Nuclear Fuel Delivery
By:
Adam Gable
Christian Seymour
Jesse Nesbitt
Nuclear Fuel
• Low-Enriched Uranium (LEU)
• High Enriched Uranium (HEU)
<20% U235
90% U235
Nuclear Fuel Transport
• IAEA projects continued growth
• US NRC – Protection from radiation
– minimizing the time exposed to radioactive materials
– maximizing the distance from the source of radiation
– shielding from external exposure and inhaling radioactive
material.
Threats to Nuclear Fuel Transport
• Terrorists
Crude radiological dispersion device (RDD)
Fear and Panic
Economic impact/Decontamination efforts
• Accidents
Improper shielding of radioactive material
Collisions
Rely on local law enforcement
• Government is responsible
US NRC
Current Nuclear Power Reactors
Areva (A)
General Electric (GE)
Westinghouse (W)
Contract between GE and Columbia
( Total distance = 2631 Miles)
Columbia
GE
Areva only 11 miles from Columbia
Columbia
Areva
Problem Formulation
A
61 Nuclear
Facilities
W
Uranium
Enrichment
Facility
GE
Assumptions
• Modeling generic fuel rod – Everyone
Produces and Consumes the same fuel rod
• Number of deliveries to each power plant is
based on number of reactors.
– 3 reactors : Requires 3 deliveries
• Route used is Shortest Google Map distance
• Supply from the 3 Producers is based on
current market share not capacity
Min-Total Model
Total Distance (k miles)
200
150
100
50
0
Min-Total Model
Current
• Do we only care about minimizing the total
distance?
NO – Lets look at a multicommodity flow problem
Areva Max Distance Route
GE Max Distance Route
Westinghouse Max Distance Route
Min-Route Model
• Consider: Greater Risk = Longest Single Path
• OBJECTIVE: Minimize the distance of the
longest delivery
Total Distance (k miles)
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Min-Route Model
Min-Total Model
Current
Min-Route Flow
• Consider: Greater Risk = Longest Single Path
• OBJECTIVE: Minimize the distance of the
longest delivery
Longest Route (miles)
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
Min-Route
Model
Current
• Does the loss of a Producer increase the
distance(RISK) of the multi-commodity
solution?
Yes – Lets Look at the
multi-commodity flow
problem with the loss of a
producer.
Min-Route Model: Loss of Producer
• Consider: Greater Risk = Longest Single Path
• OBJECTIVE: Minimize the distance of the longest
delivery
Comparison of Min-Route Model with
loss of producer (miles)
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
W/GE
W/A
A/GE
W/A/GE
• What if a new Producer was built in a more
centralized location?
– We chose Kentucky next to the enrichment plant
• What better place, because you also decrease the
transport distance of the LEU to the producer
Min-Route Model – Including New
Producer
• OBJECTIVE: Minimize the distance of the
longest delivery
Longest Route (miles)
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
Min-Route Model Min-Route (with
new producer)
Current
Min-Route Model – Including New
Producer
• OBJECTIVE: Minimize the distance of the
longest delivery
Total Distance (k miles)
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Min-Route Model Min-Route (with
new producer)
Min-Total Model
Current
• What if we had projected increases in demand
for existing plants and for new plants being
built through 2025?
We do, lets see the mincost flow with the new
demand and original
Producers.
Projected Nuclear Power Reactors by
2025
5/8/2013
Min-Total Model with 2025 Projected
demand
Total Distance (k miles)
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Min-Total Model
Min-Total (with new
demand)
Current
Min-Route Model with 2025 Projected
Demand
Longest Route with Projected Demand (miles)
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
Min-Route Model
Min-Route (with new
demand)
Current
Min-Route Model with 2025 Projected
Demand
Total Distance (k miles)
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Min-Route Model
Min-Total Model
Min-Route (with
new demand)
Current
Conclusions
• Current LEU procurement process has shows little
concern for transport risk.
• “Transport of nuclear cargo is part of nuclear life
cycle most vulnerable to violent, forcible theft,
since it’s impossible to protect with thick walls
and many minutes of delay when its is on the
road” Securing the Bomb 2010 Harvard Review
• Our research shows that significant decreases in
distance can be obtained which has the potential
to reduce risk.
– Government policy decisions
Expanding
•
•
•
•
•
•
Detailed transportation model
Region specific model/global network model
Spent nuclear fuel (SNF) transportation route
HEU medical/other purpose transportation route
Threat of natural disasters on reactor sites
Route population density risk thesis – LT Bradford
Foster (USN)
• Network Deployment of Radiation Detectors
(Dimitrov)
Expanding
•
•
•
•
•
•
Detailed transportation model
Region specific model/global network model
Spent nuclear fuel (SNF) transportation route
HEU medical/other purpose transportation route
Threat of natural disasters on reactor sites
Route population density risk thesis – LT Bradford
Foster (USN)
• Network Deployment of Radiation Detectors
(Dimitrov)
Expanding
•
•
•
•
•
•
Detailed transportation model
Region specific model/global network model
Spent nuclear fuel (SNF) transportation route
LEU medical/other purpose transportation route
Threat of natural disasters on reactor sites
Route population density risk thesis – LT Bradford
Foster (USN)
• Network Deployment of Radiation Detectors
(Dimitrov)
Expanding
•
•
•
•
•
•
Detailed transportation model
Region specific model/global network model
Spent nuclear fuel (SNF) transportation route
LEU medical/other purpose transportation route
Threat of natural disasters on reactor sites
Route population density risk thesis – LT Bradford
Foster (USN)
• Network Deployment of Radiation Detectors
(Dimitrov)
Expanding
•
•
•
•
•
Detailed transportation model
Region specific model/global network model
Spent nuclear fuel (SNF) transportation route
LEU medical/other purpose transportation route
Route population density risk thesis – LT Bradford
Foster (USN)
• Threat of natural disasters on reactor sites
• Network Deployment of Radiation Detectors
(Dimitrov)
Expanding
•
•
•
•
•
Detailed transportation model
Region specific model/global network model
Spent nuclear fuel (SNF) transportation route
LEU medical/other purpose transportation route
Route population density risk thesis – LT Bradford
Foster (USN)
• Network Deployment of Radiation Detectors
(Dimitrov)
• Threat of natural disasters on reactor sites
Questions