Fission power: an evolutionary strategy.

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Engineering
• Energy Policy
• Materials Science

Background:

• Safeguarding plutonium in breeder reactor fuel cycles presents significant challenges.
• Current nuclear reactor designs necessitate careful management of nuclear materials to prevent proliferation.
• Advanced reactor concepts are being explored to address these security and resource concerns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the resource and economic implications of a nuclear fuel strategy that avoids weapons-usable material in fresh reactor fuel.
• To assess the viability of advanced converter reactors operating on proliferation-resistant, once-through fuel cycles.
• To determine the economic competitiveness of advanced converter reactors compared to breeder reactors.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of resource utilization for advanced converter reactors on once-through fuel cycles.
• Economic modeling comparing advanced converter reactors with breeder reactors under varying uranium prices.
• Exploration of denatured uranium recycling to further reduce uranium requirements.

Main Results:

• Advanced converter reactors demonstrate significantly improved uranium efficiency on once-through fuel cycles compared to current systems.
• These reactors can remain economically competitive with breeder reactors even at substantially elevated uranium prices.
• Isotopically denatured uranium recycling can further decrease uranium needs, deferring closed fuel cycle commitments for decades.

Conclusions:

• A strategy using advanced converter reactors on proliferation-resistant fuel cycles is a viable alternative to breeder reactors.
• This approach mitigates concerns regarding the safeguarding of nuclear weapons-usable material.
• Long-term economic competitiveness and resource sustainability can be achieved without immediate reliance on closed fuel cycles.