Four nuclear fuel cycle options can be considered in the foreseeable future under the nuclear power situation in the republic of korea. He served as the president of kaeri during 2007 to 2010 and he is a member of the national academy of engineering of korea. This official electronic version was created by scanning the best avai lable paper or microfiche copy of the original report at a 300 dpi res olution. Nodal code evaluation of criticality, power peaking and power sharing through operating cycle, use of burnable poisons and reshuffle and reload for. Pdf economic analysis of different nuclear fuel cycle options. About a decade ago, energy analysts amulya reddy and antonette dsa of the international energy initiative and i tested the claims about the economics of nuclear power in india by examining the costs of generating electricity from the first two units of the kaiga atomic power station kaiga i and ii in southern india ramana et al. Innovative technologies for nuclear fuel cycles and nuclear power vienna, austria. Does not provide significant economy on uranium supplies, and. Energy output per batch, e b, at steady state mass of fuel as heavy metal, p, per batch discharge burnup of. Topics include the available nuclear fuel resources uranium and thorium, extraction of the metals from the ore, fabrication of nuclear fuel, use of. In the past decade, a resurgence of enthusiasm for nuclear power has rekindled interest in efforts to manage the fuel cycle. Nuclear energy provides an authoritative reference on all aspects of the nuclear industry from fundamental reactor physics calculations to reactor design, nuclear fuel resources, nuclear fuel cycle, radiation detection and protection, and nuclear power economics. Westinghouse is now building on the success of our flagship ifba product with ifbagad hybrid fuel assemblies that facilitate longer 24month cycles. Nuclear fuel cycle science and engineering describes both the key features of the complete nuclear fuel cycle and the wealth of recent research in this important field.
The purpose of this module is to provide a basic overview of the nuclear fuel cycle. This methodology often leads to higher costs for cycles. The focus of the front end of the nuclear fuel cycle is to deliver fabricated fuel to the reactor. Executive summary pdf full report pdf the implications on the world energy system, beyond shortterm price increases from greater use of oil and liquefied natural gas, are yet unknown and go beyond nuclear energy. The book covers all aspects of the nuclear fuel cyclefrom cradle to grave. From uranium mining to the disposal of radioactive wastes, this course was developed for engineers who are just starting in the nuclear industry as well for professionals. Potential benefits of advanced fuel cycles improved economics lower fuel cycle costs high burnup enriched uranium fuellower fuel cycle costs high burnup, enriched uranium fuel both front and backend lower capital costs for new plant fuel can be an enablingggy technology as in acr improved uranium utilization. Mining and milling of uranium ore to produce yellow cake u 3 o 8. The economics of the nuclear fuel cycle nuclear energy agency. The nuclear fuel cycle nfc is defined as the total set of operations required to produce fission energy and. Used fuel leaves the reactor and goes to pool storage. Exploration is the first phase of any new nuclear fuel cycle. Nuclear fuel cycles are evaluated and compared in chapter 3 on the basis of quantitative measures that fall into 4 categories. Introduction to nuclear fuel cycle and advanced nuclear fuels.
With the current trend toward competition in the power market, the option of nuclear fuel cycle is an important determinant in terms of economics. Is the current approach on the fuel cycleleaving uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing. The entire fuel cycle and its components are shown in figure s. Heat is created when nuclear fuel undergoes nuclear fission most nuclear fuels contain heavy fissile actinide elements that are capable of undergoing and sustaining nuclear fission. However, it is important to note that once the plants are in operation, recurring fuel cycle costs become much more important.
Considerations for spent fuel management for the once. The main mission of wgoefcs is to advance the understanding of licensing systems, safety philosophy and safety standards for nuclear fuel cycle facilities in nea member countries. Several nuclear fuel cycles may be considered depending on the type of reactor and the type of fuel used and whether or not the irradiated fuel is reprocessed and recycled. Chapter 4 fuel cycles 29 the description of a possible global growth scenario for nuclear power with or so gwe deployed worldwide must begin with some specification of the nuclear fuel cycles that will be in operation. Nuclear material is initially collected from two main sources. The nuclear fuel cycle has been extensively revised since its previous edition published in 1999 and it includes a whole new chapter on nuclear safeguards. Parsons september 2009 we analyze the levelized cost of electricity lcoe for three different fuel cycles. Enu 5186 nuclear fuel cycles 3 credits grading scheme.
Introduction in early 1991, an expert group, with a membership drawn from fourteen countries and four international organisations, was formed to examine the economics of the fuel cycle with particular reference to a power. The iaea in 1980 began development of the nuclear fuel cycle information system nfcis as 1 an international directory of civilian nuclear fuel cycle facilities worldwide. Pdf an economic analysis has been performed to compare four nuclear fuel cycle options. Nuclear fuel cycle international atomic energy agency. Fast reactors are a type of innovative nuclear reactors that offer some key advantages over traditional thermal reactors in safety, sustainability and radioactive waste. Mit nuclear fuel cycle study advisory committee members forward and acknowledgments executive summary 1. External costs the report of a major european study of the external costs of various fuel cycles, focusing on coal and nuclear, was released in mid 2001 externe. This is the first of nine modules available in this selfstudy course. Series provide information in the areas of nuclear power, nuclear fuel cycle, radioactive waste. A contemporary oecdnea study on the projected costs of generating electricity shows that for nuclear stations the proportion of the total generating cost taken up by the fuel component is, typically.
The nuclear fuel cycle refers to all activities that occur in the production of nuclear energy. Economic analysis of different nuclear fuel cycle options article pdf available in science and technology of nuclear installations 20121 june 2012 with 185 reads how we measure reads. Copyright 2011 massachusetts institute of technology. Introducing the nuclear fuel cycle cost calculator. This calculator is the first generally accessible model to provide a nuanced look at the economic costs of nuclear power, particularly in regard to the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. Each fuel assembly spends 5 to 6 years in the reactor before it must be removed and replaced with fresh fuel. Similarly, at steady state the energy produced by all n batches in the core during one cycle is equal to the. The economics of the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle nuclear energy agency the feasibility and costs of spent nuclear fuel management and the consequent disposal of ultimate waste continue to be the subject of public debate in many countries, with particular concern often expressed over the lack of progress in implementing final disposal. A new approach to the nuclear fuel cycles center for. The three most relevant fissile isotopes are uranium233, uranium235 and plutonium239. See also the december 2005 world nuclear association report pdf 310 kb the new economics of nuclear power.
The future of the nuclear fuel cycle mit energy initiative. The inpro activities on global nuclear energy scenarios have the objective to develop global and regional nuclear energy scenarios, on the basis of a scientifictechnical analysis, that lead to a global vision on sustainable nuclear energy development during the 21st century. Continued and expanded use of nuclear power may be predicated on improved economics and sustainability. It shows that in clear cash terms nuclear energy incurs about. Economic studies on nuclear development and the fuel cycle ndc therefore. This 5day course provides a comprehensive overview of all activities related to the nuclear fuel cycle, not only from a technical point of view, but also with regard to the economic, political, and social impacts.
Oecd ilibrary the economics of the back end of the. Perspectives on the economics of nuclear power from the. Development and demonstration of advanced fuels and cladding to support the sustainable nuclear energy and associated fuel. These developments may require evolution of the present nuclear fuel cycle to provide a more flexible. The fuel cycle is suitably divided into a front end and a back end part, where the nuclear power station is the dividing line. This assessment covered open, partiallyclosed and fullyclosed nuclear fuel cycles. Doe established an evaluation and screening team est consisting of national laboratory and industry experts in nuclear fuel cycles, financial risk and economics, and decision analysis to conduct the study. Nuclear fuel is material used in nuclear power stations to produce heat to power turbines. Its purpose is to provide the iaea, its member states and public users with current, consistent, and readily accessible information on existing, closed and planned nuclear fuel cycle facilities throughout the world. The operations associated with the nuclear fuel cycle and the management of the corresponding waste typically extend over a period of between 50 to 100 years, from mining the uranium ore to finally disposing of the high level waste. The nuclear fuel cycle information system nfcis is an international directory of civilian nuclear fuel cycle facilities.
The inventories of the spanish nuclear fuel cycle scenario were chosen as. The nuclear fuel cycle, also called nuclear fuel chain, is the progression of nuclear fuel through a series of differing stages. Cooled fuel is conditioned and sent to longterm disposal. The nuclear fuel cycle comprises the handling of all fissile and fertile material necessary for nuclear power production and of the radioactive products formed in this process fig. For uranium oxide uox and mixed oxide mox fuels, a traditional way to achieve this is to evaluate both fuels on the deterministic premise that the fuel will be sent to geologic disposal once spent. Letter grade fuel cycle from uranium mining through waste management.
Why indias electricity is likely to remain in short. The nuclear fuel cycle is formed by all the steps and processes that. The report captures these expert views and summarises the conclusions on the issues raised on sustainability, safety, nonproliferation and security, economics, public involvement and on the decisionmaking. Nuclear fuel recycling, the value of the separated. However, most nuclear fuel cycle costs have used a deterministic method thus far. The development of ever more integrated processes across the many stages of the nuclear fuel cycle therefore confronts plant manufacturers and operators with formidable challenges. There are three types of nuclear fuel cycles that might be utilized for the increased production of energy. The safety of the nuclear fuel cycle third edition. From its inception, the nuclear community has recognized the important role of fast reactors and related fuel cycles in ensuring the long term sustainability of nuclear power. Trends in the nuclear fuel cycle nuclear energy agency. Epri 2010 advanced nuclear fuel cycles economics 2017 mev summer school inl 2009 study, where three cycles are evaluated.
Reactor fuel cycle including economics and advanced fuel management. From a technical perspective, there will be the lessons learned such as. Nuclear fuel cycles the nuclear fuel cycle is often grouped into three classical components frontend, reactor, and backend. Interim storage of spent nuclear fuel 43 chapter 5. Nuclear fuel cycle an overview sciencedirect topics. Nuclear fuel cycle evaluation and screening provides input to the doe decisionmaking process. International conference on fast reactors and related fuel. Nuclear fuel cycle science and engineering 1st edition. It consists of steps in the front end, which are the preparation of the fuel, steps in the service period in which the fuel is used during reactor operation, and steps in the back end, which are necessary to safely manage, contain, and either reprocess or dispose of. The talk will start by exploring the relationship between the potential expansion of nuclear energy and its economic performance, in order to frame the importance of the correct assessment of the economicrelated parameters of nuclear fuel cycles.
In most studies aiming at the economic assessment of nuclear fuel cycles, a primary concern is to keep scenarios economically comparable. The 2011 accident at the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plants in japan and current proliferation crises in north korea and iran raise this question. Used fuel also needs to be taken care of for reuse and disposal. Principal nuclear engineer argonne national laboratory economics of the nuclear fuel cycle abstract. Pdf economic analysis of different nuclear fuel cycle. Westinghouses integral fuel burnable absorber ifba fuel pellet has revolutionized pwr nuclear reactor fuel management loading patterns and has enabled highly improved fuel cycle economics. Economics and resources analysis of the potential use of. Decommissioning nuclear facilities encyclopedia of sustainability science and technology fission reactor physics geniv reactors ionizing radiation detectors isotope separation methods nuclear fuel modern nuclear fuel cycles nuclear energy book nuclear energy sustainability nuclear fission power plants nuclear fuel nuclear fusion nuclear power. Comparative assessment of nuclear fuel cycles lightwater reactor oncethrough, classical fast breeder reactor, and symbiotic fast breeder reactor cycles r. The nuclear fuel cycle cost calculator estimates the full cost of electricity produced by three configurations of the nuclear fuel cycle. Nuclear fuel cycle cost estimation and sensitivity. Integral fuel burnable absorber ifba fuel cycles and.
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