Abstract
The Nuclear Fuel Cycle describes the entire process followed to convert uranium or thorium ore to its useful state in nuclear power reactors, and its ultimate and current disposal. The cycle has been followed since the 1960s to produce electrical power safely, and without emissions of environmentally endangering carbon gases.
This chapter was originally published as part of the Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology edited by Robert A. Meyers. DOI:10.1007/978-1-4419-0851-3
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Abbreviations
- Uranium:
-
Occurs in most rocks in concentrations of 2 (sedimentary rocks) to 4 (granite) ppm.
- Thorium:
-
More readily available nuclear fuel than uranium, being four times more abundant than uranium in the earth’s crust.
- Uranium dioxide (UO2):
-
An insoluble oxide of uranium which is the form commonly used in commercial nuclear fuel.
- Pitchblende:
-
An ore with a very high UO2 content of up to 70%. Pitchblende also contains radium, thorium, cerium, and lead.
- The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission:
-
Regulatory body for radioactive materials and nuclear power plants.
- The department of energy:
-
Required by law to be responsible for the spent fuel and collects a fee of 1 mill/kWh of nuclear electricity for disposal.
- MWD/MTU (mega watt days of energy produced per metric ton of uranium contained):
-
Energy produced per metric ton of uranium (fuel) contained. Current Nuclear Regulatory Commission limits for nuclear power plant fuel is 60,000 MWD/MTU. Normal lifetime of a fuel assembly is 55,000 MWD/MTU.
Bibliography
Cochran RG, Tsoulfanidis N (1999) The nuclear fuel cycle: analysis and management. American Nuclear Society, La Grange Park
Wilson PD (1996) The nuclear fuel cycle: from ore to waste. Oxford Science Publications, Oxford
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Tulenko, J.S. (2013). Modern Nuclear Fuel Cycles. In: Tsoulfanidis, N. (eds) Nuclear Energy. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5716-9_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5716-9_8
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