4/2003 rev 2 i.4.9i – slide 1 of 20 session i.4.9i part i review of fundamentals module 4sources...
Post on 17-Jan-2016
219 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
4/2003 Rev 24/2003 Rev 2 I.4.9i – slide I.4.9i – slide 11 of 20 of 20
Session I.4.9iSession I.4.9i
Part I Review of Fundamentals
Module 4 Sources of Radiation
Session 9i Fuel Cycle - Reprocessing
IAEA Post Graduate Educational CourseIAEA Post Graduate Educational CourseRadiation Protection and Safe Use of Radiation SourcesRadiation Protection and Safe Use of Radiation Sources
4/2003 Rev 24/2003 Rev 2 I.4.9i – slide I.4.9i – slide 22 of 20 of 20
ReprocessingReprocessing
4/2003 Rev 24/2003 Rev 2 I.4.9i – slide I.4.9i – slide 33 of 20 of 20
What is reprocessing?What is reprocessing?
Reprocessing is the separation and removal of Reprocessing is the separation and removal of fission products from the SNFfission products from the SNF
U, Pu may be separated and reused or storedU, Pu may be separated and reused or stored
Fission products vitrified as HLW glass (ideally)Fission products vitrified as HLW glass (ideally)
Many processesMany processes
wetwet dry dry transmutationtransmutation
4/2003 Rev 24/2003 Rev 2 I.4.9i – slide I.4.9i – slide 44 of 20 of 20
ReprocessingReprocessing
Spent FuelSpent Fuel
95%95% 238238UU 1%1% 235235UU 1%1% Pu Pu 3%3% fission products fission products
Reprocessing separates it into 3 groupsReprocessing separates it into 3 groups
UU PuPu WasteWaste
4/2003 Rev 24/2003 Rev 2 I.4.9i – slide I.4.9i – slide 55 of 20 of 20
ReprocessingReprocessing
4/2003 Rev 24/2003 Rev 2 I.4.9i – slide I.4.9i – slide 66 of 20 of 20
ReprocessingReprocessing
4/2003 Rev 24/2003 Rev 2 I.4.9i – slide I.4.9i – slide 77 of 20 of 20
ReprocessingReprocessing
4/2003 Rev 24/2003 Rev 2 I.4.9i – slide I.4.9i – slide 88 of 20 of 20
Reprocessing FacilitiesReprocessing Facilities
Domestic U.S. - > 100,000 te, mainly low burnupDomestic U.S. - > 100,000 te, mainly low burnup West Valley - shutdown/cleanupWest Valley - shutdown/cleanup Barnwell/AGNS - not allowed to operateBarnwell/AGNS - not allowed to operate GE/Morris - didn’t work, SNF wet storageGE/Morris - didn’t work, SNF wet storage DOE - several, only SRS operating to any degreeDOE - several, only SRS operating to any degree
International - > 100,000 te total; > 30,000 te; decent International - > 100,000 te total; > 30,000 te; decent burnupsburnups France - La HagueFrance - La Hague UK - Sellafield/THORPUK - Sellafield/THORP India, Pakistan, Russia/FSU, ChinaIndia, Pakistan, Russia/FSU, China Japan - pilot operating, full-scale plant 70% Japan - pilot operating, full-scale plant 70%
completecomplete
4/2003 Rev 24/2003 Rev 2 I.4.9i – slide I.4.9i – slide 99 of 20 of 20
What is the Wet Route?What is the Wet Route?
shear, dissolve fuel in nitric acidshear, dissolve fuel in nitric acid clarify, solvent extractionclarify, solvent extraction partition U/Pupartition U/Pu recover UOrecover UO33, PuO, PuO22 powders powders
Purex variations most successfulPurex variations most successful 99.8-99.9% recovery of U/Pu99.8-99.9% recovery of U/Pu
4/2003 Rev 24/2003 Rev 2 I.4.9i – slide I.4.9i – slide 1010 of 20 of 20
What are the Facilities?What are the Facilities?
Several large facilities for power reactor SNFSeveral large facilities for power reactor SNF All heavily shielded - 4 ft wallsAll heavily shielded - 4 ft walls Cells, manipulators, remote operationsCells, manipulators, remote operations
France - La HagueFrance - La Hague 2 plants, about 1,700 te/yr capacity2 plants, about 1,700 te/yr capacity running at 1,500-1,600 te/yrrunning at 1,500-1,600 te/yr 10102020 Bq vitrified HLW Bq vitrified HLW
UK - SellafieldUK - Sellafield 2 plants2 plants THORP - about 700 te/yr (800 capacity)THORP - about 700 te/yr (800 capacity) 0.3 x 100.3 x 102020 Bq vitrified HLW Bq vitrified HLW
4/2003 Rev 24/2003 Rev 2 I.4.9i – slide I.4.9i – slide 1111 of 20 of 20
La Hague PlantLa Hague Plant
(2) 800 MTHM/yr Plants, about $10 B(2) 800 MTHM/yr Plants, about $10 B
4/2003 Rev 24/2003 Rev 2 I.4.9i – slide I.4.9i – slide 1212 of 20 of 20
Dry ReprocessingDry Reprocessing
Sometimes called pyroreprocessing, pyrometallurgicalSometimes called pyroreprocessing, pyrometallurgical
Uses melting, electrolysis, volatilization to separate Uses melting, electrolysis, volatilization to separate U/Pu from fission productsU/Pu from fission products
Proposed in transmutation schemesProposed in transmutation schemes
Difficult to adapt to commercial fuelsDifficult to adapt to commercial fuels
4/2003 Rev 24/2003 Rev 2 I.4.9i – slide I.4.9i – slide 1313 of 20 of 20
TransmutationTransmutation
Perform nuclear processes and reactions on Perform nuclear processes and reactions on radioactive wastes to render them either non-radioactive wastes to render them either non-radioactive or significantly less radioactive so radioactive or significantly less radioactive so that radiotoxic and disposal concerns are that radiotoxic and disposal concerns are substantially reduced or eliminated.substantially reduced or eliminated.
4/2003 Rev 24/2003 Rev 2 I.4.9i – slide I.4.9i – slide 1414 of 20 of 20
Why Transmutation?Why Transmutation?
Some Fission Products and Transuranics Some Fission Products and Transuranics radioactive/hazardous for 10,000+ years and radioactive/hazardous for 10,000+ years and environmentally mobileenvironmentally mobile
Why not transmute them into stable (nonradioactive) Why not transmute them into stable (nonradioactive) or short-lived materials?or short-lived materials?
Why not reduce quantities, isotopes, types going to Why not reduce quantities, isotopes, types going to disposal?disposal?
Ideally, only LLW disposal requirements neededIdeally, only LLW disposal requirements needed Main focus on Actinides (Np, Pu, Am, Cm)Main focus on Actinides (Np, Pu, Am, Cm) Secondary focus on Tc, I, Ni, ZrSecondary focus on Tc, I, Ni, Zr Tertiary focus on Cs, SrTertiary focus on Cs, Sr
4/2003 Rev 24/2003 Rev 2 I.4.9i – slide I.4.9i – slide 1515 of 20 of 20
What does this mean?What does this mean?
Methods can reduce the risks of SNF/HLW disposalMethods can reduce the risks of SNF/HLW disposal
Not obvious that any route can meet desired Not obvious that any route can meet desired destruction % for LLWdestruction % for LLW
All require significant money and take timeAll require significant money and take time
4/2003 Rev 24/2003 Rev 2 I.4.9i – slide I.4.9i – slide 1616 of 20 of 20
ReprocessingReprocessing
Thermal Oxide Reprocessing PlantThermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant
4/2003 Rev 24/2003 Rev 2 I.4.9i – slide I.4.9i – slide 1717 of 20 of 20
World Commercial World Commercial Reprocessing CapacityReprocessing Capacity
CountryCountry LocationLocation LWR fuelLWR fuel
tonnes/yrtonnes/yr
FranceFrance La HagueLa Hague 1,6001,600
UKUK Sellafield (THORP)Sellafield (THORP) 1,2001,200
RussiaRussia Chelyabinsk (Mayak)Chelyabinsk (Mayak) 400400
JapanJapan 9090
TotalTotal 2,9402,940
Other nuclear fuels:Other nuclear fuels:
UKUK SellafieldSellafield 1,5001,500
FranceFrance MarcouleMarcoule 400400
IndiaIndia 200200
TotalTotal 2,1002,100
Total civil capacityTotal civil capacity 5,0405,040
4/2003 Rev 24/2003 Rev 2 I.4.9i – slide I.4.9i – slide 1818 of 20 of 20
ReprocessingReprocessing
4/2003 Rev 24/2003 Rev 2 I.4.9i – slide I.4.9i – slide 1919 of 20 of 20
ReprocessingReprocessing
Occurs 5 – 25 years after removal from Occurs 5 – 25 years after removal from reactorreactor
PartitioningPartitioning Separate individual radionuclidesSeparate individual radionuclides
TransmutationTransmutation Neutron bombardment converts one Neutron bombardment converts one
radionuclide into another with better radionuclide into another with better characteristicscharacteristics
Radiotoxicity reduced within 1000 yearsRadiotoxicity reduced within 1000 years
4/2003 Rev 24/2003 Rev 2 I.4.9i – slide I.4.9i – slide 2020 of 20 of 20
ReprocessingReprocessing
PUREX processPUREX process Dissolving fuelDissolving fuel Separation of U and Pu by solvent Separation of U and Pu by solvent
extractionextraction Remaining 3% is HLW – vitrified Remaining 3% is HLW – vitrified
pending disposalpending disposal
UREX processUREX process Proposed by USA – only U recoveredProposed by USA – only U recovered
top related