ABSTRACT
The European Pressurized Water Reactor (EPR) and Hualong One Pressurized Water
Reactor (HPR) are two of the reactors under consideration by the Ghana Nuclear Power
Programme. Radiotoxicity analysis of Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) assembly was carried out
with these commercial Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) nuclear power technology as
case study. Burnup depletion calculation for the Uranium Oxide (UOX) fuel of these
reactor technologies was simulated. Monte Carlo Neutron Particle Extended (MCNPX), a
code used in nuclear fuel management analysis, was chosen in this study for the Burnup
depletion calculation, being a well validated code and due to its versatile nuclei reactions
cross section library.
Determination of radiotoxicity for EPR and HPR SNF is the main objective of this study.
The radiotoxicity was achieved taking into consideration the radioactive decay rate of the
radionuclides and the Dose Factor of each radionuclide present in the SNF using the
International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) compendium of Dose
Factors due to ingestion. The radiotoxicity for the two reactor’s SNF were compared. The
initial radiotoxicity for HPR SNF was higher in the duration below one hundred years but
at about a hundred years and above, the radiotoxicity was higher for EPR SNF. The
radiotoxicity was tremendously reduced for the reprocessed spent UOX fuel (with the Pu
and U extracted) to be used as mixed oxide (MOX) fuel. The main finding is that Pu
isotopes are the major contributors to the radiotoxicity of the SNF for the two reactors
systems due to their very high radioactivity, long half-lifes and high dose factors as
compared to other actinides and fission products present in the SNF.
PETER, O (2021). Investigative Study Of Radiotoxicity Of Spent Nuclear Fuel Assembly Of Some Commercial Nuclear Power Plants Case Study: European Pressurized Water Reactor And Hualong One Pressurized Water Re. Afribary. Retrieved from https://afribary.com/works/investigative-study-of-radiotoxicity-of-spent-nuclear-fuel-assembly-of-some-commercial-nuclear-power-plants-case-study-european-pressurized-water-reactor-and-hualong-one-pressurized-water-rea
PETER, OJO "Investigative Study Of Radiotoxicity Of Spent Nuclear Fuel Assembly Of Some Commercial Nuclear Power Plants Case Study: European Pressurized Water Reactor And Hualong One Pressurized Water Re" Afribary. Afribary, 18 Apr. 2021, https://afribary.com/works/investigative-study-of-radiotoxicity-of-spent-nuclear-fuel-assembly-of-some-commercial-nuclear-power-plants-case-study-european-pressurized-water-reactor-and-hualong-one-pressurized-water-rea. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
PETER, OJO . "Investigative Study Of Radiotoxicity Of Spent Nuclear Fuel Assembly Of Some Commercial Nuclear Power Plants Case Study: European Pressurized Water Reactor And Hualong One Pressurized Water Re". Afribary, Afribary, 18 Apr. 2021. Web. 20 Apr. 2024. < https://afribary.com/works/investigative-study-of-radiotoxicity-of-spent-nuclear-fuel-assembly-of-some-commercial-nuclear-power-plants-case-study-european-pressurized-water-reactor-and-hualong-one-pressurized-water-rea >.
PETER, OJO . "Investigative Study Of Radiotoxicity Of Spent Nuclear Fuel Assembly Of Some Commercial Nuclear Power Plants Case Study: European Pressurized Water Reactor And Hualong One Pressurized Water Re" Afribary (2021). Accessed April 20, 2024. https://afribary.com/works/investigative-study-of-radiotoxicity-of-spent-nuclear-fuel-assembly-of-some-commercial-nuclear-power-plants-case-study-european-pressurized-water-reactor-and-hualong-one-pressurized-water-rea