S. S. Nafee and A. K. Al-Ramady and S. A. Shaheen
Decay Heat Contribution Analyses of Curium Isotopes in the Mixed Oxide Nuclear Fuel
1112 - 1116
2012
6
8
International Journal of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
https://publications.waset.org/pdf/6866
https://publications.waset.org/vol/68
World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology
The mixed oxide nuclear fuel (MOX) of U and Pu contains several percent of fission products and minor actinides, such as neptunium, americium and curium. It is important to determine accurately the decay heat from Curium isotopes as they contribute significantly in the MOX fuel. This heat generation can cause samples to melt very quickly if excessive quantities of curium are present. In the present paper, we introduce a new approach that can predict the decay heat from curium isotopes. This work is a part of the project funded by King Abdulaziz City of Science and Technology (KASCT), LongTerm Comprehensive National Plan for Science, Technology and Innovations, and take place in King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Saudi Arabia. The approach is based on the numerical solution of coupled linear differential equations that describe decays and buildups of many nuclides to calculate the decay heat produced after shutdown. Results show the consistency and reliability of the approach applied.
Open Science Index 68, 2012