Nuclear Engineering and Design
Volume 239, Issue 8, August 2009

For the last half century, the technology for the commercial nuclear power produced by light water reactors has been entirely based on uranium dioxide as the fuel. No other types of fuel have recently been explored comprehensively.

This special issue of Nuclear Engineering and Design is the first time that a full spectrum of studies had been systematically performed to investigate the feasibility and benefits of different fuel type for light water reactors.

The 12 papers address a number of fundamental technical topics that are essential to permit consideration of the question: “Are the benefits of hydride fuel sufficient to support the development of a brand new nuclear industry?”

These papers address several important and basic subjects, including reactor physics, fuel management, thermal hydraulics, and economics, to help answer this question. Both PWR and BWR designs are addressed, to provide a broad basis for assessment of the technical issues.

The scoping studies reported in these papers represent an initial attempt to answer a second question: “Should we go further?”

Although there are still many technical issues that must be resolved, these 12 papers provide solid groundwork for demonstrating that the benefits and advantages of this new fuel technology should not be ignored.

This Special Issue represents a milestone in the technology roadmap for commercial nuclear power.

Read the full Special Issue on ScienceDirect