Abstract
A possible version of the VVER-1000 fuel cycle without separation of uranium and plutonium during reprocessing of spent fuel is examined. In this fuel cycle, the uranium-plutonium regenerate obtained, from which other actinides and fission products have been removed, is used after enriched natural uranium is added for preparing VVER fuel. The results of a calculation of the content of uranium and plutonium isotopes in the spent uranium-plutonium fuel after one and two recycles in VVER-1000 are presented. The main advantages of the fuel cycle are discussed: lower risk of plutonium proliferation, savings of natural uranium, and less spent fuel as compared with an open uranium fuel cycle.
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Translated from Atomnaya Energiya, Vol. 99, No. 2, pp. 136–141, August 2005.
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Fedorov, Y.S., Bibichev, B.A., Zil'berman, B.Y. et al. Use of Recovered Uranium and Plutonium in Thermal Reactors. At Energy 99, 572–576 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10512-005-0248-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10512-005-0248-9