On the nuclear fuel cycle for research and power reactors

Estimating the optimal nuclear fuel management and Pu recycling strategy in power reactors or in research reactors of higher power, and the practical realization of this management, are the important tasks in the nuclear power programme realization. This is particularly true for developing countries, which buy their first reactors and nuclear fuel and thus have an open fuel cycle. This paper deals with some basic problems to be solved by a developing country, wishing to control and rule its nuclear fuel cycle. Particular attention is paid to the following topics: the use of fuel in power and research reactors in the first and the subsequent cores, economically preferable reprocessing strategy and the safeguard aspects of storing and transporting the spent fuel and the spent fuel materials