Spent nuclear fuel, occasionally called used nuclear fuel, is nuclear fuel that has been irradiated in a nuclear reactor (usually at a nuclear power plant). It is no longer useful in sustaining a nuclear reaction in an ordinary thermal reactor and, depending on its point along the nuclear fuel cycle , it will have different isotopic ...

• Degradation & Function translate to Fuel/assembly characteristics identifying damaged fuel • Regulations vary with phases of the fuel cycle – Varying definitions of damaged fuel may be appropriate, depending on phase of fuel cycle

Commercial spent nuclear fuel (SNF) is nuclear fuel that has been removed from a commercial nuclear power reactor following irradiation and that is no longer intended for use in producing power. The United States first began using nuclear power to produce electricity in 1957.

Two different management strategies are used for spent nuclear fuel. In one the fuel is reprocessed to extract usable material (uranium and plutonium) for new fuel. In the other, spent fuel is simply considered a waste and is stored pending disposal.

Sep 5, 2023 · NRC regulations establish safety standards for the design and construction of shipping packages as the primary way to protect the public during transportation of spent nuclear fuel. Packages used to move spent fuel by rail or highway are designed to be robust and withstand accidents.

Oct 3, 2022 · Spent fuel refers to the nuclear fuel that has been used in a reactor. The fuel used in today’s commercial reactors is made up of small ceramic pellets of low-enriched uranium oxide. The fuel pellets are stacked vertically and encased in a metallic cladding to form a fuel rod.

Activities related to management of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) are increasing in the US and many other countries. Over 240,000 SNF assemblies have been discharged from US commercial reactors since the late 1960s. The enrichment and burnup of SNF have changed significantly over the past 40 years, and fuel assembly designs have also evolved.

Spent Nuclear Assembly. Spent nuclear fuel is a nuclear fuel that has been irradiated in a nuclear reactor (usually at a nuclear power plant or an experimental reactor), and a fresh fuel must replace that due to its insufficient reactivity.

May 15, 2014 · Spent nuclear fuel can be recycled to make new fuel and byproducts. More than 90% of its potential energy still remains in the fuel, even after five years of operation in a reactor. The United States does not currently recycle spent …

Typical fuel assembly. Spent nuclear fuel is characterized by fuel burnup, a measure of how much energy is extracted from nuclear fuel, and a measure of fuel depletion.