Small Scale Recycling of Irradiated Nuclear Fuel for Isotope Production and Nuclear Energy R&D

摘要

The USA has the largest number of nuclear power reactors, accounting for more than 30% of the generation of nuclear electricity worldwide. A primary objective for nuclear energy development is to create sustainable nuclear fuel cycles that improve uranium resource utilization, minimize waste generation, improve safety, and limit proliferation risks. One potential strategy for fuel cycle management is the use of fuel recycling or a closed-loop fuel cycle. Long-lived actinide elements can then be recycled rather than be disposed of, which will significantly reduce the overall radiotoxicity of waste and maximize uranium resource utilization. The legal requirements to recycle fuel impede most in private industry from making significant progress in the field of both fuel cycle R&D and medical isotope production. Niowave is in the unique situation of possessing both the facilities and the NRC license to pursue the commercialization of this type of system. A commercial-scale, closed loop fuel cycle has been designed by Niowave and performed at a demonstration scale. The Niowave Electron Research and Development (NERD) facility is a 14,000 ft~2 building equipped with high-tech manufacturing, testing, and processing capabilities (Fig. 1). The facility has 3 MW of electrical power available, two below-grade trenches, and two shielded tunnels for linac operations up to 40 MeV and 100 kW.