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From: Tim Williams on 10 Feb 2010 01:13
"Archimedes' Lever" <OneBigLever(a)InfiniteSeries.Org> wrote in message
news:hsb4n51an1pa0h93rd6q8vpqc3nfdb48a5(a)4ax.com...
>>When "depleted" nuclear fuel is removed from a reactor,
>>only 1 percent of its energy has been extracted.
>
> ONLY if you include its entire half life. The part we use as a
> controlled, high output source is spent.

Wrong as usual. What causes the fuel to get "spent" is neutron-absorbing
waste. After reprocessing, 99% of the fuel is once again available for use,
with an extraordinary reduction in waste volume (i.e. 100x).

This assumes that all the fuel is burnable, which is true for 100% U235
(HEU) reactors (military), plutonium (I don't think anyone burns pure Pu),
or Th232/U238 breeder reactors, but not true of the far more important PWR
(3% enriched, doesn't burn U238) or CANDU (ca. 0.7%, i.e. natural U) types,
which can only burn the stuff once without enrichment.

Tim

--
Deep Friar: a very philosophical monk.
Website: http://webpages.charter.net/dawill/tmoranwms


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