Advanced Candu Systems For Plutonium Destruction

Boczar, P.G.; Gagnon, Martin; Chan, P. S. W.; Ellis, Ronald J.; Verrall, R.A.; Dastur, A.R.

doi:10.1007/978-94-007-0860-0_14

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…Because MOX fuel consists mainly of 238U, additional 239pu is created by neutron capture and subsequent ~/-decay reactions. The amount of Pu created can be reduced by burning the actinides in an inert-matrix fuel (i.e., one that does not contain 238U, such as ZrO2) that will provide more efficient burning of the actinides (Boczar et al 1997;Oversby et aL 1997). In this case, reactors would burn a mixture of MOX and IMF (perhaps up to one-third of the core loading).…”

Section: Nuclear Fuel Cyclesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental impact of the nuclear fuel cycle

Ewing

2004

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Nuclear power provides approximately 17% of the world's electricity, which is equivalent to a reduction in carbon emissions of ~0.5 Gt of C/year. This is a modest contribution to the reduction of global carbon emissions, ~6.5 Gt C/year. Most analyses suggest that in order to have a significant and timely impact on carbon emissions, carbonfree sources, such as nuclear power, would have to expand total energy production by a factor 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/year, depending on the type of carbon-based energy source that is displaced. This paper reviews the impact of an expansion of this scale on the generation of nuclear waste and fissile material that might be diverted to the production of nuclear weapons. 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 reactor types (such as thermal and fast neutron reactors). Within each cycle, the volume and composition of the 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 material used to immobilize different radionuclides. This chapter is a discussion of the relation between the different types of fuel cycles and their environmental impact.

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Section: Nuclear Fuel Cyclesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental impact of the nuclear fuel cycle

Ewing

2004

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“…MOX, however, does not provide for the optimal reduction of Pu inventories because it contains 238 U; MOX is also a source of Pu. For this reason, inert matrix fuels (IMFs) have recently received considerable attention [1][2][3]. These fertile-free fuels have a distinctive advantage in that they allow a much greater degree of reduction of the transuranic (TRU) elements than can be achieved by using MOX fuels [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

MgO–pyrochlore composite as an inert matrix fuel: Neutronic and thermal characteristics

Imaura

Touran

Ewing

2009

Journal of Nuclear Materials

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“…Because MOX fuel consists mainly of 238 U, additional 239 Pu is created by neutron capture and subsequent ␥-decay reactions. The amount of Pu created can be reduced by burning the actinides in an inert-matrix fuel (IMF), i.e., one that does not contain fertile 238 U (e.g., ZrO 2 ), which will provide more effi cient burning of the actinides (Boczar et al 1997, Oversby et al 1997. In this case, reactors would burn a mixture of MOX and IMF (perhaps up to one-third of the core loading).…”

Section: The Nuclear Fuel Cyclementioning

confidence: 99%

THE NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE versus THE CARBON CYCLE

Ewing¹

2005

The Canadian Mineralogist

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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 signifi cant 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 fl exibility 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 signifi cant effect on the fi ssion product yield, and the consumption of long-lived actinides, by fi ssion, is best achieved by fast neutrons. Within each cycle, the volume and composition of the high-level nuclear waste and fi ssile 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 fi ssile 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 the production of plutonium in a uranium-based nuclear fuel cycle, with special emphasis on the "mineralogical solution" for the "sequestration" of Pu into pyrochlore structure-types.

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Advanced Candu Systems For Plutonium Destruction

Cited by 7 publications

References 1 publication

Environmental impact of the nuclear fuel cycle

Environmental impact of the nuclear fuel cycle

MgO–pyrochlore composite as an inert matrix fuel: Neutronic and thermal characteristics

THE NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE versus THE CARBON CYCLE

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