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60 Years of U: Perspectives on resources, demand, and the evolving role of nuclear energy
Recent years have seen growing global interest in nuclear energy and rising confidence in the sector. For the first time since the early 2000s, there is renewed optimism about the industry’s future. This change is driven by several major factors: geopolitical developments that highlight the need for secure energy supplies, a stronger focus on resilient energy systems, national commitments to decarbonization, and rising demand for clean and reliable electricity.
Katsuyuki Kawashima, Ratib A. Karam
Nuclear Technology | Volume 86 | Number 1 | July 1989 | Pages 49-59
Technical Paper | Fuel Cycle | doi.org/10.13182/NT89-A34281
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Neutronics performances were analyzed for a partial-refueling ultra-long-life core (ULLC) using metallic fuel for 1000-MW(electric) liquid-metal fast breeder reactors. Once this core is initially loaded, only fertile materials are needed as core reload fuel for the rest of the reactor lifetime, taking advantage of the superior breeding characteristics of the metallic fuel. The fuel management strategy demonstrates the core concept and establishes relevant performance parameters such as a manageable reactivity swing and flat power distributions over the burnup cycles. The following advantages of this ULLC concept over the nonrefueling ULLC were found: smaller control reactivity requirements over the cycle lower power peaking factor and lower power swings during burnup