Simulation of the nuclear fuel cycle with recycling : options and outcomes

A system dynamics simulation technique is applied to generate a new version of the CAFCA code to study the mass flow in the nuclear fuel cycle, and the impact of different options for advanced reactors and fuel recycling facilities on the accumulation of the transuranics (TRU) inventory. Several aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle are studied for the US and for Brazil. This includes the impact of advanced nuclear technologies' introduction, under a prescribed industrial construction capacity, on uranium resources, the need for uranium enrichment, demand for fuel reprocessing facilities, and total cost of electricity over the next one hundred years. Introduction of fuel recycling can reduce the growing demand for uranium, and the long-term need for storage of radioactive spent fuel. However, the timing of introduction of recycling is important for proper technology development, and that is reflected in the assessments. The nuclear fuel cycle is modeled as a high level structure diagram, which provides an overview of the interconnections among its blocks without showing all the details, and as a structure-policy diagram which details the decision rules applied to the structure. The high level structure diagram represents the nuclear fuel cycle; the fleet of thermal and fast reactors; the separation and reprocessing plants; the waste repository; the spent fuel storage; and the paths for the fuel and waste mass transfer. In addition, an economic model is added to study different cases under the same assumptions. The economic model is based on the forecasted need for advanced reactors and recycling facilities, assuming that all costs are recovered within the nuclear energy system.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2008

Author dc:creator

• Silva, Rodney Busquim e

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Mujid S. Kazimi and George E. Apostolakis.

• Nuclear Science and Engineering.
• Engineering Systems Division.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/44794

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/44794