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The Nuclear Fuel Cycle

The Nuclear Fuel Cycle. Name Affiliation Title. Nuclear fuel. What is it? Where does it come from? How is it used?. Nuclear fuel pellets are stacked vertically in long metal tubes to power commercial nuclear reactors. Photo courtesy of Orano USA ( Areva ) and the NRC. It starts with U.

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The Nuclear Fuel Cycle

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  1. The Nuclear Fuel Cycle Name Affiliation Title

  2. Nuclearfuel • What is it? • Where does it come from? • How is it used? Nuclear fuel pellets are stacked vertically in long metal tubes to power commercial nuclear reactors. Photo courtesy of Orano USA (Areva) and the NRC.

  3. It starts with U

  4. Uranium mining—open pit

  5. Uranium mining—in situ

  6. Uranium milling • Ore is crushed • Uranium is separated • U3O8 “yellow cake”produced

  7. Step 2

  8. Uranium conversion to UF6 gas • Impurities removed • Uranium combined with fluorine • UF6 gas produced

  9. Step 3

  10. U enrichment UF6 enriched from 0.7% 235U to 3%-5% 235U Centrifugation Diffusion

  11. Step 4

  12. Fuel fabrication Uranium oxide ceramic fuel pellets

  13. Fuel rods filled with pellets grouped into fuel assemblies

  14. Fuel fabrication A pressurized water reactor fuel assembly

  15. Step 5

  16. Inside the reactor Cherenkov radiation glowing in the core of the INL Advanced Test Reactor.

  17. In the reactor, 235U fissions to produce . . . Neutron Lighter element Energy Uranium-235 Neutron Neutron Energy Lighter element Neutron Neutrons may • Cause new fissions to occur • Be absorbed to form unstable, radioactive nuclide

  18. Fuel consumption in the reactor • Fuel is in reactor for 4 – 6 years • Uranium consumed • Fission products and transuranics produced Fresh Fuel 100% uranium dioxide (UO2) 1% 95% uranium dioxide (UO2) 4% Transuranics Fission Products Used Fuel

  19. So what and where is the waste?

  20. Types of radioactive waste

  21. Low-level waste

  22. Low-level waste disposal

  23. Low-level waste disposal sites • Four low-level waste disposal facilities: • Richland, WA • Clive, UT • Barnwell, SC • Andrews, TX

  24. Transuranic waste

  25. High-level “waste” Dry cask storage

  26. Waste packaging

  27. Step 6

  28. Used nuclear fuel storage • Used fuel first stored in pool at least 5 years • Cooling and shielding Older fuel can move to dry casks • Steel and concrete shields • Air cools

  29. Step 9

  30. Geologic repository • The choice of countries worldwide • U.S. has studied Yucca Mt.

  31. Yucca Mountain

  32. Step 7

  33. Fuel consumption in the reactor Fresh Fuel 100% uranium dioxide (UO2) 1% 95% uranium dioxide (UO2) 4% Transuranics Fission Products Used Fuel

  34. Reprocessing World Nuclear Association

  35. Research Electroplated uranium from pyroprocessing Sodium cooled fast reactor

  36. Step 8

  37. Recycling nuclear fuel • Continuously recycling fuel can reduce spent fuel waste volume by over 95% • Reduces isolation time from 1000s of years to 100s • Remaining waste is placed in robust containers designed for safety and shielding

  38. Why not here in the U.S.?

  39. Questions?

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