The Influence of Fuel Cycle and Spent Fuel Characteristics on Repository Heat Loads

摘要

The Department of Energy (DOE)currently supports the Advanced Fuel CycleInitiative (AFCI) in order to facilitate asustainable expansion of the use of nuclearpower. Implementation of advanced fuel cycleshas the potential of reducing requirements by asmuch as a factor fifty. Thus, it is imperative thatoptimal choices relative to type of reactors and tothe manner in which they are operated enhancethe feasibility of achieving the goal ofsustainable nuclear power. A key parameterrelative to this goal is the repository spacerequired per unit of energy production. In orderto investigate this issue, the decay heat generatedby spent fuel, or recycled fuel, relative to theheat generated is calculated as a function of timebetween removal from the reactor and disposal,fuel burnup, and fuel composition. Results forthis assessment are obtained from point depletioncalculations and from simulations of alternativefuel cycles.