This book presents the state of the art on thermophysical and thermochemical properties, fabrication methodologies, irradiation behaviours, fuel reprocessing procedures, and aspects of waste management for oxide fuels in general and for thoria-based fuels in particular. The book covers all the essential features involved in the development of and working with nuclear technology. With the help of key databases, many of which were created by the authors, information is presented in the form of tables, figures, schematic diagrams and flow sheets, and photographs. This information will be useful for scientists and engineers working in the nuclear field, particularly for design and simulation, and for establishing the technology. One special feature is the inclusion of the latest information on thoria-based fuels, especially on the use of thorium in power generation, as it has less proliferation potential for nuclear weapons. Given its natural abundance, thorium offers a future alternative to uranium fuels in nuclear technology. In closing, the latest information on conventional uranium and plutonium fuels is also provided.

Autorentext

Dr. D. Das has worked for 37 years in the field of high temperature thermochemistry of nuclear materials, and also in solid oxide fuel cell materials. Recently, he retired as senior scientist (Former Head, Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai) in the Department of Atomic Energy, India. He worked extensively on the thermodynamic evaluation of thoria based fuels while participating and conducting the programme of a task force for evaluating thermodynamic and transport properties of the oxide fuels for Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) technology for thorium utilization. He has published more than 100 papers in reputed international journals.

Dr. Shyamala Bharadwaj is presently Head, Fuel Cell Materials & Catalysis Section, Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India. Her main area of work during the past 36 years has been determination of thermodynamic properties of nuclear materials using various techniques such as vapour pressure measurements, thermogravimetry, isoperibol calorimetry etc. She was part of the task force for evaluating thermodynamic and transport properties of the oxide fuels for Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) technology for thorium utilization. During 2000-2001, she worked as guest scientist at Juelich Research Centre, Juelich, Germany on Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) materials. Her current interests are in the fields of Intermediate Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (ITSOFC) and Sulphur Iodine thermochemical cycle for generation of hydrogen from water. She has more than 120 papers in refereed international journals.

Inhalt
Ch 1 Introduction.- Ch 2 Thermophysical properties -thermal expansion and thermal diffusivity.- Ch 3 Phase stability, thermodynamic properties and oxygen potential of thoria based oxide fuels with relevance to the fuel behaviour in handling & during irradiation.- Ch 4 Thermochemistry of fuel and fission products interactions with burnup.- Ch 5 Transport and release characteristics of gaseous and volatile fission products.- Ch 6 Fuel fabrication and characterizations.- Ch 7 Fuel reprocessing.- Ch 8 Waste management in the oxide fuels.