Feasibility study on commercialized fast reactor cycle systems technical study report of phase II, 2; Nuclear fuel cycle systems

FBR Fuel Cycle Unit; FBR Cycle Synthesis Unit

A joint project team of Japan Atomic Energy Agency and the Japan Atomic Power Company (as the representative of the electric utilities) started the feasibility study on commercialized fast reactor cycle systems (F/S) in July 1999 in cooperation with Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry and vendors. On the major premise of safety assurance, F/S aims to present an appropriate picture of commercialization of fast reactor (FR) cycle system which has economic competitiveness with light water reactor cycle systems and other electricity baseload systems, and to establish FR cycle technologies for the future major energy supply. In the phase-I of F/S from Japanese fiscal year (JFY) 1999 to 2000, representative FR cycle concepts were screened out. With regard to fuel cycle systems, fuel reprocessing methods such as advanced aqueous, oxide electrowinning and metal electrorefining, and fuel fabrication methods such as simplified pelletizing, sphere-packing, vibro-packing, metal casting and coated particle were selected. In the phase-II (JFY 2001-2005), the design study of several fuel cycle systems combined reprocessing methods with fuel fabrication ones, and the development of significant technologies necessary for the feasibility evaluation have been performed to clarify the promising candidate concepts suited for maximizing the FR ability. Further, key technical issues for the commercialization of fuel cycle systems are clarified and their R&D plans until around 2015 are made.