Advanced Methods in Spent Fuel Reprocessing and Salt Reactor Technologies

Garant předmětu:

Lecturer:

Tutor:

Supervisor:

Department of Nuclear Reactors

Synopsis:

The course describes methods used for fresh fuel production and spent fuel reprocessing with focus on chemistry of this processes. They are analyzed possibilities of reprocessing of fuel from common types of reactors and also from reactors gen. IV. High attention is given to technologies for production, processing and purification of liquid fuels of molten salts reactors in both types of fuel cycle: U-Pu and Th-U.

Requirements:

Syllabus of lectures:

1. Chemical processes of fresh fuel production, 3 lectures

leaching (acid, alkaline) and factors of its affects, methods of uranium separation from extracts (sorption processes, solvent extraction processes, etc.) production and composition of yellowcake, methods of yellowcake purification to material of nuclear grade (solvent extraction processes with TBP, ...), production of UF6 for enrichment, reconversion of UF6 to UO2.

2. Processes for spent fuel reprocessing, 4 lectures

Spent fuel from U-Pu fuel cycle and its properties, partitioning and transmutation, PUREX process, advanced hydrometallurgy methods for transuranium elements separation, pyrochemical reprocessing, etc.

3. Advanced fuel types and their production, 1 lecture

The nuclear fuel for gen. IV. reactors and special methods of their production and reprocessing, fuel of VHTR reactors.

4. Technology of molten fuel and molten salt reactors (MSR), 3 lectures

Molten fuels, history and present technology of MSR, salts as fuel and their chemical and physical properties, fuel cycle of MSR, chemistry and technology of MSR, fluorides distillation, electrochemical separation.

5. Uranium-thorium fuel cycle, 1 lecture

Chemical processes for production and reprocessing of thorium fuel, cycle with molten fuel.

Syllabus of tutorials:

Study Objective:

Knowledge: detailed knowledge of processes for fresh nuclear fuel production and for spent nuclear fuel reprocessing. Knowledge of molten salt reactor technology and technology of

U-Th fuel cycle.

Abilities: orientation in issue, application of obtained knowledge in the field of nuclear fuel cycles and fuel economy.

Study materials:

Key references:

1. Actinide and Fission Product Partitioning and Transmutation, OECD/NEA 1999

2. G.R.Choppin: Chemical separations in Nuclear Waste Management, DOE/EM-0591

Recommended references:

1. http://gif.inel.gov

2. http://www.ornl.gov

Note:

Further information:

No time-table has been prepared for this course

The course is a part of the following study plans: