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The busyness of the nuclear fuel supply chain
Ken Petersenpresident@ans.org
With all that is happening in the industry these days, the nuclear fuel supply chain is still a hot topic. The Russian assault in Ukraine continues to upend the “where” and “how” of attaining nuclear fuel—and it has also motivated U.S. legislators to act.
Two years into the Russian war with Ukraine, things are different. The Inflation Reduction Act was passed in 2022, authorizing $700 million in funding to support production of high-assay low-enriched uranium in the United States. Meanwhile, the Department of Energy this January issued a $500 million request for proposals to stimulate new HALEU production. The Emergency National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2024 includes $2.7 billion in funding for new uranium enrichment production. This funding was diverted from the Civil Nuclear Credits program and will only be released if there is a ban on importing Russian uranium into the United States—which could happen by the time this column is published, as legislation that bans Russian uranium has passed the House as of this writing and is headed for the Senate. Also being considered is legislation that would sanction Russian uranium. Alternatively, the Biden-Harris administration may choose to ban Russian uranium without legislation in order to obtain access to the $2.7 billion in funding.
Sunil Pak, Mun-Seong Cheon, Hyeon Gon Lee, Michael R. Kalish, C. S. Pitcher, Christopher I. Walker
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 56 | Number 1 | July 2009 | Pages 129-133
Plasma Engineering and Diagnostics | Eighteenth Topical Meeting on the Technology of Fusion Energy (Part 1) | doi.org/10.13182/FST09-A8889
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A preliminary thermo-hydraulic analysis was performed on the ITER diagnostic upper port plug. Relevant thermal and hydraulic parameters, such as coolant pressure drop, maximum structure temperature and bake-out time, were calculated for normal operation and baking. The upper port plug considered is based on the preliminary generic structure design of Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and the Blanket Shield Module (BSM) developed in Europe. The diagnostic shield modules are modeled so that the Korean diagnostic procurement package, which includes Vacuum Ultra-Violet (VUV) spectrometer and neutron activation system, can be integrated. The analysis provides design inputs to optimize flow in the cooling channels of the plug. The conjugated heat transfer analysis for the port plug confirms that it is important to secure accurate nuclear heat and accurate electro-magnetic (EM) force for the design of the joining flange between the BSM and the main body. Thermal analysis shows that it will take ten hours for the port plug to reach the bake-out temperature (240°C), if the window plate is heated additionally from the rear side.