ORNL-5388 - the Molten Salt Energy Technologies Web Site

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INITIAL 235U ENRICHMENT, %
Fig. 4.3-1. Fuel Utilization Characteristics for Enriched-Uranium-Fueled CANDU.
4.
annual U308 makeup requirements at near-equilibrium are about 27 ST/GWe for the 16,00&MWD/T
burnup case.
HEU/Th, U Recycle: With 93% 235U-enriched uranium startup and makeup, the
This net consumption of U308 i s only 14% o f the LWR once-through cycle and
28x of the LWR thorium cycle (see Cases A and J in Table 4.1-1).
U308 requirement is more than double that of the CANDU slightly enriched uranium cycle.
In addition, the transition to equilibrium and the out-of-core inventory requirements, de-
pending on the recycle turn-around time, can be very significant.
1
However, the initial core
5. Denatured U/Th, U Recycle (233U Makeup): The initial core 233U inventory require-
ment is about 1,650 kg/GWe, with an annual net requirement of about 100 kg 233U/GWe.
6. MEU/Th, U Recycle (235U Makeup): The initial core requirement is about the same
as that for the standard thorium cycle (i.e., HEU/Th cycle); however, the equilibrium net
U308 consumption is slightly increased.
7. MEU/Th, No Recycle: This cycle option is included to indicate that recycle of
the self-generated 233U is advisable for the MEU/Th c.ycle.. The lifetime U308 requirement
for the once-through MEU/Th cycle is about 8,300 ST, which is a factor of 2.3 higher than
that for the once-through enriched-uranium cycle in CANDU reactors.