Efficient use of dry pyrochemical processing for recycling of FBR fuels

A potentially economical fuel cycle based on dry pyrochemical processing is proposed for fast breeder reactors (FBRs). A FBR core concept is also studied to adapt the proposed fuel cycle as well as achieving standard performance as a commercial power plant in the future. In the proposed fuel cycle, all fuels in radial and axial blankets are dealt with by a dry pyrochemical process, in which fuel rods are axially sheared and pulverized through oxidation of UO2 or UN to U3O8. The pulverization of mixed-oxide fuels was demonstrated at 480degC for the simulated fuel pins which contained the pellets of UO2-CeO2. UN Pellets were also successfully pulverized at 350degC. The pulverized fuel would be recycled to FBRs after blended with recovered U and Pu which are from reprocessed core fuels of FBRs. (author)