Integrated Nuclear Fuel Cycle Information System (iNFCIS) is a set of databases related to the nuclear fuel cycle

Nuclear fuel cycle

The nuclear fuel cycle, also called nuclear fuel chain, is the progression of nuclear fuel through a series of differing stages. It consists of steps in the front end, which are the preparation of the fuel, steps in the service period in which the fuel is used during reactor operation, and steps in...

 maintained by the International Atomic Energy Agency

International Atomic Energy Agency

The International Atomic Energy Agency is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. The IAEA was established as an autonomous organization on 29 July 1957...

 (IAEA). The main objective of iNFCIS is to provide information on all aspects of nuclear fuel cycle to various researchers, analysts, energy planners, academicians, students and the general public. Presently iNFCIS includes several modules. iNFCIS requires free registration for on-line access.

Background

Nuclear fuel cycle consist of a number of steps which are critical in supporting a nuclear power programme. This included fuel

Nuclear fuel

Nuclear fuel is a material that can be 'consumed' by fission or fusion to derive nuclear energy. Nuclear fuels are the most dense sources of energy available...

 supply related activities in the front end and used or spent fuel related activities in the back-end. Reliable and accurate statistical data on world wide nuclear fuel cycle activities is desired by the nuclear community for national policy making, international co-operation and studies pertaining to sustainable global energy futures.
The IAEA provides up-to-date fuel cycle information to Member States, organizations and stakeholders, so as to understand, plan and develop nuclear fuel cycle programmes and activities. iNFCIS, a web based system comprising several nuclear fuel cycle related databases, is one source of such information.

Data sources

IAEA over years has accumulated a large volume of data on nuclear fuel cycle activities through its regular technical meetings and publications, wherein contributions from Member States and leading international experts has been assimilated. IAEA had initiated electronic preservation of this data more than 20 years back, and since the last 10 years it has been made freely available through the public Internet.
The data is regularly updated through direct inputs from the Member States, by consultants engaged by the IAEA or from open sources. All data is reviewed by consultants continuously to maintain high quality.

Modules

iNFCIS presently includes the follow databases and a simulation tool:

• The Nuclear fuel cycle information system (NFCIS) is a scenario based computer tool for the estimation of nuclear fuel cycle material and service requirements developed by the IAEA. NFCSS is developed based on a model designed to estimate long-term nuclear fuel cycle requirements and actinide arisings.
• The World distribution of uranium deposits database (UDEPO) is an on-line database of uranium deposits around the world maintained by the IAEA.
• The Post irradiation examination facilities database (PIEDB) is a catalogue of hot laboratories maintained by the IAEA.
• The Minor actinide property database (MADB) is a bibliographic database of physico-chemical properties of selected minor actinide compounds and alloys.
• The Nuclear fuel cycle simulation system (NFCSS) is a scenario based tool to estimate material flow in the nuclear fuel cycle.

Publications

The following are the print publications based on iNFCIS:

• Nuclear Fuel Cycle Information System:A Directory of Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities 2009 Edition
• The Nuclear Fuel Cycle Information System, 1996 Edition
• The Nuclear Fuel Cycle Information System
• World Distribution of Uranium Deposits (UDEPO), with Uranium Deposit Classification

See also

• Nuclear reprocessing
  Nuclear reprocessing
  Nuclear reprocessing technology was developed to chemically separate and recover fissionable plutonium from irradiated nuclear fuel. Reprocessing serves multiple purposes, whose relative importance has changed over time. Originally reprocessing was used solely to extract plutonium for producing...
  
  
• Nuclear fission product
• Activation product
  Activation product
  Activation products are materials made radioactive by neutron activation.Fission products and actinides produced by neutron absorption of nuclear fuel itself are normally referred to by those specific names, and activation product reserved for products of neutron capture by other materials, such as...
  
  
• Reprocessed uranium
  Reprocessed uranium
  Reprocessed uranium is the uranium recovered from nuclear reprocessing, as done commercially in France, the UK and Japan and by nuclear weapons states' military plutonium production programs. This uranium actually makes up the bulk of the material separated during reprocessing...
  
  
• Plutonium
  Plutonium
  Plutonium is a transuranic radioactive chemical element with the chemical symbol Pu and atomic number 94. It is an actinide metal of silvery-gray appearance that tarnishes when exposed to air, forming a dull coating when oxidized. The element normally exhibits six allotropes and four oxidation...
  
  
• MOX fuel
  MOX fuel
  Mixed oxide fuel, commonly referred to as MOX fuel, is nuclear fuel that contains more than one oxide of fissile material. MOX fuel contains plutonium blended with natural uranium, reprocessed uranium, or depleted uranium. MOX fuel is an alternative to the low-enriched uranium fuel used in the...
  
  
• Uranium mining
  Uranium mining
  Uranium mining is the process of extraction of uranium ore from the ground. The worldwide production of uranium in 2009 amounted to 50,572 tonnes, of which 27% was mined in Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan, Canada, and Australia are the top three producers and together account for 63% of world uranium...
  
  
• Enriched uranium
  Enriched uranium
  Enriched uranium is a kind of uranium in which the percent composition of uranium-235 has been increased through the process of isotope separation. Natural uranium is 99.284% 238U isotope, with 235U only constituting about 0.711% of its weight...
  
  
• Post Irradiation Examination
  Post Irradiation Examination
  Post Irradiation Examination is the study of used nuclear materials such as nuclear fuel. It has several purposes. It is known that by examination of used fuel that the failure modes which occur during normal use can be studied...
  
  
• Spent nuclear fuel
  Spent nuclear fuel
  Spent nuclear fuel, occasionally called used nuclear fuel, is nuclear fuel that has been irradiated in a nuclear reactor...
  
  
• Spent nuclear fuel shipping cask
  Spent nuclear fuel shipping cask
  Spent nuclear fuel shipping casks are used to transport spent nuclear fuel used in nuclear power plants and research reactors to disposal sites such as the nuclear reprocessing center at COGEMA La Hague site...
  
  
• Nuclear Fuel Cycle Information System