Uranium Fuel Cycle 1. 2 Conventional Mining: Underground/Open Pit Ranger, Australia, Northern...
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Transcript of Uranium Fuel Cycle 1. 2 Conventional Mining: Underground/Open Pit Ranger, Australia, Northern...
![Page 1: Uranium Fuel Cycle 1. 2 Conventional Mining: Underground/Open Pit Ranger, Australia, Northern Territories Olympic Dam, South Australia.](https://reader030.fdocuments.us/reader030/viewer/2022032606/56649eae5503460f94bb5464/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Uranium Fuel Cycle
1
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2
Conventional Mining: Underground/Open Pit
Ranger, Australia, Northern Territories
Olympic Dam, South Australia
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ISR: Drilling – Well Construction
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ISR: Minimum Disturbance of Environment
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ISR Plant – Schematic
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ISR Plant – Beverley, South Australia
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Ion Exchange Resins
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Beverley Plant – Impressions
IX columns Filtration units
Yellowcake Sampling The product
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BACKUP
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General Atomics Proprietary Data10
SiC-SiC Composite Cladding has Potential to Significantly Improve Safety of Light Water Reactors
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
0 1 2
m3
H2
gene
rate
d/m
2ro
d su
rfac
e
reaction time (days)
Zircaloy 100% consumed
SiCβ <1% consumed
1400oC
1100oC
1400oC
1100oC
Zr + 2H2O ZrO2 + 2H2
For Zircaloy, destruction by steam reaction occurs at lower temp than fuel melt
FukushimaDaiichi
Eliminate hydrogen explosions
SiC + 4H2O SiO2 + CO2 + 4H2
For SiC/SiC, structural failure occurs at lower temp than steam reaction
At higher temps (~1400oC) Zircaloy reaction heat exceeds decay heat
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General Atomics Proprietary Data
Comparison of EM2 vs Fukushima Plant To Earthquake & Tsunami9.0 magnitude earth quake/tsunami: reactor vessels and containments are intact but all electrical
power is severed
Fukushima
• Without power, cooling systems are inoperable
• Fuel heats up causing high pressure and hydrogen producing reactions from zircalloy clad
• External means of cooling is needed until power to cooling systems is restored
• Reactor cooling by natural convection – no power needed
• Silicon-carbide clad does not react with helium coolant at high temperature
• Walk-away safe – no external intervention needed
air draft heat exchanger
Grade levelEM2
Redundant shutdown cooling
Reactor
Turbine-generator
Leak-tight, below-grade containment
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Fuel Resources for Electric Power Generation in the U.S.A.
Depleted uranium (DU)/Used nuclear fuel (UNF)
inventories
Depleted uranium (DU)/Used nuclear fuel (UNF)
inventories
8 TBbl Depleted Uranium
1 TBbl Used Nuclear Fuel
Energy supplyfor > 300 years electric power generation
Energy supplyfor > 300 years electric power generation
U.S. Energy Reserves(Trillion Bbls Oil Energy
Equivalent)
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General Atomics Proprietary Data13
Graphitereflector
BeOreflector
B4C neutron Shield
Core support
floor 316L
StarterConversion
Control drum location
Starter FertileLEU: ~ 12% Low- enriched uranium
DU: Depleted uranium
TRU: Transuranics
UNF: Used nuclear fuel
MOX: Mixed U/Pu oxides
NU: Natural uranium
Recycled EM2 discharge
30% 232Th70% 238U
“Convert & Burn” reactor achieves a 30-year fuel life by converting 238U to 239Pu and burning in situ
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General Atomics Proprietary Data
LWR Waste Disposal EM2 Waste Disposal
• Deep geologic repository
• Million year life
• Large storage capacity
• Long term heat
• Long term radioactivity
•Above ground storage
• 400 year life
•Small storage capacity
•Short term heat
•Short term radioactivity
EM2 Changes the Game Relative to Nuclear Waste
0
20
40
60
80
100
LWR EM2
Was
te m
ass,
ton
nes
EM2 vs LWR Wastebased on 5000 GWe/days production
Uranium
Plutonium
Fission Products
3.4
Only 0.1% are long lived fission products
(e.g. Tc-99 and I-129)0
20
40
60
80
100
LWR EM2
Was
te m
ass,
ton
nes
EM2 vs LWR Wastebased on 5000 GWe/days production
Uranium
Plutonium
Fission Products
3.4
Only 0.1% are long lived fission products
(e.g. Tc-99 and I-129)
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General Atomics Proprietary Data15
BACKUP 2
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ISR Mining Process
• Groundwater pumped to surface (at start-up)• Small amount of acid and oxidant added• Water pumped back into aquifer• Uranium leached• Water pumped to surface• Uranium recovered by ion exchange (IX)• Water recycled
[up to 100 recycles (pore volume exchanges)]
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Leaching Chemistry
• Uranium ore– Uranium as U(IV) fixed in minerals,
e.g. pitchblende UO2, coffinite USiO4
• Mobilization of uranium by oxidation and complexation– Uranium needs to be oxidized to U(VI) to form soluble
uranyl ions UO22-
• Leaching methods– Alkaline (carbonate) leaching:
UO2(CO3)22- and higher-order complexes
– Acidic (sulfuric acid) leaching: UO2(SO4)2
2- and higher-order complexes– Application of oxidants: O2, H2O2
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Uranium Recovery
• Mining solution contains anionic uranyl complexes like UO2(CO3)2
2- or UO2(SO4)22-
• Recovery from mining solution by ion-exchange (IX)– Resin (in form of beads at 0.5-1 mm diameter)– Resin beds in big columns (about 2-4 m diameter, 3-10 m
height)– Mining fluid passes IX columns and recycles to wellfields– Uranium is adsorbed on the resin
• Strip of uranium from IX resin by highly-ionic solution, e.g. salt solutions (NaCl)
• Further processing includes precipitation of uranium as uranium oxide, thickening, de-watering, drying, packaging
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ISR – Hydrogeology
For ISR mining, ore body must have following properties:– Ore body must be in an aquifer (sedimentary formation)– Aquifer sediments must be permeable– Aquifer should be vertically confined (above and below) by
impermeable layers
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Beverley ISR Mine – Processing Plant