Izvestiya vuzov. Yadernaya Energetika

The peer-reviewed scientific and technology journal. ISSN: 0204-3327

Calculational studies for securiti justification of SVBR 100 reactor fuel cycle based on reprocessed uranium

12/29/2014 2014 - #04 Fuel cycle and nuclear waste management

Dyachenko A. I. Fedorov M. I. Solovyev S.V. Balagurov N. A. Artisyuk V. V.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.26583/npe.2014.4.08

UDC: 621.039.543.4

It has been of general practice for several decades to use reprocessed uranium (RepU) in existing nuclear power reactors to save uranium resources. However, the effect of reprocessing on the fuel cycle economy is steel under discussion. Nowdays the major issues concerning the use of reprocessed uranium are specific measures necessary to compensate the presence of even Uranium isotopes 234U and 236U (neutron poisons) in loading fuel and 232U isotope decay chain products (208Tl – intensive gamma ray emitter with energy 2.614 MeV). In general, the presence of even Uranium isotopes leads to increased SWU demands and increased cost of U3O8 transformation into uranium hexafluoride, UF6. Recent trends in fuel cycle development are focusing the saving of uranium recourses, closing of nuclear fuel cycle and therefore an additional feasibility study for uranium reprocessing is necessarily required. Another feature of reprocessed uranium use is to possibility to increase the barrier against proliferation. The present paper deals with the possible use of reprocessed uranium to form barriers against proliferation of fissile materials in SVBR 100 fuel cycle. The features of the reprocessed uranium use in fast reactors are shown, quantitative estimates of the compensation of the initial presence of 236U isotope are given. Quantitative estimates of the required initial presence of 236U isotope in order to reduce the attractiveness of plutonium from the view point of proliferation are made. Quantitative estimates of possible using of reprocessed uranium from spent nuclear fuel of VVER 1000 and RBMK 1000 reactors.

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SVBR 100 nonproliferation reprocessed uranium denaturation

Link for citing the article: Dyachenko A. I., Fedorov M. I., Solovyev S.V., Balagurov N. A., Artisyuk V. V. Calculational studies for securiti justification of SVBR 100 reactor fuel cycle based on reprocessed uranium. Izvestiya vuzov. Yadernaya Energetika. 2014, no. 4, pp. 71-81; DOI: https://doi.org/10.26583/npe.2014.4.08 (in Russian).

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