| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1729196 | Annals of Nuclear Energy | 2011 | 6 Pages |
The multi-recycling of innovative uranium/thorium oxide fuels for use in the European Pressurized water Reactor (EPR) has been investigated. If increasing quantities of 238U, the fertile isotope in standard UO2 fuel, are replaced by 232Th, then a greater yield of new fissile material (233U) is produced during the cycle than would otherwise be the case. This leads to economies of natural uranium of around 45% if the uranium in the spent fuel is multi-recycled. In addition we show that minor actinide and plutonium waste inventories are reduced and hence waste radio-toxicities and decay heats are up to a factor of 20 lower after 103 years. Two innovative fuel types named S90 and S20, ThO2 mixed with 90% and 20% enriched UO2 respectively, are compared as an alternative to standard uranium oxide (UOX) and uranium/plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) fuels at the longest EPR fuel discharge burn-ups of 65 GWd/t. Fissile and waste inventories are examined, waste radio-toxicities and decay heats are extracted and safety feedback coefficients are calculated. Finally, we discuss the economics of such strategies.
► Multi-recycling of Th/U fuels for use in an EPR investigated at long burnups. ► Standard UOX and U/Pu MOX fuels compared using Monte-Carlo based simulation codes. ► Replacement of 238U by 232Th in the fuels reduces natural U needs by 45%. ► Long-lived waste is reduced by up to a factor 20 after 1000 years. ► Proliferation, safety and economic aspects of the proposed fuels are examined.
