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Front-end nuclear fuel supply cooperation: Turning allied interdependence into strategic advantage
The global nuclear revival, which is fueled by unprecedented demand for firm, affordable, dispatchable power for artificial intelligence and data center build-out, energy security imperatives, and climate commitments, has exposed a structural reality of the Western fuel cycle: No single allied nation currently possesses the full suite of front-end capabilities. From mining through conversion, enrichment, fabrication, and the emerging deconversion and metallization steps required for reactor fuels, capability is distributed across Canada, France, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States (collectively, the “Sapporo Five”), as well as a small group of close partners.
Y. Kukita, H. Nakamura, K. Tasaka, C. Chauliac
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 99 | Number 4 | August 1988 | Pages 289-298
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE99-289
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Natural circulation experiments were conducted in a large-scale (1/48 scale in volume) full-height simulator of a Westinghouse-type pressurized water reactor. This facility has two steam generators each containing 141 full-size U-tubes of 9 different heights. Transition of the natural circulation mode was observed in the experiments as the primary side mass inventory was decreased. Three major circulation modes were observed: single-phase liquid natural circulation, two-phase natural circulation, and reflux condensation. For all these circulation modes, and during the transitions between the modes, the mass flow distribution among the steam generator U-tubes was significantly nonuniform. The longer U-tubes indicated reversed flow at higher primary side mass inventories and also tended to empty earlier than the shorter U-tubes when the primary side mass inventory was decreased.