LWR Fuel Cycle with Reprocessed Uranium Complete Recycling
https://doi.org/10.1134/S2304487X19060075
Abstract
In this study, we consider the problem of multiple recycling of uranium in the fuel cycle of thermal neutron reactors. The general approach to reusing recovered uranium extracted from spent fuel is related to its enrichment by the target fissile isotope 235U in cascades of gas centrifuges. However, the reprocessed uranium enrichment has difficulties related to 232, 236U isotopes presence and a higher concentration of 234U comparing to natural uranium. The low-enriched uranium product should meet the requirements on these even-numbered isotopes owing to radiation and neutron-physical characteristics. These conditions lead to obstacles for the complete return of the material to the cycle using the known enrichment schemes. This necessitates the search for new regeneration enrichment schemes that can solve this problem. In this paper, we propose a new configuration based on the modified double cascade of gas centrifuges, which allows consuming the whole amount of reprocessed uranium during the enrichment process. It is preferable to use the proposed cascade scheme when we deal with multiple uranium recycling, starting from the second recycle round. It corresponds to sustainable fuel recovery for a fleet of thermal neutron reactors.
Supporting agencies: The work was supported by the National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”, Order No. 1879 for R&D from 22.08.2019
About the Authors
V. A. Nevinitsa
National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute)
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
115409
Moscow
A. Yu. Smirnov
National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute); National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
115409
123098
Moscow
G. A. Sulaberidze
National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
123098
Moscow
V. Е. Gusev
National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
123098
Moscow
A. M. Pavlovichev
National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute)
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
115409
Moscow
A. I. Scherenko
National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute)
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
115409
Moscow
E. V. Rodionova
National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute)
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
115409
Moscow
V. Yu. Blandinsky
National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute)
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
115409
Moscow
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Review
For citations:
Nevinitsa V.A., Smirnov A.Yu., Sulaberidze G.A., Gusev V.Е., Pavlovichev A.M., Scherenko A.I., Rodionova E.V., Blandinsky V.Yu. LWR Fuel Cycle with Reprocessed Uranium Complete Recycling. Vestnik natsional'nogo issledovatel'skogo yadernogo universiteta "MIFI". 2019;8(6):498-506. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.1134/S2304487X19060075
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