The Experts below are selected from a list of 150 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform

G. Mathonniere - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Uranium in phosphate rocks and future nuclear power fleets
    2014
    Co-Authors: S. Gabriel, A. Baschwitz, G. Mathonniere
    Abstract:

    According to almost all forward-looking studies, the world's energy consumption will increase in the future decades, mostly because of the growing world population and the long-term development of emerging countries. The effort to contain global warming makes it hard to exclude nuclear energy from the global energy mix. Current light water reactors (LWR) burn Fissile Uranium (a natural, finite resource), whereas some future Generation IV reactors, as Sodium fast reactors (SFR), starting with an initial Fissile load, will be capable of recycling their own plutonium and already-extracted depleted Uranium. This makes them a feasible solution for the sustainable (a few thousand years) development of nuclear energy. Nonetheless, a sufficient quantity of plutonium is needed to start up an SFR, with the plutonium already being produced in LWR. The availability of natural Uranium therefore has a direct impact on the capacity of the reactors (both LWR and SFR) that we can build.This paper discusses the correspondence between the resources and the nuclear power demand as estimated by various international organisations.Uranium is currently produced from conventional sources. The estimated quantities of Uranium evolve over time in relation to their rate of extraction and the discovery of new deposits. Contrary to conventional resources, unconventional resources because they are hardly used also exist. These resources are more uncertain both in terms of their quantities and the feasibility of recovering them. Recovering Uranium from seawater would guarantee a virtually infinite resource of nuclear fuel even with LWR, but its technical and economic feasibility has yet to be demonstrated, and huge advances need to be achieved in this direction. According to different publications on phosphate reserves, the potential amount of Uranium recoverable from phosphates can be estimated at around 4 MtU. Furthermore, the production of Uranium as a by-product of phosphate is determined by the world production of phosphoric acid. Uranium recovery as a by-product of phosphate rocks could be competitive for the moment, but limited at the most to 10 ktU per year, i.e. less than 20% of current world demand. The only way to lift the constraint of capacity production is to produce Uranium as a primary product of phosphates. Unfortunately, this solution is very unlikely due to its high unit cost.In line with these considerations, the correspondence between the estimated resources and the forecast energy scenarios is examined, first with the current type of light water reactors which burn Uranium, and secondly with a mixed fleet with both light water reactors and fast reactors which use plutonium.

  • Nuclear power fleets and Uranium resources recovered from phosphates
    2013
    Co-Authors: S. Gabriel, A. Baschwitz, G. Mathonniere
    Abstract:

    Current light water reactors (LWR) burn Fissile Uranium, whereas some future reactors, as Sodium fast reactors (SFR) will be capable of recycling their own plutonium and already-extracted depleted Uranium. This makes them a feasible solution for the sustainable development of nuclear energy. Nonetheless, a sufficient quantity of plutonium is needed to start up an SFR, with the plutonium already being produced in light water reactors. The availability of natural Uranium therefore has a direct impact on the capacity of the reactors (both LWR and SFR) that we can build. It is therefore important to have an accurate estimate of the available Uranium resources in order to plan for the world's future nuclear reactor fleet. This paper discusses the correspondence between the resources (Uranium and plutonium) and the nuclear power demand. Sodium fast reactors will be built in line with the availability of plutonium, including fast breeders when necessary. Different assumptions on the global Uranium resources are taken into consideration. The largely quoted estimate of 22 Mt of Uranium recovered for phosphate rocks can be seriously downscaled. Based on our current knowledge of phosphate resources, 4 Mt of recoverable Uranium already seems to be an upper bound value. The impact ofmore » the downscaled estimate on the deployment of a nuclear fleet is assessed accordingly. (authors)« less

S. Gabriel - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Uranium in phosphate rocks and future nuclear power fleets
    2014
    Co-Authors: S. Gabriel, A. Baschwitz, G. Mathonniere
    Abstract:

    According to almost all forward-looking studies, the world's energy consumption will increase in the future decades, mostly because of the growing world population and the long-term development of emerging countries. The effort to contain global warming makes it hard to exclude nuclear energy from the global energy mix. Current light water reactors (LWR) burn Fissile Uranium (a natural, finite resource), whereas some future Generation IV reactors, as Sodium fast reactors (SFR), starting with an initial Fissile load, will be capable of recycling their own plutonium and already-extracted depleted Uranium. This makes them a feasible solution for the sustainable (a few thousand years) development of nuclear energy. Nonetheless, a sufficient quantity of plutonium is needed to start up an SFR, with the plutonium already being produced in LWR. The availability of natural Uranium therefore has a direct impact on the capacity of the reactors (both LWR and SFR) that we can build.This paper discusses the correspondence between the resources and the nuclear power demand as estimated by various international organisations.Uranium is currently produced from conventional sources. The estimated quantities of Uranium evolve over time in relation to their rate of extraction and the discovery of new deposits. Contrary to conventional resources, unconventional resources because they are hardly used also exist. These resources are more uncertain both in terms of their quantities and the feasibility of recovering them. Recovering Uranium from seawater would guarantee a virtually infinite resource of nuclear fuel even with LWR, but its technical and economic feasibility has yet to be demonstrated, and huge advances need to be achieved in this direction. According to different publications on phosphate reserves, the potential amount of Uranium recoverable from phosphates can be estimated at around 4 MtU. Furthermore, the production of Uranium as a by-product of phosphate is determined by the world production of phosphoric acid. Uranium recovery as a by-product of phosphate rocks could be competitive for the moment, but limited at the most to 10 ktU per year, i.e. less than 20% of current world demand. The only way to lift the constraint of capacity production is to produce Uranium as a primary product of phosphates. Unfortunately, this solution is very unlikely due to its high unit cost.In line with these considerations, the correspondence between the estimated resources and the forecast energy scenarios is examined, first with the current type of light water reactors which burn Uranium, and secondly with a mixed fleet with both light water reactors and fast reactors which use plutonium.

  • Nuclear power fleets and Uranium resources recovered from phosphates
    2013
    Co-Authors: S. Gabriel, A. Baschwitz, G. Mathonniere
    Abstract:

    Current light water reactors (LWR) burn Fissile Uranium, whereas some future reactors, as Sodium fast reactors (SFR) will be capable of recycling their own plutonium and already-extracted depleted Uranium. This makes them a feasible solution for the sustainable development of nuclear energy. Nonetheless, a sufficient quantity of plutonium is needed to start up an SFR, with the plutonium already being produced in light water reactors. The availability of natural Uranium therefore has a direct impact on the capacity of the reactors (both LWR and SFR) that we can build. It is therefore important to have an accurate estimate of the available Uranium resources in order to plan for the world's future nuclear reactor fleet. This paper discusses the correspondence between the resources (Uranium and plutonium) and the nuclear power demand. Sodium fast reactors will be built in line with the availability of plutonium, including fast breeders when necessary. Different assumptions on the global Uranium resources are taken into consideration. The largely quoted estimate of 22 Mt of Uranium recovered for phosphate rocks can be seriously downscaled. Based on our current knowledge of phosphate resources, 4 Mt of recoverable Uranium already seems to be an upper bound value. The impact ofmore » the downscaled estimate on the deployment of a nuclear fleet is assessed accordingly. (authors)« less

Peter C. Burns - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Phosphate Barriers for Immobilization of Uranium Plumes
    2005
    Co-Authors: Peter C. Burns
    Abstract:

    Uranium contamination of the subsurface has remained a persistent problem plaguing remedial design at sites across the U.S. that were involved with production, handling, storage, milling, and reprocessing of Fissile Uranium for both civilian and defense related purposes. Remediation efforts to date have relied upon excavation, pump-and-treat, or passive remediation barriers (PRB?s) to remove or attenuate Uranium mobility. Documented cases convincingly demonstrate that excavation and pump-and-treat methods are ineffective for a number of highly contaminated sites. There is growing concern that use of conventional PRB?s, such as zero-valent iron, are a temporary solution to a problem that will persist for thousands of years. Alternatives to the standard treatment methods are therefore warranted. The core objective of our research is to demonstrate that a phosphorous amendment strategy will result in a reduction of dissolved Uranium to below the proposed drinking water standard. Our hypothesis is that long-chain polyphosphate compounds forestall precipitation of sparingly soluble uranyl phosphate compounds, which is key to preventing fouling of wells at the point of injection. Our other fundamental objective is to synthesize and correctly characterize the uranyl phosphate phases that form in the geochemical conditions under consideration. This report summarizes work conducted at the University of Notre Dame through November of 2003 under DOE grant DE-FG07-02ER63489, which has been funded since September, 2002. The objectives at Notre Dame are development of synthesis techniques for uranyl phosphate phases, together with detailed structural and chemical characterization of the myriad of uranyl phosphate phases that may form under geochemical conditions under consideration

  • Phosphate Barriers for Immobilization of Uranium Plumes
    2003
    Co-Authors: Peter C. Burns
    Abstract:

    Uranium contamination of the subsurface has remained a persistent problem plaguing remedial design at sites across the U.S. that were involved with production, handling, storage, milling, and reprocessing of Fissile Uranium for both civilian and defense related purposes. Remediation efforts to date have relied upon excavation, pump-and-treat, or passive remediation barriers (PRB's) to remove or attenuate Uranium mobility. Documented cases convincingly demonstrate that excavation and pump-and-treat methods are ineffective for a number of highly contaminated sites. There is growing concern that use of conventional PRB's, such as zero-valent iron, are a temporary solution to a problem that will persist for thousands of years. Alternatives to the standard treatment methods are therefore warranted. The core objective of our research is to demonstrate that a phosphorus amendment strategy will result in a reduction of dissolved Uranium to below the proposed drinking water standard. Our hypothesis is that long-chain polyphosphate compounds forestall precipitation of sparingly soluble uranyl phosphate compounds, which is key to preventing fouling of wells at the point of injection. Our other fundamental objective is to synthesize and correctly characterize the uranyl phosphate phases that form in the geochemical conditions under consideration. This report summarizes work conducted at the University of Notre Dame through November of 2003 under DOE grant DE-FG07-02ER63489, which has been funded since September, 2002. The objectives at Notre Dame are development of synthesis techniques for uranyl phosphate phases, together with detailed structural and chemical characterization of the myriad of uranyl phosphate phases that may form under geochemical conditions under consideration. We have developed novel synthesis techniques for many of the uranyl phosphates of interest. Superb single crystals have been obtained by diffusion of crystal nutrients into silica-based gels, as this approach retards crystal nucleation and enhances growth of a small number of crystals. We have also developed mild hydrothermal techniques that provide high-purity uranyl phosphate compounds. Using a CCD-based single-crystal diffractometer, full structure and chemical characterizations have been completed for 21 uranyl phosphates. We emphasize that many of these materials were poorly understood at the outset of our research, with unknown or partially known structures, and uncertainties concerning the water content of the phases. This component of the overall research program is providing a much improved understanding of the synthesis and structures of the uranyl phosphate group, which is an essential step prior to measuring solubilities of these phases. Our development of new synthesis techniques for uranyl phosphates is a necessary step towards measuring the solubilities of well-characterized and pure materials

Tehrani Ali - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Is Thorium a Viable Nuclear Fuel? [poster]
    'UiT The Arctic University of Norway', 2018
    Co-Authors: Khawaja Hassan, Moatamedi Mojtaba, Tehrani Ali
    Abstract:

    Thorium was discovered in 1829 by the Norwegian mineralogist Morten Thrane Esmark and identified by the Swedish chemist Jöns Jacob Berzelius, who named it after Thor, the Norse god of thunder. Thorium is more abundant in nature than Uranium. It is fertile rather than Fissile, and can only be used as a fuel in conjunction with a Fissile material such as recycled plutonium. Thorium fuels can breed Fissile Uranium-233 to be used in various kinds of nuclear reactors. Molten salt reactors such as liquid Fluoride reactors are well suited to Thorium fuel. The use of Thorium as a new primary energy source has been prospected for many years however extracting Thorium in cost-effective manner remains a challenge, and requires extensive R&D. Attempts are being worldwide to also evaluate the feasibility of Thorium fuel. For example, Thor Energy, Norway in collaboration with University of Cambridge, UK is developing new generation of Thorium oxide fuel pellets that can be used in already existing nuclear reactors. They have undertaken a number of studies aiming to compare thorium-plutonium oxide fuel with other fuel types, Uranium- and thorium-based. Thorium-MOX proved to be a viable and in many respects advantageous option. To further characterize these advantages, fuel design work is underway

A. Baschwitz - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Uranium in phosphate rocks and future nuclear power fleets
    2014
    Co-Authors: S. Gabriel, A. Baschwitz, G. Mathonniere
    Abstract:

    According to almost all forward-looking studies, the world's energy consumption will increase in the future decades, mostly because of the growing world population and the long-term development of emerging countries. The effort to contain global warming makes it hard to exclude nuclear energy from the global energy mix. Current light water reactors (LWR) burn Fissile Uranium (a natural, finite resource), whereas some future Generation IV reactors, as Sodium fast reactors (SFR), starting with an initial Fissile load, will be capable of recycling their own plutonium and already-extracted depleted Uranium. This makes them a feasible solution for the sustainable (a few thousand years) development of nuclear energy. Nonetheless, a sufficient quantity of plutonium is needed to start up an SFR, with the plutonium already being produced in LWR. The availability of natural Uranium therefore has a direct impact on the capacity of the reactors (both LWR and SFR) that we can build.This paper discusses the correspondence between the resources and the nuclear power demand as estimated by various international organisations.Uranium is currently produced from conventional sources. The estimated quantities of Uranium evolve over time in relation to their rate of extraction and the discovery of new deposits. Contrary to conventional resources, unconventional resources because they are hardly used also exist. These resources are more uncertain both in terms of their quantities and the feasibility of recovering them. Recovering Uranium from seawater would guarantee a virtually infinite resource of nuclear fuel even with LWR, but its technical and economic feasibility has yet to be demonstrated, and huge advances need to be achieved in this direction. According to different publications on phosphate reserves, the potential amount of Uranium recoverable from phosphates can be estimated at around 4 MtU. Furthermore, the production of Uranium as a by-product of phosphate is determined by the world production of phosphoric acid. Uranium recovery as a by-product of phosphate rocks could be competitive for the moment, but limited at the most to 10 ktU per year, i.e. less than 20% of current world demand. The only way to lift the constraint of capacity production is to produce Uranium as a primary product of phosphates. Unfortunately, this solution is very unlikely due to its high unit cost.In line with these considerations, the correspondence between the estimated resources and the forecast energy scenarios is examined, first with the current type of light water reactors which burn Uranium, and secondly with a mixed fleet with both light water reactors and fast reactors which use plutonium.

  • Nuclear power fleets and Uranium resources recovered from phosphates
    2013
    Co-Authors: S. Gabriel, A. Baschwitz, G. Mathonniere
    Abstract:

    Current light water reactors (LWR) burn Fissile Uranium, whereas some future reactors, as Sodium fast reactors (SFR) will be capable of recycling their own plutonium and already-extracted depleted Uranium. This makes them a feasible solution for the sustainable development of nuclear energy. Nonetheless, a sufficient quantity of plutonium is needed to start up an SFR, with the plutonium already being produced in light water reactors. The availability of natural Uranium therefore has a direct impact on the capacity of the reactors (both LWR and SFR) that we can build. It is therefore important to have an accurate estimate of the available Uranium resources in order to plan for the world's future nuclear reactor fleet. This paper discusses the correspondence between the resources (Uranium and plutonium) and the nuclear power demand. Sodium fast reactors will be built in line with the availability of plutonium, including fast breeders when necessary. Different assumptions on the global Uranium resources are taken into consideration. The largely quoted estimate of 22 Mt of Uranium recovered for phosphate rocks can be seriously downscaled. Based on our current knowledge of phosphate resources, 4 Mt of recoverable Uranium already seems to be an upper bound value. The impact ofmore » the downscaled estimate on the deployment of a nuclear fleet is assessed accordingly. (authors)« less