Sustainability aspect of nuclear fuel from loading recycled spent fuel in fast breeder reactor (FBR)

Sustainable energy program including operational energy utilization is one of the key issues for maintaining world energy demand, environmental aspect of energy utilization as well as economical point of view. In case of nuclear energy utilization, maintaining sustainability of nuclear fuel is one of the important issues, especially for the fourth generation of nuclear power plant which can be maintained by utilizing new fresh fuel resources, spent fuel resources as recycled fuel process, and obtaining nuclear fuel breeding resource in the reactors. Utilization of used fuel from recycling resources and fuel breeding resource become the key issue which affects to the reprocessing and refuelling facilities. The study analyses a fast breeder reactor (FBR) type as a reference based and utilizes an established reactor code system of JOINT-FR. Inventory ratio of actinides are evaluated including reactor criticality condition as well as the behaviour of heavy nuclide during reactor operations. Loading MA as trans uranium fuel type in comparing with mixed oxide fuel type gives a significant improvement for plutonium inventory ratio as well as MA inventory ratio. In term of reactor criticality condition, it shows a reduction factor for criticality condition for trans uranium fuel type as MA recycled fuel in comparing with MOX fuel type as a fertile material which absorbs more neutrons which affects to reduction value of criticality and in the same time, conversion process from absorption neutron will produce more fissile materials especially fissile material of plutonium. Recycled material from spent nuclear fuels can be used as new fuel which shows some significant benefits for nuclear fuel sustainability as well as a reduction factor of criticality condition of reactor operation as one of the safety concern in the reactor operation.