The Future of Advanced Nuclear Technologies Interdisciplinary Research Team Summaries (2014) / Chapter Skim
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IDR Team Summary 2: Develop a transformational fuel for Light Water Reactors - advanced and current.
IDR Team Summary 2: Develop a transformational fuel for Light Water Reactors - advanced and current.
Pages 27-40
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From page 27... ...
Given this situation and continued license renewals in the United States and in the world, it is safe to say that LWRs will be the dominant technology that is used to produce electricity from nuclear fission reactor plants for several decades. There is a continued emphasis on improving the reliability and the safety of nuclear power plants.
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From page 28... ...
The challenge is to create a coherent plan for developing a novel fuel that incorporates the complete discovery-to-product process: i.e., R&D plan, fuel demonstration, reliable fuel manufacture, acceptance testing, and performance. This can also provide the opportunity to develop advanced fuels that take the entire fuel-cycle implications into account (e.g., spent fuel disposition)
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From page 29... ...
Comprehensive nuclear materials, volume 3: Advanced fuels, fuel cladding and nuclear fuel performance modeling and simulation. Elsevier: Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2012.
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From page 30... ...
More than 80 percent of the 435 nuclear reactors worldwide fall into the category of LWRs. Known for their simplicity and comparatively low construction cost, LWRs are currently the most widely used type of nuclear reactor and are slated to remain the "go to" type of reactor in the coming years.
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From page 31... ...
Evaluation of high power density annular fuel application in the Korean 1 OPR-1000 reactor." MS thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2009; Morra, P., Design of annular fuel for high power density BWRs. MS thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2004.
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From page 32... ...
The team initially suggested that a fission gas vent be installed to deal with buildup of gas pressure, but because of a high risk of mechanical failure and drastic change to the entire reactor structure, the idea was discarded. One other variation of the annular fuel rod design discussed was to have a matrix of four or six sets of fuel pebbles enclosed within an annular cladding.
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From page 33... ...
Once the initial research stage is complete, the annular fuel assembly design will need to be finalized and then submitted to regulators for licensing. To produce a truly revolutionary fuel, the cladding used in the system will also need to be improved.
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From page 34... ...
Zinkle, Oak Ridge National Laboratory IDR TEAM SUMMARY -- GROUP 2B Jodi Murphy, NAKFI Science Writing Scholar University of Georgia IDR Team 2B was tasked with the challenge of developing a transformational fuel for light water reactors (LWRs) -- advanced and current.
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From page 35... ...
A thorough analysis might also prompt the development of advanced fuels that take the entire fuel cycle implications into consideration in order to improve the current circumstance in which new fuels are developed. Notionally, a transformational fuel should have the following general characteristics to be successful: • Decrease the risk of fuel failure and radioactivity release over the full range of operating conditions, including anticipated operational occurrences, load following, design-basis accidents (such as loss-of-coolant accidents [LOCAs]
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From page 36... ...
Integrated behavior of new fuels will still have to be established by prototypic testing in, for example, a test reactor environment prior to operating a new fuel in a power reactor, since analytical techniques alone are not sufficient to describe the complex interactions of phenomena within nuclear fuels during operation. In determining how to develop a transformational fuel for LWRs, the time line and budget must be handled strategically in order to accelerate the development and deployment of advanced fuel and cladding designs to be used in existing LWRs and new pressurized water reactors (PWRs)
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From page 37... ...
The United States lacks the manufacturing infrastructure needed to make rapid changes needed to replace LWRs entirely and does not face the pressing lack of electricity that nations such as China and India do. In addition, there is widespread distrust and misunderstanding of nuclear power in the United States.
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From page 38... ...
Conclusions The IDR Team devised an optimum time line in which a new fuel and cladding system could be developed, tested, and implemented. The project would require a huge financial investment up front that would need to be justified based on a compelling vision of improving operating reactor safety.
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From page 39... ...
The alternative fuel and cladding system must have enhanced retention of fission products. To improve fuel containment of fission products, the IDR Team suggested minimizing fuel relocation and dispersion, lowering operating temperatures, inhibiting clad internal oxidation, and an increased fuel melting safety margin.
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