Preliminary design for the AFC-2 transmutation nuclear fuel test

Full text of publication follows. The United States Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI) is tasked with providing advanced nuclear fuels for the purpose of utilisation of plutonium and transmutation of the minor actinides. A number of non-fertile and fertile fuel compositions containing various combinations of U, Pu, Zr, Am and Np have been tested or are currently under irradiation in the US Department of Energy Advanced Test Reactor or planned for insertion in the French Phenix fast spectrum reactor. The AFC-2 test will further the understanding of transmutation fuels by incorporating additions of the lanthanide series elements expected to be present in recycle nuclear fuels. Lanthanides are expected to be present in various quantities in recycled nuclear fuel due to the use of specific separations processes. The lanthanides are known to effect nuclear fuel performance. The AFC-2 test will provide feasibility data on the performance of lanthanide-bearing fuel. The incorporation of lanthanide series elements in nuclear fuels for fast spectrum reactor systems will be presented and discussed. (authors)