Protactinium-231 as a new fissionable material for nuclear reactors that can produce nuclear fuel with stable neutron-multiplying properties

Kerntechnik ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 81 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. N. Shmelev ◽  
G. G. Kulikov ◽  
E. G. Kulikov ◽  
V. A. Apse
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Nuclear Reactors ◽  
Fissionable Material

Rod Bow Ultrasonic Measurements Possibilities

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcin Kopeć ◽  
Martina Malá
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Nuclear Reactors ◽  
Research Centre ◽  
Fuel Rods ◽  
Fuel Rod ◽  
Nuclear Fuel Assembly ◽  
Fuel Assemblies ◽  
Ultrasonic Measurements ◽  
History Of ◽  
Fuel Particles

The ultrasonic (UT) measurements have a long history of utilization in the industry, also in the nuclear field. As the UT transducers are developing with the technology in their accuracy and radiation resistance, they could serve as a reliable tool for measurements of small but sensitive changes for the nuclear fuel assembly (FA) internals as the fuel rods are. The fuel rod bow is a phenomenon that may bring advanced problems as neglected or overseen. The quantification of this issue state and its probable progress may help to prevent the safety-related problems of nuclear reactors to occur—the excessive rod bow could, in the worst scenario, result in cladding disruption and then the release of actinides or even fuel particles to the coolant medium. Research Centre Rez has developed a tool, which could serve as a complementary system for standard postirradiation inspection programs for nuclear fuel assemblies. The system works in a contactless mode and reveals a 0.1 mm precision of measurements in both parallel (toward the probe) and perpendicular (sideways against the probe) directions.

Exploring the Use of Alumina Nanofluid as Emergency Coolant for Nuclear Fuel Bundle

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
A. S. Chinchole ◽  
Arnab Dasgupta ◽  
P. P. Kulkarni ◽  
D. K. Chandraker ◽  
A. K. Nayak
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Nuclear Reactor ◽  
Cooling System ◽  
Nuclear Reactors ◽  
Electrical Heating ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Potential Candidate ◽  
Alumina Nanofluid ◽  
Core Cooling

Abstract Nanofluids are suspensions of nanosized particles in any base fluid that show significant enhancement of their heat transfer properties at modest nanoparticle concentrations. Due to enhanced thermal properties at low nanoparticle concentration, it is a potential candidate for utilization in nuclear heat transfer applications. In the last decade, there have been few studies which indicate possible advantages of using nanofluids as a coolant in nuclear reactors during normal as well as accidental conditions. In continuation with these studies, the utilization of nanofluids as a viable candidate for emergency core cooling in nuclear reactors is explored in this paper by carrying out experiments in a scaled facility. The experiments carried out mainly focus on quenching behavior of a simulated nuclear fuel rod bundle by using 1% Alumina nanofluid as a coolant in emergency core cooling system (ECCS). In addition, its performance is compared with water. In the experiments, nuclear decay heat (from 1.5% to 2.6% reactor full power) is simulated through electrical heating. The present experiments show that, from heat transfer point of view, alumina nanofluids have a definite advantage over water as coolant for ECCS. Additionally, to assess the suitability of using nanofluids in reactors, their stability was investigated in radiation field. Our tests showed good stability even after very high dose of radiation, indicating the feasibility of their possible use in nuclear reactor heat transfer systems.

Actinides and radiation effects: impact on the back-end of the nuclear fuel cycle

2011 ◽  
Vol 75 (4) ◽  
pp. 2359-2377 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. C. Ewing
Keyword(s):  
Radiation Damage ◽  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Radiation Effects ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Thermal Environment ◽  
Nuclear Reactors ◽  
Fissile Material ◽  
Transuranium Elements ◽  
Waste Forms

AbstractDuring the past 70 years, more than 2000 metric tonnes of Pu, and substantial quantities of the ‘minor’ actinides such as Np, Am and Cm, have been generated in nuclear reactors. Some of these transuranium elements can be a source of energy in fission reactions (e.g. 239Pu), a source of fissile material for nuclear weapons (e.g. 239Pu and 2Np), and of environmental concern because of their long half-lives and radiotoxicity (e.g. 239Pu and 237Np). There are two basic strategies for the disposition of these transuranium elements: (1) to ‘burn’ or fission the actinides using nuclear reactors or accelerators; (2) to dispose of the actinides directly as spent nuclear fuel or to ‘sequester’ the actinides in chemically durable, radiation-resistant materials that are also suitable for geological disposal. For the latter strategy, there has been substantial interest in the use of actinide-bearing minerals, especially isometric pyrochlore, A2B2Oi (A = rare earths; B = Ti, Zr, Sn, Hf), for the immobilization of actinides, particularly plutonium, both as inert matrix fuels and nuclear waste forms. Systematic studies of rare-earth pyrochlores have led to the discovery that certain compositions (B = Zr, Hf) are stable to very high doses of α-decay event damage. Recent developments in the understanding of the properties of actinide-bearing solids have opened up new possibilities for the design of advanced nuclear materials that can be used as fuels and waste forms. As an example, the amount of radiation damage that accumulates over time can be controlled by the selection of an appropriate composition for the pyrochlore and a consideration of the thermal environment of disposal. In the case of deep borehole disposal (3—5 km), the natural geothermal gradient may provide enough heat to reduce the amount of accumulated radiation damage by thermal annealing.

Release of 108Ag from Irradiated PWR Control Rod Absorbers under Deep Repository Conditions

2015 ◽  
Vol 1744 ◽  
pp. 217-222
Author(s):  
O. Roth ◽  
M. Granfors ◽  
A. Puranen ◽  
K. Spahiu
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Source Term ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Nuclear Reactors ◽  
Reactor Irradiation ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Control Rod ◽  
Potential Source ◽  
Absorber Material ◽  
Control Rods

ABSTRACTIn a future Swedish deep repository for spent nuclear fuel, irradiated control rods from PWR nuclear reactors are planned to be stored together with the spent fuel. The control rod absorber consists of an 80% Ag, 5% Cd, 15% In alloy with a steel cladding. Upon in-reactor irradiation 108Ag is produced by neutron capture. Release of 108Ag has been identified as a potential source term for release of radioactive substances from the deep repository.Under reducing deep repository conditions, the Ag corrosion rate is however expected to be low which would imply that the release rate of 108Ag should be low under these conditions. The aim of this study is to investigate the dissolution of PWR control rod absorber material under conditions relevant to a future deep repository for spent nuclear fuel. The experiments include tests using irradiated control rod absorber material from Ringhals 2, Sweden. Furthermore, un-irradiated control rod absorber alloy has been tested for comparison. The experiments indicate that the release of Ag from the alloy when exposed to water is strongly dependent on the redox conditions. Under aerated conditions Ag is released at a significant rate whereas no release could be measured after 133 days during leaching under H2.

Advantages of Thorium Nuclear Fuel for Thermal-Neutron Reactors

2015 ◽  
Vol 1084 ◽  
pp. 275-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Igor Shamanin ◽  
Sergey Bedenko ◽  
Ildar Gubaydulin
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Nuclear Reactors ◽  
Nuclear Fuel Cycle ◽  
Fuel Rods ◽  
Fuel Assemblies ◽  
Technical Solutions ◽  
New Generation ◽  
Thorium 232

The explanation of the effects which were found earlier in numerical simulation of parameters of open thorium-plutonium nuclear fuel cycle has been offered. Scientific and technical solutions allow considering the possibility of including thorium-232 in the fuel of nuclear reactors, which are based on existing design solutions, and beginning to design of new generation materials: a new generation of fuel rods and fuel assemblies, where the isotope uranium-238 will be completely replaced with thorium-232.

scholarly journals On a Long Term Strategy for the Success of Nuclear Power

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Merk ◽  
Dzianis Litskevich ◽  
Karl R. Whittle ◽  
Mark Bankhead ◽  
Richard Taylor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Nuclear Reactor ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Nuclear Reactors ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
Strategic Development ◽  
Safety And Reliability ◽  
Water Reactors

The current generation of nuclear reactors are evolutionary in design, mostly based on the technology originally designed to power submarines, and dominated by Light Water Reactors. The aims of the GenIV consortium are driven by sustainability, safety and reliability, economics, and proliferation resistance. The aims are extended here to encompass the ultimate and universal vision for strategic development of energy production, the ‘perpetuum mobile’ – at least as close as possible. We propose to rethink nuclear reactor design with the mission to develop a system which uses no fresh resources and produces no fresh waste during operation as well as generates power safe and reliably in economic way. The results of the innovative simulations presented here demonstrate that, from a theoretical perspective, it is feasible to fulfil the mission through the reuse of spent nuclear fuel from currently operating reactors as the fuel for a new reactor. The produced waste is less burdensome than current spent nuclear fuel which is used as feed to the system. However, safety, reliability and operational economics will need to be demonstrated to create the basis for the long term success of nuclear reactors as a major carbon free, sustainable, and applied highly reliable energy source.

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