用再生铀生产低浓铀的一种离心法分离方案

Analysis on a Separation Scheme for Production of Low-enriched Uranium with Regenerated Uranium

将从乏燃料提取的再生铀返回到核燃料循环,对核能的可持续发展有重要意义。本文基于Q-模型级联,从分离级联规模、原料利用率、天然铀消耗等方面,对利用再生铀生产低浓铀的一种方案进行了深入优化分析。结果表明,生产相同量低浓铀情况下,消耗天然铀越少,原料利用率越高,乏燃料循环闭合指数越大,但级联的规模越大;用再生铀生产低浓铀的经济性需从天然铀消耗、级联规模、乏燃料循环闭合指数等多方面综合考虑。此结果还表明,本文提出的方案能满足完全乏燃料闭合循环要求,是简单且较理想的分离方案。

Returning the regenerated uranium reprocessed from spent nuclear fuel to the fuel cycle is of great significance to the sustainable development of nuclear energy. Based on the Q-model cascade, analysis was carried out on a separation scheme of producing low-enriched uranium(LEU) from regenerated uranium in the aspects of the scale of separation cascade, material recovery, consumption of natural uranium, etc. The results show that, to produce the same amount of LEU, the less natural uranium is consumed, the higher the material recovery, the larger the closed fuel cycle index of spent fuel, but the larger the scale of the separation cascade. The economy of producing LEU from regenerated uranium should be considered, combining the factors such as natural uranium consumption, cascade scale, and closed fuel cycle index. The results also demonstrate that this scheme is able to satisfy the requirement for the complete closed fuel cycle, is simple but yet quite satisfactory, and can be an option in practical application.