1.4 grand tour fuel cycle-front end detail
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1
A Look at Nuclear Science and Technology
Larry Foulke
Module 1.4 Grand Tour of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle - Front End Detail
Nuclear Engineering Program
Uranium Isotopic Content
Nuclear Engineering Program
Open Pitt Uranium Mining
Typical Open Pit Mine and Mill Facility
Rössing open pit mine, Namibia
Image Source: See Note 1
Image Source: See Note 2
Nuclear Engineering Program
In Situ Leaching (ISL) Uranium Mining
Image Source: See Note 3
Nuclear Engineering Program
Occurrence of Uranium in the Earth’s Crust
Image Source: See Note 4
Nuclear Engineering Program Image Source: See Note 4
Nuclear Engineering Program
Uranium Milling Solvent-
Extraction Separation
Uranium Mill
Ore Grinding
Image Source: See Note 5
Yellowcake Product Image Source: See Note 6
Image Source: See Note 6
Image Source: See Note 6
Nuclear Engineering Program
Uranium Conversion
Yellowcake
Conversion Cycle
Image Source: See Note 7 Uranium Hexafluoride (UF6) crystals
UF6 Cylinder
Image Source: See Note 8
Image Source: See Note 6 Image Source: See Note 6
§ Conversion Input is yellowcake and fluorine § Conversion Output is UF6
§ Fluorine is used for two reasons: § Only one isotope of fluorine § Physical properties are commercially viable § UF6 is the only uranium compound that exists as a
gas at a suitable temperature
U Conversion
Nuclear Engineering Program
Uranium Enrichment Gas flow through a Diffusion Stage
Image Source: See Note 11
U Enrichment by the Gas Centrifuge Process (100,000 rpm)
Image Source: See Note 11
Nuclear Engineering Program
Views of a Urenco Gas Centrifuge Enrichment Cascade
Image Source: See Note 6
Atomic Vapor Laser Isotope Separation
U metal feed – no UF6 !
Laser Enrichment (AVLIS) of Uranium
Image Source: See Note 6
Separation of Isotopes by Laser EXitation Australian technology.
Laser Enrichment (SILEX)
In September 2012, the NRC issued its decision regarding a License for GE Hitachi to build a commercial plant using SILEX
Image Source: See not e 16
Westinghouse Fuel Fabrication Facility
Image Source: See Note 6
They are "dished" slightly on each end. End taper allows pellets to expand and contract through drastic temperature changes inside reactor without damaging fuel or cladding materials
Reactor Fuel (Pellet) Fabrication Final machined pellets are typically about 0.5 inch in length & about 0.33 inch in diameter.
Image Source: See note 9
Image Source: See note 6
Nuclear Engineering Program
Fuel Fabrication
New Fuel Assembly
Fuel Rods
Image Source: See note 6
Image Source: See note 6
Nuclear Engineering Program
One truck load per month (2,000 kilograms) versus 25 trainloads of coal per month (260,000,000 kilograms)
Image Source: See note 17
Image Source: See note 18
Image Source: See note 19
Assembly is shock-mounted so that damage does not occur during transport to customer which is usually performed by truck
New Fuel Shipping Container
Images Source: See Note 6 Images Source: See Note 6
Images Source: See Note 6
Nuclear Engineering Program
Light Water Reactor Uranium Fuel Cycle
§ Reactor Operations § Fresh Fuel Storage
§ Reactor Fueling
§ Power Generation / Fuel Consumption
§ Depletion/Burnup of Fissile 235U
§ Conversion of 238U to Plutonium
§ Removal of Fuel from Reactor
§ Spent Fuel Storage Fuel Loading
Image Source: See Note 13
Reactor Site
Image source: See note 14
Nuclear Engineering Program
Spent Fuel
Image Source: See note 6
Spent Fuel
Yucca Mountain
Image Source: See Note 15
Nuclear Engineering Program
LWR Fuel Cycle
Closed
Image source: See note 6
1. GNU Free Documentation License: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Arandis_Mine_quer.jpg
2. US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Module 2.0 of the Fuel Cycle Processes Directed Self-Study Course. Figure 2-3. http://pbadupws.nrc.gov/docs/ML1204/ML12045A004.pdf
3. US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Information Digest, 2012–2013 (NUREG-1350, Volume 24). Figure 35. http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/staff/sr1350/v24/sr1350v24-sec-4.pdf
Image Source Notes
4. World Nuclear Association. Used with permission. http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Nuclear-Fuel-Cycle/Uranium-Resources/Supply-of-Uranium/#.UW9VSkrSkrk
5. Nuclear Engineering – Theory and Technology of Commercial Nuclear Power by Ronald Allen Knief, 2nd Edition, American Nuclear Society, 2008. Used with permission.
6. Presentation to NRC staff August 23, 2010, used with permission.
7. Public domain: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Yellowcake.jpg
Image Source Notes
8. Public domain: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Uranium_hexafluoride_crystals_sealed_in_an_ampoule.jpg
9. Public Domain: http://www.nrc.gov/images/reading-rm/photo-gallery/20071114-022.jpg
10. USNRC - http://www.nrc.gov/materials/fuel-cycle-fac/ur-enrichment.html
11. Public domain: http://www.nrc.gov/materials/fuel-cycle-fac/ur-enrichment.html
Image Source Notes
12. Public Domain: http://www.ocrwm.doe.gov/curriculum/unit1/images/fuel_pool.jpg
13. Used with permission from Randall Burk, FirstEnergy Corp 14. Public Domain: http://www.dbcp.gov.hk/eng/safety/plants.htm
15. Public Domain: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2004/energy.html
16. Used with permission of Emily Cooper for IEEE Spectrum Magazine.
Image Source Notes
17. Public Domain: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal_train#Bulk
18. Used with permission from the USNRC.
19. Used with permission from Erik Arroyo – University of Pittsburgh
Image Source Notes
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