Numerical analysis and experimental validation of planar electrorefiner for spent nuclear fuel treatment using a tertiary model

To improve the uranium recovery rate in pyroprocessing, it is crucial to develop a planar-type electrorefiner. This can be achieved prior to actual experiments by using computer simulations to analyze the shape, arrangement, and size of the cathode. In this paper, tertiary-model-based computational analysis was performed on a planar-type electrorefiner. Flat-plate and rod-type cathodes were analyzed under constant-current condition; calculations were performed on high-efficiency-type electrodes with convection effects under the same conditions by comparing the dependence of the generated overpotential on the applied current. Analytic and experimental results were analyzed by comparing the electric potential of the plate-type device with that of a uranium electrorefiner while varying the arrangement of the electrodes.