22.351 Systems Analysis of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle, Spring 2003

In-depth technical and policy analysis of various options for the nuclear fuel cycle. Topics include uranium supply, enrichment fuel fabrication, in-core physics and fuel management of uranium, thorium and other fuel types, reprocessing and waste disposal. Principles of fuel cycle economics and the applied reactor physics of both contemporary and proposed thermal and fast reactors are presented. Nonproliferation aspects, disposal of excess weapons plutonium, and transmutation of actinides and selected fission products in spent fuel are examined. Several state-of-the-art computer programs are provided for student use in problem sets and term papers.