Effect of Spacer in Microwave Oven Cavity to Heat Uniformly Pu/U Mixed Nitrate Solution for Producing MOX Fuels

Abstract

As a part of the nuclear fuel cycle in Japan, the mixed oxide (MOX) fuels are produced through the microwave heating of the Pu/U mixed nitrate solution obtained from spent fuels. In this work, we investigate the effect of a spacer between the bottom of cavity and solution dish in microwave oven cavity to heat uniformly Pu/U mixed nitrate solution for producing MOX fuels. As a result, we show the effectiveness of inserting the spacer for a uniform heating of the solution by evaluating the top-to-bottom ratio.