Models of the development of large-scale nuclear power in Russia with a transmutation nuclear fuel cycle and attainment of radiation equivalence of high-level wastes and natural uranium

Адамов, Е. О.; Ganev, I. Kh.; Lopatkin, A. V.; Muratov, V. G.; Orlov, V. V.

doi:10.1007/bf02415451

Cited by 20 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…Hence, assessment of a deep repository potential hazard with consideration of well water consumption should be preferred to the scenario with soil contamination. The obtained results also demonstrate that the earlier estimates (Adamov et al 1996, 1999; Lopatkin et al 2002) of potential biological hazard of long-lived high-level wastes in terms of total radiotoxicity are most relevant, since they account for the largest contribution of actinides to human radiation dose.…”

Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 54%

“…This was the principle underlying the development of the concept of radiation equivalence between a potential biological hazard from RW and the amount of natural uranium used (Adamov and Ganev 2007). Based on this approach, requirements to perform separation of minor actinides and fission products were identified (Adamov et al 1996, 1999; Lopatkin et al 2002; Adamov and Ganev 2007). Compliance with the requirements of the radiation equivalence makes it possible to reduce the time of onset of a potential biological hazard balance to 300 y and less after reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel, which has been demonstrated by both domestic (Adamov et al 1996, 1999; Lopatkin et al 2002) and international (Magill et al 2003; OECD NEA 2002, 2006) researchers through comparison of total radiotoxicity of long-lived high-level waste and equivalent mass of natural uranium used for nuclear fuel fabrication.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For investigating the potential environmental impact of radionuclides, their migration ability is described using the distribution coefficient ( K d ) between the liquid and solid phases under the assumption of equilibrium exchange between these phases in soil and geological formations (Adamov et al 1999; Bunzl 2001; IAEA 1994, 2009, 2010). Based on the distribution coefficient, the retardation factor k r can be determined, which is regarded as showing a decline in radionuclide penetration rate in geological formation relative to the convective and diffusion rates of water movement; but strictly speaking, it is a ratio of the total activity of radionuclides in a certain volume of soil or rock formation to the activity in the aqueous solution within this volume.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evaluation of Migration Radiological Equivalence for Dual Component Nuclear Waste in a Deep Geological Repository

Иванов

Спирин²,

Menyajlo

et al. 2021

Health Physics

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The paper is concerned with the issue of achieving the radiological equivalence (the equivalence of radiation risks) of radioactive waste of nuclear reactors and corresponding mass of natural uranium, taking into account the different migration ability of radionuclides in geological formations and soil. This migration radiological equivalence is being investigated for the deep burial of radioactive waste in the case of the development of a two-component nuclear power system with the concurrent use of thermal neutron reactors and fast neutron reactors. Calculations were performed of radiation doses and radiation risks of cancer death arising from consumption of drinking water from a well above a disposal site. The radiation risk relating to a two-component nuclear power system is lower than that from natural uranium; i.e., after reaching the radiological equivalence (100 y of storage) over the timescale of 109 y, the principle of migration radiological equivalence is satisfied. It would take 106 y after radioactive waste disposal to reach the migration radiological equivalence if only thermal reactors were operated. As regards consumption of well drinking water, the radiation risk does not exceed 10−5 y−1 for a two-component nuclear power system, while being 10−3 y−1 (socially unacceptable level) for a power system using only thermal reactors. Radionuclides 241Am, 239Pu, and 240Pu in drinking water make the main contribution to the doses and radiation risks of people for 104 y after the disposal of radioactive waste.

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Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 54%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Evaluation of Migration Radiological Equivalence for Dual Component Nuclear Waste in a Deep Geological Repository

Иванов

Спирин²,

Menyajlo

et al. 2021

Health Physics

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“…This presumes substantial development of the reprocessing of irradiated nuclear fuel [2]. The information presented in the present paper shows that the preliminary purification of irradiated fuel from nuclear reactors using nitrate-alkali melts makes it possible to reprocess fuel with a short holding time.…”

Section: From Spent Fuel Elements Of Nuclear Reactorsmentioning

confidence: 92%

Recovery of Uranium and Plutonium from Spent Fuel Elements of Nuclear Reactors

et al. 2005

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The results of investigations of the preliminary removal of the products of radioactive decomposition from irradiated nuclear fuel to obtain uranium and plutonium which are suitable for reuse in fuel fabrication are presented. Nitrate-alkali melts are used for the operation. The experiments are performed on simulators and irradiated samples of BOR-60 fuel in remote-controlled hot boxes. The coefficients of removal of fission products are presented. A technological scheme, which will shorten the fuel cycle, for purifying hot nuclear fuel is recommended.In the present paper, a method of preliminary removal of most of the fission products from decladded spent fuel is described. The fuel is processed with an alkaline-nitrate melt, the compounds formed are dissolved, and uranium and plutonium are converted into oxides for preparing secondary nuclear fuel.Preliminary Purification of Irradiated Fuel. The problem of reprocessing spent fuel from fuel elements involves not only safe storage but also the need to accelerate the recycling of the fissioning materials -235 U and 239 Pu -into the nuclear-fuel cycle. In turn, the reprocessing of high-level fuel engenders difficulties of a technical character, specifically, ensuring critical safety with respect to the mass of the 235 U and 239 Pu isotopes, choosing materials which are resistant to the radiation from the reagents and corrosion-resistant, and removing and storing radioactive wastes.Fission products are present in a fuel element in different aggregate states: gaseous form and condensed phase. Tritium, krypton, xenon, and iodine are present in the gas phase. The flow of the gaseous fission products into the free space in a fuel element depends on the degree of burnup of the fuel. Most of the fission products are in the form of oxides which are produced as a result of the reaction of isotopes with oxygen. Some of the elements (Ru, Mo, Tc, Rh, and Pd) form metallic inclusions. A calculation has shown that when the irradiated fuel is allowed to stand for a one to three months 95 Zr + 95 Nb, 103,106 (Ru + Rh), 89 Sr, 91 Y, 141,144 Ce, and 144 Pr make the main contribution to its radioactivity.The nonaqueous methods developed for reprocessing spent fuel (fluoride, molybdate, in melts of metals and chlorides, electrochemical, and others) make it possible to remove the fission products from the fuel. However, the need to use high-temperature processes and the lack of inexpensive technological structural materials for building the equipment are holding back their adoption at the present time. In this connection, schemes where pyrochemical operations are used for separating fuel which is still hot from the cladding and most of the fission products are of great interest; the final removal of uranium and plutonium can be performed by liquid extraction methods which have been developed.Comparing existing methods of preliminary removal of fission products from fuel has led to the conclusion that methods using oxidative-alkaline and, specifically, nitrate-alkaline melts best meet t...

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“…According to the radiation equivalence principle, transmutation of long-lived nuclides (actinides and fission products) should be performed at least until the biologically equivalent activity of wastes to be buried decreases to the level of the biologically equivalent activity of the natural uranium used [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]. In addition, such equivalence can be achieved at the moment of disposal as well as over a historically short time period which can be reliably predicted, for example, 200-1000 yr.…”

Section: Effect Of the Duration Of The Extra-reactor Part Of The Fuelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Possibilities of BREST reactors and transmutation fuel cycle under conditions implementing modern plans for the development of nuclear power

et al. 2007

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The possible dynamics of the development of BREST-1200 fast reactor capacities after 2030 on the basis of plutonium and other actinides accumulated in the spent fuel of thermal reactors is examined. It is shown that by 2100 the power BREST reactors could be 114-176 GW, and subsequently they will develop as a result of their own breeding of plutonium. Calculations have shown that the rate at which BREST reactors are put into operation can be doubled by using enriched uranium obtained from natural uranium and regenerated spent fuel from thermal reactors. It is shown that the development of fast reactors with a closed fuel cycle solves the problem of transmutation of long-lived high-level actinides and makes it possible to implement a transmutation fuel cycle in nuclear power.The plan for developing nuclear power in Russia in the first half of the 21st century [1] proposes that thermal reactors based on existing stores of natural uranium be put into operation intensively. After 2030, fast reactors will be added; as they are developed they will accumulate in their own closed fuel cycle plutonium from spent nuclear fuel from global reactors and solve the problem of burning long-lived nuclides produced during nuclear power generation. The program in [2] presents a more accurate schedule, at the present stage, for adding nuclear power plants up to 2020. Using the ideology of [1] and the modern refinements in [2] as a basis, the present article examines scenarios of the development of nuclear power and the possibilities for transmutation of long-lived actinides within its framework.Development of Thermal Reactors. We shall examine scenario 1 for the development of thermal reactors, relying on the state of nuclear power today and the possibilities for developing nuclear power according to the plans in [2]. It was assumed in the computational simulation that reliably explored 615,000 metric tons of natural uranium will be available to nuclear power in the future, i.e., it is assumed that none of these reserves will be exported. Taking account of the fact that up to 2004 nuclear power already consumed approximately 75000 metric tons of natural uranium, the total reserves are taken to be 690,000 tons. In calculating the mass of enriched and waste uranium, it was assumed that the 235 U contnt in the waste is 0.1% (taking the future into account). VVÉR-1100 units with average burnup of the irradiated nuclear fuel 4% h.a. were taken as typical for nuclear power plants built after 2007. Increasing fuel burnup decreases the volume of spent fuel but does not make it possible to put additional thermal reactors into operation with a fixed store of natural uranium. Before 2020, thermal reactors will be constructed in accordance with the schedule adopted in [2], and after 2020 two thermal reactors will be built per year until there is enough natural uranium for their entire production lifetime, i.e., until 615,000 metric tons is exhausted by the end of the operation of the last unit put into operation.

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Models of the development of large-scale nuclear power in Russia with a transmutation nuclear fuel cycle and attainment of radiation equivalence of high-level wastes and natural uranium

Cited by 20 publications

References 1 publication

Evaluation of Migration Radiological Equivalence for Dual Component Nuclear Waste in a Deep Geological Repository

Evaluation of Migration Radiological Equivalence for Dual Component Nuclear Waste in a Deep Geological Repository

Recovery of Uranium and Plutonium from Spent Fuel Elements of Nuclear Reactors

Possibilities of BREST reactors and transmutation fuel cycle under conditions implementing modern plans for the development of nuclear power

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