Advanced Fuel Cycles in CANDU Reactors

Abstract

Despite recent estimates indicating that we will have enough uranium to fuel our reactors at the current rate of consumption somewhere in the 50 to 200 year range, different methods of fueling nuclear reactors are worth looking into. Advanced fuel cycles such as recycled uranium (RU), plutonium, the DUPIC (Direct use of PWR (Pressurized Water Reactor) fuel in CANDU) and thorium will be imperative as conventional methods of fueling become more expensive. These advanced fuel cycles stretch the amount of energy that can be drawn out of every kilogram of fuel and to reduce the final volume of nuclear waste that must be disposed of. CANDU reactors are a perfect fit for these fuels because their high neutron flux leads to flexibility. This paper will investigate advantages of these different fuel cycles in CANDU reactors.