An Evaluation of the Implementation of Blended Uranium Fuel in PWR Cores

摘要

As part of a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) program to dispose of surplus highly enriched uranium (HEU) a consortium of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), AREVA NP Inc, and Nuclear Fuel Services implemented a plan of downblending this HEU to blended low enriched uranium (BLEU) suitable for use as fuel in commercial nuclear power plants. The BLEU is processed to uranium dioxide powder and pellets, for use in TVA's PWR and BWR nuclear reactors. In order to use this fuel as commercial fuel, the differences between BLEU and normal commercial-grade uranium (CGU) needed to be evaluated.