Concept Selection:

Radioactive Fuel Selection:

The choice of nuclear fuel is a very critical and careful decision to be made. The reason
being that nuclear fuel is typically an isotopes which is chemically unstable, in a sense that the
particular isotope will not remained in its current form for a long time, where it will either absorb
or release neutrons (radioactivity), possibly forming another isotope which has completely
different properties compared to its old self. Because of this unstable property that isotopes
possess, they are chosen to be fuel to generate electricity via a series of fission chain reaction in
the nuclear reactor.
After some researching and a series of careful selection on the choice of fuel, we were
down to the last four choices of isotopes which appears to have the greatest potential in
becoming final choice of nuclear fuel for the nuclear power plant in Fiji. The nominated isotopes
are: Uranium-235 (U-235), Plutonium-239 (Pu-239), Uranium-233 (U-233), and Thorium-232
(Th-232).
To select the best fuel among the nominated, suitable for the Pressurized Water Reactor
(PWR) used in the power plant, the relevant information regarding the advantages and
disadvantages of each fuel are analyzed and outlined in the table below:

Radioactive Fuel
1) Uranium-235

Advantages
- most widely used nuclear fuel.

Disadvantages
- sustains fission chain reaction easily

- U-235 is very abundant and

and thus can also be used in producing

commonly found in rocks on

nuclear weapon.

Earths surface.
- can sustain fission chain reaction
with its easily-split-apart atoms.
- half-life of approx. 703.8 mil.
years.

(Cont.)
2) Uranium-233

- sustain fission chain reaction,

- does not occur naturally and must

which means it can be used as a

be bred from decaying Thorium.

fuel in nuclear reactor.

- has a half-life of approx. 159200

years.
- has been used for mass production

3) Plutonium-239

- can be produced in the operation

of nuclear weapon in its history.

- primary fissile isotope used in the

of nuclear reactor using fuel U-

production of nuclear weapon.

235.

- highly toxic and carcinogenic if

- Pu-239 can be added to fresh U-

ingested or breathed in: 454g of

235 fuel to become MOX fuel, and plutonium oxide dust could give

4) Thorium-232

the addition of Pu-239 eliminates

cancer to 2mil. people!

the need to enrich U-235.

- naturally exist and is 3 or 4 times

- the technology of thorium as

more abundant than Uranium on

nuclear fuel is still at developing

Earth.

stage as there are only a few

- capable of sustaining fission

thorium reactors been completed in

chain reaction and is predicted to

the meantime.

be able to replace Uranium as

- is mildly radioactive due to its

nuclear fuel in the future.

long half-life, but decays to highly

- has 14 billion years half-life.

radioactive and dangerous

radionuclides: radium and radon.

After study through the advantages and also the shortcomings of each potential fuel had to
offer, we had decided to use Uranium-235 as the nuclear fuel for the Fiji power plant. The

reasons being that: U-235 is well-rounded compared to the others three fuels. It is easily
available since it is very much abundant and occurs naturally on Earths surface. The related
technology of using U-235 as nuclear fuel can be considered as mature since it is the most
widely used nuclear fuel in the world and are being used in over 50 countries that involved in
nuclear activities. There are great potential in fuel such as Plutonium-239 and Thorium-232 but
both are highly dangerous to the safety and health of human, which is our major concerns in
choosing the right fuel. Since all four of them are capable of sustaining fission chain reaction and
therefore can be used to produce nuclear weapons, so, this evens them out. Nevertheless, overall,
Uranium-235 has slight edge over the other three choices of fuel and therefore, we found it
reasonable to choose it over others as nuclear fuel for the power plant.