system of pyroprocess by 2011 to realize long-term goal of nuclear energy promotion comprehensive plan, which is construction of engineering scale pyroprocess integrated process demonstration facility. The development of efficient process for spent fuel and establishment of system engineering technology to demonstrate the process are required to develop nuclear energy continuously. The detailed contents of research for these are as follows; - Design of Mock-up facility for demonstrate pyroprocess, Construction, Approval, Trial run, Performance test - Development of nuclear material accountancy technology for unit processes of pyroprocess and design of safeguards system - Remote operation of demonstrating pyroprocess / Development of maintenance technology and equipment - Establishment of transportation system and evaluation of pre-safety for interim storage system - Deriving and implementation of a method to improve nuclear transparency for commercialization proliferation resistance nuclear fuel cycle Spent fuel which is the most important pending problem of nuclear power development would be reduced and recycled by developing the system engineering technology of pyroprocess facility by 2010. This technology would contribute to obtain JD for the use of spent fuel between the ROK-US and to amend the ROK-US Atomic Energy Agreement scheduled in 2014

Long-term tradeoffs between nuclear- and fossil-fuel burning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krakowski, R.A.

1996-01-01

A global energy/economics/environmental (E 3 ) model has been adapted with a nuclear energy/materials model to understand better open-quotes top-levelclose quotes, long-term trade offs between civilian nuclear power, nuclear-weapons proliferation, fossil-fuel burning, and global economic welfare. Using a open-quotes business-as-usualclose quotes (BAU) point-of-departure case, economic, resource, proliferation-risk implications of plutonium recycle in LAIRs, greenhouse-gas-mitigating carbon taxes, and a range of nuclear energy costs (capital and fuel) considerations have been examined. After describing the essential elements of the analysis approach being developed to support the Los Alamos Nuclear Vision Project, preliminary examples of parametric variations about the BAU base-case scenario are presented. The results described herein represent a sampling from more extensive results collected in a separate report. The primary motivation here is: (a) to compare the BAU basecase with results from other studies; (b) to model on a regionally resolved global basis long-term (to year ∼2100) evolution of plutonium accumulation in a variety of forms under a limited range of fuel-cycle scenarios; and (c) to illustrate a preliminary connectivity between risks associated with nuclear proliferation and fossil-fuel burning (e.g., greenhouse-gas accumulations)

Trace of nuclear energy with pictures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)