Thorium fuel cycle options

Because thorium itself does not contain a fissile isotope, neutrons must be initially provided by adding a fissile material, either within or outside the Th02 itself. How the neutrons are initially provided defines a variety of thorium fuel-cycle options in HWRs that will be examined in this section. These include the following ... 

Meanwhile AECL and other Canadian departnents and agencies are participating actively in the International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation (INFCE) to study all fuel cycle options. No decisions on expansion of the present research level on thorium fuels will be taken until information from INFCE has been evaluated by the Canadian Government. 

Jagannathan, V. and S.V. Lawande. 1998. A Thorium Breeder Reactor Concept for Optimal Energy Extraction from Uranium and Thorium, Proceedings of the IAEA Technical Committee Meeting on Fuel Cycle Options for LWRs and HWRs, April 28-May 1, Victoria, BC, IAEA Report IAEA-TECDOC-1122 (1999 November). 

The fuel cycle options for the VBER-150 are the same as for the VBER-300 they include a once-through uranium fuel cycle (basic option), a uranium-thorium once-through fuel cycle to reduce specific plutonium production (Radkowsky Thorium Fuel — RTF — cycle), and a closed fuel cycle with MOX fuel, for details see [IV-1]. 

A standard fuel cycle of high temperature gas cooled reactors could be used as basic option for the FBNR. A variety of alternative fuel cycle options could be used according to the demand. These include a plutonium burner mode using plutonium-thorium oxide fuel and a closed fuel cycle based on U-Th. 

XXX-12] FURUKAWA, K., et al.. Thorium cycle implementation through Pu — incineration by thorium molten-salt nuclear energy synergetics, lAEA-TECDOC-1319, Thorium Fuel Utilization Options and Trends, Vienna, p.123-137 (November 2002). 

Fuel cycle options, alternative Radkowsky Thorium Fuel (RTF) once-through fuel cycle with heterogeneous fuel layout bimetallic enriched uranium (<20%) seed subassemblies thorium dioxide blanket subassemblies ... 

Fuel cycle options, alternative - Plutonium burner mode using plutonium-thorium MOX and a fully thorium- U fuelled mode in a closed fuel cycle - Synergy with fast breeder reactors and accelerator driven systems Once-through/ low enrichment U in advanced fuel forms, e.g., micro-particles in metallic matrix... 

Fuel cycle options, alternative - Thorium blankets for production to feed future thermal reactors... 

Pebble bed and prismatic reactor are the two major design variants. Both are in use today. In either case, the basic fuel construction is the TRISO-coated particle fuel. Uranium, thorium, and plutonium fuel cycle options have been investigated and some have been operated in the reactors. Spent fuel may be direct disposed or recycled. The unique constmction and high bumup potential of the TRISO fuel enhances proliferation resistance. 

Fission energy can be obtained from uranium, using the uranium once-through option and the uranium-plutonium fuel cycle, and from thorium, by the thorium-uranium fuel cycle. Each fuel cycle offers a number of alternative routes with respect to reactor type, reprocessing, and waste handling. Although the uranium based cycles are described with special reference to light water reactors, the cycles also apply to the old uranium fueled gas cooled reactors. 

Dastur, A.R., D.A. Meneley, and D.B. Buss. 1995. Thorium Cycle Options in CANDU Reactors. Proceedings of the 1995 International Conference on Evaluation of Emerging Nuclear Fuel Cycle Systems (GLOBAL-95), Versailles, France. 

An option to use thorium fuel (GT-MHR) and an option to operate in a closed fuel cycle with the reprocessing of the TRISO coated particle fuel (GT-MHR, GTHTR300, HTR-PM) for the GTHTR300 it is indicated that the feasibility of TRISO fuel reprocessing has already been investigated. 

The flexibility of possible fuel cycles for the GT-MHR supports future options with increased fuel utilization, including efficient use of thorium, if enabled by an infrastmcture supporting fuel reprocessing [XV-5]. 

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