Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems Research Articles

Fabrication of Cermet Nuclear Fuels Designed for the Transmutation of Transuranic Isotopes

The Uranium Extraction (UREX) family of processes uses solvent extraction techniques designed to partition spent uranium and transuranic (TRU) isotopes from fission product waste. Once separated, the collective TRU elements (Np, Pu, Am, and Cm) can be recycled in advanced nuclear energy systems. A zirconium matrix cermet is proposed as a fuel form for this application. Processing methods have been designed to convert the TRU product and spent Zircaloy cladding into feed materials for the hot extrusion of the cermet fuel pins. The TRU conversion process is being developed using a surrogate mixture of uranium and cerium nitrate solutions to generate mixed oxide microspheres. The Zircaloy recovery process is a hydride-dehydride method that is being demonstrated at the bench scale. The powder products from these methods may be combined through hot extrusion into a cermet composite; demonstration experiments using zirconium powder and zirconia microspheres have been completed.

Analysis on liquid metal corrosion–oxidation interactions

The interaction between growing surface oxides and flowing liquid metals is of importance in many high temperature applications such as coolant systems using liquid lead or lead bismuth eutectic (LBE) in advanced nuclear energy systems. The impact of flow can manifest through particle erosion, mass transfer corrosion, stress scrape, etc. In the present study, we consider the continuous flow-induced corrosion by dissolution of steel components or dissociation of surface oxides. In oxygen controlled liquid lead or LBE systems, steels exposed to the liquid metals are subject to both oxidation and flow-induced corrosion. It is necessary and important to understand the corrosion–oxidation interactions for selecting structural materials and optimizing operating conditions. A comprehensive theoretical analysis of the key corrosion–oxidation interactions is presented here. Possible corrosion–oxidation mechanisms are considered and the corrosion–oxidation interactions are classified into different regimes. In each regime, a theoretical model is given. Based on the analysis, corrosion–oxidation maps are developed for selecting and optimizing the operation conditions for liquid lead–alloy systems.

Basic research needs for advanced nuclear energy systems

This article is reproduced from excerpts from the Report of the Basic Energy Sciences Workshop on Basic Research Needs for Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems, U.S. Department of Energy, October 2006, www.sc.doe.gov/bes/reports/fi les/ANES_rpt.pdf.

From Bytes to Ingots: Expedient Design of Structural Materials for Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems

AbstractDevelopment of structural materials is historically a long and costly process, particularly for nuclear energy applications due to the long proof testing period to validate the performance of the material in the hostile irradiation environment. Utilization of recently developed materials science tools including computational thermodynamics and multiscale radiation damage computational models in conjunction with rapid science-guided experimental validation (nonirradiation and irradiation environments) may offer the potential for a transformational reduction in the time period to develop and qualify structural materials for advanced nuclear energy systems. Several examples of rapid development of high-performance structural materials will be given, with a focus on austenitic and ferritic/martensitic steels (less than two years from project initiation to commercial production of multi-ton prototypic heats). In many cases, the key for development of improved mechanical properties and superior radiation stability is the presence of a uniform high-density dispersion of highly stable nanoscale particles. This research was sponsored in part by the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences, U.S. Department of Energy under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725 with UT-Battelle, LLC.

Proliferation resistance of PEACER system

It is considered that partitioning and transmutation (P&T) could reduce the burden of geological disposal of spent fuel. PEACER (Proliferation-resistant, Environment-friendly, Accident-tolerant, Continuable and Economical Reactor) system has been developed as a conceptual means of P&T of spent fuel in ROK. The PEACER system is based on the combination of pyrochemical separation process, i.e., pyroprocess and Pb–Bi cooled fast reactor. Proliferation resistance is one of key constraints in the deployment of advanced nuclear energy systems. This paper assesses proliferation resistance of the PEACER system.

PLANNING FOR NUCLEAR ENERGY R&D

TODAY YOU HAVE THE opportunity to define the new basic research agenda for disciplines that underpin advanced nuclear energy systems. Think boldly and broadly, and don't be bound by yesterday's technology or even today's technology. With those words, Patricia M. Dehmer challenged a roomful of nuclear scientists and engineers from the U.S. and other countries to identify key areas of science in which fundamental research has the potential to make a significant impact on the future of nuclear power. The setting, a Department of Energy nuclear energy workshop held last month in Washington, D.C., was one of a series of workshops coordinated by DOE's Office of Basic Energy Sciences (BES), which is headed by Dehmer. The goal of the meeting was to produce a report that itemizes the priority research directions needed to address what Dehmer referred to as short-term showstoppers and long-term grand challenges for effective utilization of nuclear energy. Dehmer noted that during ...

06/01633 Thorium fuel cycle of a thorium-based advanced nuclear energy system: Yu, J. et al. Progress in Nuclear Energy, 2004, 45, (1), 71–83

06/01633 Thorium fuel cycle of a thorium-based advanced nuclear energy system: Yu, J. et al. Progress in Nuclear Energy, 2004, 45, (1), 71–83

05/02051 Thorium fuel cycle of a thorium-based advanced nuclear energy system

05/02051 Thorium fuel cycle of a thorium-based advanced nuclear energy system

차세대 원자력 시스템용 탄화규소계 세라믹스의 제조와 이온조사 특성 평가

SiC-based ceramics are considered as candidate materials for the advanced nuclear energy systems such as the generation IV reactors and the fusion reactors due to their excellent high-temperature strength and irradiation resistance. The advanced nuclear energy systems and their main components adopting ceramic composites were briefly reviewed. A novel fabrication method of SiC f /SiC composites by introducing SiC whiskers was also described. In addition, the charged-particle irradiation (Si 2+ and H + ion) into CVD SiC was carried out to simulate the severe environments of the advanced nuclear reactors. SiC whiskers grown in the fiber preform increased the matrix infiltration rate by more than 60% compared to the conventional CVI process. The highly crystalline and pure SiC showed little degradation in hardness and elastic modulus up to a damage level of 10 dpa at 1000℃.

A comparative assessment of the economics and proliferation resistance of advanced nuclear energy systems

Three advanced nuclear energy systems and their fuel cycles are compared with respect to both their relative economic potential and proliferation resistance. These systems include the light-water reactor (LWR) once-through cycle, the breeder and light-water reactor fuel cycles on plutonium recycle and, lastly, an advanced converter-breeder system on a denatured thorium cycle. To quantify the relative proliferation risk of these systems, a multi-attribute decision analysis method was applied. Economic potential was measured on the basis of an electricity generation cost model. Results indicate that the plutonium recycle LWR-breeder option can be made sufficiently proliferation resistant if methods that denature the plutonium and/or do not separate out a pure plutonium stream are utilized. The denatured thorium cycle shows no obvious proliferation advantage and exhibits some economic penalty when compared to the other systems. It is therefore recommended that further research and development concentrate on the development of diversion-resistant technology for the mixed-oxide, plutonium-based LWR-breeder system.