Alternative Fuels, Fuel Cycles, and Reactors

Abstract

The nuclear industry of the U.S., and most of the world, is based on light-water reactors (LWRs). These reactors were developed in America, where we had the capacity to enrich natural uranium slightly. Using slightly enriched uranium as fuel made it possible to use ordinary water as reactor coolant and moderator for power reactors. This, in turn, permitted us to use well-known steam technology in designing the reactor system. The resulting reactors turned out to be cheaper than their main competitors and quite reliable.