Practical strategy for reducing the future security risk of United States spent nuclear fuel

摘要

Depletion calculations show that advanced oxide (AOX) fuels can be used in existing light water reactors (LWRs) to achieve and maintain virtually any desired level of US (US) reactor-grade plutonium (R-Pu) inventory. AOX fuels are composed of a neutronically inert matrix loaded with R-Pu and erbium. A 1/2 core load of 100% nonfertile, 7w% R-Pu AOX and 3.9 w% UO(sub 2) has a net total plutonium ((sup TOT)Pu) destruction rate of 310 kg/yr. The 20% residual (sup TOT)Pu in discharged AOX contains > 55% (sup 242)Pu making it unattractive for nuclear explosive use. A three-phase fuel-cycle development program sequentially loading 60 LWRs with 100% mixed oxide, 50% AOX with a nonfertile component displacing only some of the (sup 238)U, and 50% AOX, which is 100% nonfertile, could reduce the US plutonium inventory to near zero by 2050.