Nodal code evaluation of criticality, power peaking and power sharing through operating cycle, use of burnable poisons and reshuffle and reload for. 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 nuclear fuel cycle nfc is defined as the total set of operations required to produce fission energy and. If the decision makers involved in the policies of nuclear fuel cycles know the result of the nuclear fuel cycle cost calculated by the probability distribution, they can make better decisions by referring to the standard deviation value including uncertainty. Why indias electricity is likely to remain in short. 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. Economic studies on nuclear development and the fuel cycle ndc therefore. Series provide information in the areas of nuclear power, nuclear fuel cycle, radioactive waste. This assessment covered open, partiallyclosed and fullyclosed nuclear fuel cycles. 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. 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.
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. This methodology often leads to higher costs for cycles. It shows that in clear cash terms nuclear energy incurs about. The nuclear fuel cycle information system nfcis is an international directory of civilian nuclear fuel cycle facilities.
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. Is the current approach on the fuel cycleleaving uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing. These developments may require evolution of the present nuclear fuel cycle to provide a more flexible. 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. 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. Nuclear fuel recycling, the value of the separated. Mit nuclear fuel cycle study advisory committee members forward and acknowledgments executive summary 1. 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. 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. Topics include the available nuclear fuel resources uranium and thorium, extraction of the metals from the ore, fabrication of nuclear fuel, use of.
Nuclear fuel cycle international atomic energy agency. Perspectives on the economics of nuclear power from the. 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. Oecd ilibrary the economics of the back end of the. Four nuclear fuel cycle options can be considered in the foreseeable future under the nuclear power situation in the republic of korea. 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. 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. The inventories of the spanish nuclear fuel cycle scenario were chosen as. Copyright 2011 massachusetts institute of technology. Introducing the nuclear fuel cycle cost calculator. From a technical perspective, there will be the lessons learned such as.
The three most relevant fissile isotopes are uranium233, uranium235 and plutonium239. Pdf economic analysis of different nuclear fuel cycle options. Principal nuclear engineer argonne national laboratory economics of the nuclear fuel cycle abstract. Considerations for spent fuel management for the once. A new approach to the nuclear fuel cycles center for. Epri 2010 advanced nuclear fuel cycles economics 2017 mev summer school inl 2009 study, where three cycles are evaluated. 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. 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. Nuclear fuel cycle an overview sciencedirect topics. 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. 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. 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.
Trends in the nuclear fuel cycle nuclear energy agency. This is the first of nine modules available in this selfstudy course. 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 economics of the nuclear fuel cycle nuclear energy agency. He served as the president of kaeri during 2007 to 2010 and he is a member of the national academy of engineering of korea. Used fuel leaves the reactor and goes to pool storage. The 2011 accident at the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plants in japan and current proliferation crises in north korea and iran raise this question. The nuclear fuel cycle is formed by all the steps and processes that. Nuclear fuel cycle evaluation and screening provides input to the doe decisionmaking process. Interim storage of spent nuclear fuel 43 chapter 5.
The nuclear fuel cycle cost calculator estimates the full cost of electricity produced by three configurations of the nuclear 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. In the past decade, a resurgence of enthusiasm for nuclear power has rekindled interest in efforts to manage the fuel cycle. Introduction to nuclear fuel cycle and advanced nuclear fuels. In most studies aiming at the economic assessment of nuclear fuel cycles, a primary concern is to keep scenarios economically comparable. The future of the nuclear fuel cycle mit energy initiative. 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. Enu 5186 nuclear fuel cycles 3 credits grading scheme. Pdf economic analysis of different nuclear fuel cycle. Comparative assessment of nuclear fuel cycles lightwater reactor oncethrough, classical fast breeder reactor, and symbiotic fast breeder reactor cycles r. Pdf an economic analysis has been performed to compare four nuclear fuel cycle options. Each fuel assembly spends 5 to 6 years in the reactor before it must be removed and replaced with fresh fuel. Nuclear fuel cycle science and engineering 1st edition.
See also the december 2005 world nuclear association report pdf 310 kb the new economics of nuclear power. Fast reactors are a type of innovative nuclear reactors that offer some key advantages over traditional thermal reactors in safety, sustainability and radioactive waste. The purpose of this module is to provide a basic overview of the nuclear fuel cycle. 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. Mining and milling of uranium ore to produce yellow cake u 3 o 8. Energy output per batch, e b, at steady state mass of fuel as heavy metal, p, per batch discharge burnup of. Cooled fuel is conditioned and sent to longterm disposal. Nuclear material is initially collected from two main sources. Used fuel also needs to be taken care of for reuse and disposal. The nuclear fuel cycle refers to all activities that occur in the production of nuclear energy.
With the current trend toward competition in the power market, the option of nuclear fuel cycle is an important determinant in terms of economics. The fuel cycle is suitably divided into a front end and a back end part, where the nuclear power station is the dividing line. Nuclear fuel cycles are evaluated and compared in chapter 3 on the basis of quantitative measures that fall into 4 categories. The nuclear fuel cycle, also called nuclear fuel chain, is the progression of nuclear fuel through a series of differing stages. 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. 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. Nuclear fuel cycles the nuclear fuel cycle is often grouped into three classical components frontend, reactor, and backend. Nuclear fuel is material used in nuclear power stations to produce heat to power turbines. Economics and resources analysis of the potential use of. Westinghouse is now building on the success of our flagship ifba product with ifbagad hybrid fuel assemblies that facilitate longer 24month cycles. 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. Continued and expanded use of nuclear power may be predicated on improved economics and sustainability. Nuclear fuel cycle cost estimation and sensitivity.
Reactor fuel cycle including economics and advanced fuel management. However, most nuclear fuel cycle costs have used a deterministic method thus far. Does not provide significant economy on uranium supplies, and. 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. 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. The book covers all aspects of the nuclear fuel cyclefrom cradle to grave. Categorization of used nuclear fuel inventory in support. The focus of the front end of the nuclear fuel cycle is to deliver fabricated fuel to the reactor. 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. 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. International conference on fast reactors and related fuel. Introduction, the economics of the nuclear fuel cycle, nea.
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. Integral fuel burnable absorber ifba fuel cycles and. Innovative technologies for nuclear fuel cycles and nuclear power vienna, austria. Letter grade fuel cycle from uranium mining through waste management. 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. 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. There are three types of nuclear fuel cycles that might be utilized for the increased production of energy. Similarly, at steady state the energy produced by all n batches in the core during one cycle is equal to the.
912 695 805 1334 1638 1466 1289 1181 1394 986 1434 1541 1100 636 885 1168 113 1626 916 295 1300 598 391 855 1308 841 1066 1451 311 33 1118