INDEX nuclear fuel cycle

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) http //www.iaea.org/Publications/Standards/ index.html (accessed August 25, 2010). The IAEA publishes standards in the areas of nuclear safety, radiation protection, radioactive waste management, transport of radioactive materials, safety of nuclear fuel cycle facilities, and quality assurance. 

Figure 11.17 reflects the effect that actinide partitioning and transmutation has on the actinide hazard index of only the HLW itself. If the total quantity of actinides accumulated in the HLW and in the fuel cycle is considered, the same equilibrium reduction factor will eventually be attained provided that a constant nuclear power level is assumed, but it will take a very long time. In the fuel-cycle study performed for the American Physical Society [P2], an example with recycling the actinides to a LMFBR has been calculated that is shown in Rg. 11.18. 

Advanced fuel assembly (AFA) has been developed both for replacement of standard fuel at the operating reactors, and for new nuclear power plants with advanced WWER. The main difference of AFA, being the most effective as to economy, from standard fuel is application of only zirconium stmctural materials in the assembly active part. This allowed (in combination with specially developed refuelling patterns) to reduce the specific consumption of uranium approximately by 13%. Application of gadolinium burnable absorber instead of boron absorber allows to reduce this index by approximately 5% more. Application of AFA allows also to reduce enrichment of makeup fuel. Using of uranium-gadolinium fuel allows to reduce neutron fluence to the reactor vessel, to improve flexibility of fuel cycle, to exclude expenses for operation and storage of burnable absorber rods. 

Nero, A. V. 1979. A Guidebook to Nuclear Reactors. Berkeley, CA University of California Press. The first part of this text provides a general introduction to nnclear power plants, including basic reactor design features, environmental interactions, and nnclear power plant emissions. Part 2 discusses commercial nuclear power plants. Uranium resources and other nuclear materials are discussed in Part 3. Part 4 looks into advanced reactor systems. Appendices include abbreviations and nnits, reactions, and the nnclear fuel cycle. A glossary and an index are included. 

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