What Would Be The Approximate Yield Of ⁹⁰Sr And ¹³⁷Cs In A Spent Nuclear Fuel Assembly From A Pressurized Water Reactor, Assuming A 3-year Irradiation Period, A Fuel Enrichment Of 4.2% ²³⁵U, And A Burnup Of 45 GWd/tU?

by ADMIN 218 views

The approximate yields of ⁹⁰Sr and ¹³⁷Cs in a spent nuclear fuel assembly, based on the given parameters, are calculated as follows:

For Strontium-90 (⁹⁰Sr):

  • Total atoms produced: Approximately 2.46 × 10²³
  • Mass: ~37 grams per ton of uranium

For Cesium-137 (¹³⁷Cs):

  • Total atoms produced: Approximately 6.49 × 10²³
  • Mass: ~150 grams per ton of uranium

Final Answer:

  • The approximate yield of ⁹⁰Sr is 37 grams per ton of uranium.
  • The approximate yield of ¹³⁷Cs is 150 grams per ton of uranium.

Therefore, the yields are:

⁹⁰Sr: \boxed{37 \text{ g/tU}}

¹³⁷Cs: \boxed{150 \text{ g/tU}}