Metallic fuels for advanced reactors

Carmack, Jon; Porter, David; Chang, Y.I.; Hayes, S. L.; Meyer, M. K.; Burkes, Douglas E.; Lee, C.B.; Mizuno, Tomoyasu; Delage, F.; Somers, J.

doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2009.03.007

Cited by 179 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…In principle, the transmutation fuels can be electrochemically reprocessed, producing recycled fuels that contain low concentrations of rare-earth (RE) fission products (e.g., [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High- and low-Am RE inclusion phases in a U–Np–Pu–Am–Zr alloy

Janney

Madden

O’Holleran

2015

Journal of Nuclear Materials

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a b s t r a c t Structural, microstructural, and microchemical data were collected from rare-earth inclusions in an as-cast U-Pu-Zr alloy with 3 at.% Am, 2% Np, and 9% rare-earth elements (La, Ce, Pr, and Nd). Two RE phases with different concentrations of Am were identified.The composition of high-Am RE inclusions is 2-5 at.% La, 15-20% Ce, 5-10% Pr, 25-45% Nd, 1% Np, 5-10% Pu, and 10-20% Am. Some areas also have O, although this does not appear to be an essential part of the high-Am RE phase. The inclusions have a face-centered cubic structure with a lattice parameter a 0.54 nm.The composition of the only low-Am RE inclusion studied in detail is 35-40 at.% O, 40-45% Nd, 1-2% Zr, 4-5% La, 9-10% Ce, and 6-7% Pr. This inclusion is an oxide with a crystal structure similar to the roomtemperature structure of Nd 2 O 3 . Microstructural features suggest that oxidation occurred during casting, and that early crystallization of high-temperature oxides led to formation of two distinct RE phases.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High- and low-Am RE inclusion phases in a U–Np–Pu–Am–Zr alloy

Janney

Madden

O’Holleran

2015

Journal of Nuclear Materials

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“…Fuel-clad contact occurs within 1-2 at.% peak burnup. The data show that prior to making contact with the cladding tube, metallic alloy fuel swells rapidly due to its high fission-enhanced creep rate and irradiation growth [16,17]. A higher swelling implies higher fission-gas diffusivity and higher creep rate in the central region of the fuel.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Creep behaviour of δ-phase of U–Zr system by impression creep technique

Kutty

Basak

Kumar

et al. 2011

Journal of Nuclear Materials

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“…Subsequently, the concepts for the TRU burner system with uranium-free TRU are derived from this background: fewer R&D needs and a simple system. First, by contrast with inert matrix fuels, metallic fuel can be fabricated by the well-known injection casting method [8]. Moreover, metallic fuel is compatible with pyro-process reprocessing that has been developed since the 1960s [9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of Uranium-Free TRU Metallic Fuel Fast Reactor Core

Ishii

Yamaoka

Moriki

et al. 2014

Nuclear Back-End and Transmutation Technology for Waste Disposal

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A TRU-burning fast reactor cycle associated with a uranium-free transuranium (TRU) metallic fuel core is one of the solutions for radioactive waste management issue. Use of TRU metallic fuel without uranium makes it possible to maximize the TRU transmutation rate in comparison with uranium and plutonium mixed-oxide fuel because it prevents the fuel itself from producing new plutonium and minor actinides, and furthermore because metallic fuel has much smaller capture-to-fission ratios of TRU than those of mixed-oxide fuel. Also, adoption of metallic fuel enables recycling system to be less challenging, even for uranium-free fuel, because a conventional scheme of fuel recycling by electrorefining and injection casting is applicable.There are some issues, however, associated with a uranium-free TRU metallic fuel core: decrease in negative Doppler reactivity coefficient from the absence of uranium-238, which has the ability to absorb neutrons at elevated temperatures, increase in burn-up swing, because fissile decreases monotonically in uranium-free core, and so on. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the feasibility of the uranium-free TRU metallic fuel core by investigating the effect of measures taken to enhance Doppler reactivity feedback and to reduce burn-up swing. The results show a TRU-burning fast reactor cycle using uranium-free TRU metallic fuel is viable from the aforementioned points of view because the introduction of diluent Zr alloy, spectrum moderator BeO, and lower core height enables Doppler reactivity coefficient and burn-up reactivity swing of uranium-free TRU metallic fuel to be as practicable as those of conventional fuel containing uranium.

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Metallic fuels for advanced reactors

Cited by 179 publications

References 31 publications

High- and low-Am RE inclusion phases in a U–Np–Pu–Am–Zr alloy

High- and low-Am RE inclusion phases in a U–Np–Pu–Am–Zr alloy

Creep behaviour of δ-phase of U–Zr system by impression creep technique

Development of Uranium-Free TRU Metallic Fuel Fast Reactor Core

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