Abstract
A review of simulated nuclear fuel cycles with mixed uranium-plutonium fuel (REMIX) was carried out. The concept of REMIX fuel is one of the options for closing the nuclear fuel cycle (NFC), which makes it possible to recycle uranium and plutonium in VVER-1000/1200 thermal reactors at a 100% core loading. The authors propose a new approach to the recycling of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in thermal reactors. The approach implies a simplified fabrication of mixed fuel when plutonium is used in high concentration together with enriched natural uranium, while reprocessed uranium is supposed to be enriched and used separately. The share of standard enriched natural uranium fuel in this nuclear fuel cycle is more than 50%, the share of mixed natU+Pu fuel is 25%, the rest is fuel obtained from enriched reprocessed uranium. It is emphasized that the new approach has the maximum economic prospect and makes it possible to organize the fabrication of this fuel and nuclear material cross-cycling at the facilities available in the Russian Federation in the short term. This NFC option eliminates the accumulation of SNF in the form of spent fuel assemblies (SFA). SNF is always reprocessed with the aim of further using the primary reprocessed uranium and plutonium. Non-recyclable in thermal reactors, burnt, reprocessed uranium, the energy potential of which is comparable to natural uranium, as well as secondary plutonium intended for further use in fast reactors, are sent as reprocessing by-products to the storage area.
Highlights
The reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel is considered with the aim of using the energy potential of the remaining uranium and plutonium produced, eliminating the SNF storage and previously accumulated reprocessed products, and saving natural uranium (Fedorov et al 2001)
For a similar reason (236Pu decaying into 232U), the isolated plutonium needs to be deeply cleaned before being refabricated into MOX or REMIX fuel
If the REMIX-E scenario is used, natUEn-Pu fuel accounts for only 15% of the capacities in one Pu-cycle and 6% in the second Pu-cycle; the main share falls on standard natUEn-fuel and partly on enriched reprocessed uranium
Summary
A new approach to the recycling of spent nuclear fuel in thermal reactors within the REMIX concept*. Academic editor: Yury Kazansky ♦ Received 6 August 2019 ♦ Accepted 29 April 2020 ♦ Published 19 June 2020
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