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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.
Seung-Hwan Seong, Heui-Youn Park, Dong-Hoon Kim, Yong-Suk Suh, Seop Hur, In-Soo Koo, Un-Chul Lee, Jin-Wook Jang, Yong-Chul Shin
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 141 | Number 1 | May 2002 | Pages 66-77
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE02-A2267
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A new fast-running analytic model has been developed for analyzing the load follow operation. The new model was based on the neural network theory, which has the capability of modeling the input/output relationships of a nonlinear system. The new model is made up of two error back-propagation neural networks and procedures to calculate core parameters, such as the distributions and density of xenon in a quasi-steady-state core like load follow operation. One neural network is designed to retrieve the axial offset of power distribution, and the other is for reactivity corresponding to a given core condition. The training data sets for learning the neural networks in the new model are generated with a three-dimensional nodal code and, also, the measured data of the first-day test of load follow operation. Using the new model, the simulation results of the 5-day load follow test in a pressurized water reactor show a good agreement between the simulation data and the actual measured data. Required computing time for simulating a load follow operation is comparable to that of a fast-running lumped model. Moreover, the new model does not require additional engineering factors to compensate for the difference between the actual measurements and analysis results because the neural network has the inherent learning capability of neural networks to new situations.