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Pub1489 Web.Pdf P1489_cover.indd 1 2011-04-13 09:40:05 IAEA NUCLEAR ENERGY SERIES PUBLICATIONS STRUCTURE OF THE IAEA NUCLEAR ENERGY SERIES Under the terms of Articles III.A and VIII.C of its Statute, the IAEA is authorized to foster the exchange of scientific and technical information on the peaceful uses of atomic energy. The publications in the IAEA Nuclear Energy Series provide information in the areas of nuclear power, nuclear fuel cycle, radioactive waste management and decommissioning, and on general issues that are relevant to all of the above mentioned areas. The structure of the IAEA Nuclear Energy Series comprises three levels: 1 — Basic Principles and Objectives; 2 — Guides; and 3 — Technical Reports. The Nuclear Energy Basic Principles publication describes the rationale and vision for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Nuclear Energy Series Objectives publications explain the expectations to be met in various areas at different stages of implementation. Nuclear Energy Series Guides provide high level guidance on how to achieve the objectives related to the various topics and areas involving the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Nuclear Energy Series Technical Reports provide additional, more detailed, information on activities related to the various areas dealt with in the IAEA Nuclear Energy Series. The IAEA Nuclear Energy Series publications are coded as follows: NG — general; NP — nuclear power; NF — nuclear fuel; NW — radioactive waste management and decommissioning. In addition, the publications are available in English on the IAEA’s Internet site: http://www.iaea.org/Publications/index.html For further information, please contact the IAEA at PO Box 100, Vienna International Centre, 1400 Vienna, Austria. All users of the IAEA Nuclear Energy Series publications are invited to inform the IAEA of experience in their use for the purpose of ensuring that they continue to meet user needs. Information may be provided via the IAEA Internet site, by post, at the address given above, or by email to [email protected]. P1489_cover.indd 2 2011-04-13 09:40:06 STATUS AND TRENDS OF NUCLEAR FUELS TECHNOLOGY FOR SODIUM COOLED FAST REACTORS The following States are Members of the International Atomic Energy Agency: AFGHANISTAN GHANA NORWAY ALBANIA GREECE OMAN ALGERIA GUATEMALA PAKISTAN ANGOLA HAITI PALAU ARGENTINA HOLY SEE PANAMA ARMENIA HONDURAS PARAGUAY AUSTRALIA HUNGARY PERU AUSTRIA ICELAND PHILIPPINES AZERBAIJAN INDIA POLAND BAHRAIN INDONESIA PORTUGAL BANGLADESH IRAN, ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF QATAR BELARUS IRAQ REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA BELGIUM IRELAND ROMANIA BELIZE ISRAEL RUSSIAN FEDERATION BENIN ITALY SAUDI ARABIA BOLIVIA JAMAICA BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA JAPAN SENEGAL BOTSWANA JORDAN SERBIA BRAZIL KAZAKHSTAN SEYCHELLES BULGARIA KENYA SIERRA LEONE BURKINA FASO KOREA, REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE BURUNDI KUWAIT SLOVAKIA CAMBODIA KYRGYZSTAN SLOVENIA CAMEROON LATVIA SOUTH AFRICA CANADA LEBANON SPAIN CENTRAL AFRICAN LESOTHO SRI LANKA REPUBLIC LIBERIA SUDAN CHAD LIBYAN ARAB JAMAHIRIYA SWEDEN CHILE LIECHTENSTEIN SWITZERLAND CHINA LITHUANIA SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC COLOMBIA LUXEMBOURG TAJIKISTAN CONGO MADAGASCAR THAILAND COSTA RICA MALAWI THE FORMER YUGOSLAV CÔTE DIVOIRE MALAYSIA REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA CROATIA MALI TUNISIA CUBA MALTA TURKEY CYPRUS MARSHALL ISLANDS UGANDA CZECH REPUBLIC MAURITANIA UKRAINE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC MAURITIUS UNITED ARAB EMIRATES OF THE CONGO MEXICO UNITED KINGDOM OF DENMARK MONACO GREAT BRITAIN AND DOMINICAN REPUBLIC MONGOLIA NORTHERN IRELAND ECUADOR MONTENEGRO EGYPT MOROCCO UNITED REPUBLIC EL SALVADOR MOZAMBIQUE OF TANZANIA ERITREA MYANMAR UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ESTONIA NAMIBIA URUGUAY ETHIOPIA NEPAL UZBEKISTAN FINLAND NETHERLANDS VENEZUELA FRANCE NEW ZEALAND VIETNAM GABON NICARAGUA YEMEN GEORGIA NIGER ZAMBIA GERMANY NIGERIA ZIMBABWE The Agency’s Statute was approved on 23 October 1956 by the Conference on the Statute of the IAEA held at United Nations Headquarters, New York; it entered into force on 29 July 1957. The Headquarters of the Agency are situated in Vienna. Its principal objective is “to accelerate and enlarge the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health and prosperity throughout the world’’. IAEA NUCLEAR ENERGY SERIES No. NF-T-4.1 STATUS AND TRENDS OF NUCLEAR FUELS TECHNOLOGY FOR SODIUM COOLED FAST REACTORS INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY VIENNA, 2011 COPYRIGHT NOTICE All IAEA scientific and technical publications are protected by the terms of the Universal Copyright Convention as adopted in 1952 (Berne) and as revised in 1972 (Paris). The copyright has since been extended by the World Intellectual Property Organization (Geneva) to include electronic and virtual intellectual property. Permission to use whole or parts of texts contained in IAEA publications in printed or electronic form must be obtained and is usually subject to royalty agreements. Proposals for non-commercial reproductions and translations are welcomed and considered on a case-by-case basis. Enquiries should be addressed to the IAEA Publishing Section at: Marketing and Sales Unit, Publishing Section International Atomic Energy Agency Vienna International Centre PO Box 100 1400 Vienna, Austria fax: +43 1 2600 29302 tel.: +43 1 2600 22417 email: [email protected] http://www.iaea.org/books © IAEA, 2011 Printed by the IAEA in Austria April 2011 STI/PUB/1489 IAEA Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Status and trends of nuclear fuels technology for sodium cooled fast reactors. — Vienna : International Atomic Energy Agency, 2011. p. ; 29 cm. — (IAEA nuclear energy series, ISSN 1995–7807 ; no. NF-T-4.1) STI/PUB/1489 ISBN 978–92–0–112510–1 Includes bibliographical references. 1. Nuclear power plants. 2. Sodium cooled reactors. 3. Nuclear fuels – Technology. I. International Atomic Energy Agency. II. Series. IAEAL 11–00674 FOREWORD From the inception of nuclear energy, the important role of the sodium cooled fast reactor (SFR) and its fuel cycle has been recognized for the long term sustainability of nuclear power. The two recent international projects on the development of advanced and innovative nuclear energy systems, namely, the IAEA initiated International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO) and the US Department of Energy initiated Generation IV International Forum (GIF) have also identified the importance of fast reactors and their fuel cycle in the 21st century. The IAEA’s Technical Working Group on Nuclear Fuel Cycle Options and Spent Fuel Management (TWGNFCO) reviews available information on fast reactor fuels and fuel cycle and prepares publications. Accordingly, actions were initiated for preparation of the following: (a) Status and trends of nuclear fuels technology for sodium cooled fast reactors (SFRs); (b) Status and trends of SFR fuel cycle technology — aqueous and pyro-chemical techniques of reprocessing; and (c) Structural materials for SFR fuel assembly — fabrication, properties and irradiation behaviour. The present publication covers the status and trends of fuels technology for SFRs, highlighting the manufacturing processes, out of pile properties and irradiation behaviour of mixed uranium plutonium oxide (MOX), monocarbide (MC), mononitride and metallic fuels. To the extent possible, minor actinide (MA: Np, Am and Cm) bearing fuels are also covered. This report has been prepared on the basis of contributions of leading experts from Member States who participated in three consultants meetings and one technical committee meeting. In addition, feedback was received from the experts of the INPRO Joint Study on Fast Reactor and Closed Fuel Cycle. The IAEA wishes to express its gratitude to all contributors and reviewers of this publication. The IAEA officer responsible for this publication was C. Ganguly of the Division of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology. EDITORIAL NOTE This report has been edited by the editorial staff of the IAEA to the extent considered necessary for the reader’s assistance. It does not address questions of responsibility, legal or otherwise, for acts or omissions on the part of any person. Although great care has been taken to maintain the accuracy of information contained in this publication, neither the IAEA nor its Member States assume any responsibility for consequences which may arise from its use. The use of particular designations of countries or territories does not imply any judgement by the publisher, the IAEA, as to the legal status of such countries or territories, of their authorities and institutions or of the delimitation of their boundaries. The mention of names of specific companies or products (whether or not indicated as registered) does not imply any intention to infringe proprietary rights, nor should it be construed as an endorsement or recommendation on the part of the IAEA. CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION . 1 1.1. Background . 1 1.2. Operating power reactors and the role of fast reactors in the 21st century . 7 1.3. SFR core and fuel assembly . 7 1.4. Objectives of the publication . 10 2. SFR AND ITS FUEL CYCLE ACTIVITIES IN MEMBER STATES . 11 2.1. China . 11 2.2. France . 11 2.3. Germany . 12 2.4. India . 12 2.5. Japan . 13 2.6. Republic of Korea (ROK) . 14 2.7. Russian Federation . 16 2.8. United Kingdom . 16 2.9. United States of America . 17 3. OXIDE FUEL . 18 3.1. Introduction . 18 3.2. Fabrication . 19 3.2.1. Industrial processes for fabrication of UO2 and (U, Pu)O2 fuel pellets . 19 3.2.2. Sol–gel processes . 22 3.2.3. DDP/DOVITA (Dimitrovgrad Dry Process/Dry reprocessing, Oxide fuel, Vibro-pack, Integral, Transmutation of Actinides) process in the Russian Federation . 25 3.3. Irradiation experience . 25 3.3.1. Fuel failure and irradiation behaviour . 27 3.3.2. Irradiation capabilities of MOX fuel . 27 3.3.3. Fuel behaviour in transient and accident conditions . 28 4. CARBIDES AND NITRIDES . 28 4.1. Introduction . 28 4.2. Fabrication experience . 29 4.2.1. Synthesis of MC and MN . 30 4.2.2. Carbothermic synthesis of (U, Pu)C from oxide . 32 4.2.3. Carbothermic synthesis of (U, Pu)N from oxide . 33 4.2.4. Consolidation of MC and MN . 34 4.3. Irradiation experience . 36 4.3.1. EBR-II and FFTF, USA . 36 4.3.2.
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