The set of chemical and physical operations needed to prepare nuclear material for use in reactors and to dispose of or recycle the material after its removal from the reactor. Existing fuel cycles begin with uranium as the natural resource and create plutonium as a by-product. Some future fuel sysles may rely on thorium and produce the fissionable isotope uranium-233.
The steps necessary to use uranium to produce electricity. These include mining and milling uranium, converting the uranium to a fuel-form, using the uranium as reactor fuel, and disposing of the waste.
The nuclear fuel cycle consists of the following stages: mining and extraction of uranium from ore for AGR and PWR fuel, enrichment of the uranium (ie. increasing the content of the US235 isotape) for Magnox, fabrication of the fuel as metal rods clad in Magnox alloy cans, or for AGRs and PWRs, as ceramic uranium dioxide pellets contained in stainless steel and Zircalloy tubes respectively use of the fuel in the power station reactor to raise steam for electricity generation removal, cooling and storage of the spent fuel for Magnox and some AGT fuel, reprocessing of the spent fuel to separate radioactive waste (about 4 per cent) from the reusable uranium and plutonium and concentrate the waste for some AGR fuel and all PWR fuel, long term storage eventual disposal and isolation of the spent fuel and/or arising radioactive wastes in a deep repository.
the steps involved in supplying fuel for nuclear power plants. It can include mining, milling, isotopic enrichment, fabrication of fuel elements, use in reactors, chemical reprocessing to recover the fissile material remaining in the spent fuel, reenrichment of the fuel material refabrication into new fuel elements, and waste disposal.
The nuclear fuel cycle refers to the reuse of recovered plutonium and uranium from spent nuclear fuel. A reprocessing plant in Rokkasho-mura, Aomori Prefecture, is to become operational in July 2006, launching in earnest the nation\'s recycling of spent fuel. The recycled fuel can be used in conventional light-water reactors and specialized fast breeder reactors. Fast breeder reactors can convert nonfissionable uranium-238 into plutonium-239, producing more fuel than they consume. But concerns over safety and cost have stalled development of these reactors in Europe and the U.S.
The stages in which the fuel for nuclear reactors is first prepared, then used, and later reprocessed for possible use again. Waste management is also considered part of the cycle.
The nuclear fuel cycle, also called nuclear fuel chain, is the progression of nuclear fuel through a series of differing stages. It consists of steps in the front end, which are the preparation of the fuel, steps in the service period in which the fuel is used during reactor operation, and steps in the back end, which are necessary to safely manage, contain, and either reprocess or dispose of spent nuclear fuel. If spent fuel is not reprocessed, the fuel cycle is referred to as a open fuel cycle (or a once-through fuel cycle).