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LLNL, Ampera partner to develop thorium-based TRISO fuel
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has formed a strategic partnership with Ampera to develop the company’s nuclear fuel concept through a project named THUNDER, for Thorium Unimodal Droplet Ejection for Reactors.
The focus of THUNDER is fabricating TRISO made with kernels of thorium rather than the usual uranium. LLNL and Ampera will evaluate and optimize liquid metal–jetting technology to produce highly uniform, spherical kernels of thorium-232 for later processing into TRISO fuel.
Victor H. Reis, Matthew P. Crozat, Jor-Shan Choi, Robert Hill
Nuclear Technology | Volume 150 | Number 2 | May 2005 | Pages 121-131
Technical Paper | Fuel Cycle and Management | doi.org/10.13182/NT05-A3610
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A system dynamics model was created to simulate fuel cycle interactions between two separate nuclear entities, and this model was employed to investigate fuel leasing arrangements. The model was also adapted to evaluate proliferation and economic implications of an international leasing regime. For a nuclear growth scenario, an open fuel cycle results in extensive spent-fuel accumulation. For a closed fuel cycle, the leasing fuel cycle shows potential to reduce proliferation concern, especially if coupled with improved security and safeguard technology.