Silicon carbide has enjoyed both fundamental study and practical application since the early days of nuclear materials science. In the past decade, with the increased interest in increasing efficiency, solving the real issues of waste disposal, and the constant mission to improve safety of nuclear reactors, silicon carbide has become even more attractive. The purpose of this paper is to discuss recent research that not only strives to understand the remarkable radiation stability of this material, but also the practical application of silicon carbide as waste form and for fission and fusion power applications.

Radiation effects in SiC for nuclear structural applications

Microencapsulated fuel technology for commercial light water and advanced reactor application

Towards sustainable energy. Generation of hydrogen fuel using nuclear energy

This chapter presents a comprehensive review of the physicochemical properties of actinide carbides. It analyzes the different metal–carbon systems one by one, starting from the temperature versus composition phase diagram. The most important ternary systems, including oxide- and nitride-carbides, are also reviewed. Known physical and chemical properties of the single compounds are presented, from the structure of the matter to the thermodynamic functions, and from the transport properties to the mechanical and optical parameters. This chapter addresses not only material features relevant to the application of actinide carbides as nuclear fuels, but also more fundamental properties of interest for basic research.

Thermodynamic and Thermophysical Properties of the Actinide Carbides

The burnup capabilities of the Deep Burn Modular Helium Reactor analyzed by the Monte Carlo Continuous Energy Code MCB

Deep-Burn: making nuclear waste transmutation practical

The application of gas-cooled reactor technologies to the transmutation of nuclear waste

A method for transmuting spent fuel from a nuclear reactor includes the step of separating the waste into components including a driver fuel component and a transmutation fuel component The driver fuel, which includes fissile materials such as Plutonium239, is used to initiate a critical, fission reaction in a reactor The transmutation fuel, which includes non-fissile transuranic isotopes, is transmuted by thermal neutrons generated during fission of the driver fuel The system is designed to promote fission of the driver fuel and reduce neutron capture by the driver fuel Reacted driver fuel is separated into transuranics and fission products using a dry cleanup process and the resulting transuranics are mixed with transmutation fuel and re-introduced into the reactor Transmutation fuel from the reactor is introduced into a second reactor for further transmutation by neutrons generated using a proton beam and spallation target

System and method for radioactive waste destruction

A transuranic transmuter includes a sealable steel housing having a window to allow a beam of protons to enter the housing and strike a spallation target, thereby generating fast neutrons. Conductive tubes holding minor actinides are positioned within the housing and at a distance from the spallation target. A graphite block is positioned within the housing to interpose the minor actinides between the graphite block and the spallation target. Plutonium and toxic fission products are positioned in recesses formed within the graphite block. Upon exposure to fast neutrons from the spallation target, the minor actinides transmute by either fission or neutron capture reactions into one or more stable, less radiotoxic isotopes. Some neutrons from the target pass through the moderator and subsequently transmute the plutonium and the toxic fission products into one or more stable, less radiotoxic isotopes.

Devices and methods for transmuting materials

The paper summarizes studies on the Deep-Burner - Modular Helium Reactor (DB-MHR) concept-design of General Atomics, which have been carried-out by FRAMATOME-ANP in the framework of a joint collaboration with General Atomics on the Reactor-Based Transmutation Program sponsored by the US Department of Energy. Feasibility and sensitivity studies as well as fuel-cycle studies performed both with probabilistic and deterministic methodology are presented. Emphasis is put here on most attractive physical and computational aspects of the concept. Current investigations on the design uncertainties, the future search for ways to improve the transmutation worth in a double-stratum strategy, and the computational tools improvement are also presented.

Carmelo Rodriguez

Papers

Deep-Burn: making nuclear waste transmutation practical

The application of gas-cooled reactor technologies to the transmutation of nuclear waste

System and method for radioactive waste destruction

Devices and methods for transmuting materials

Uncertainty Analysis and Optimization Studies on the Deep-Burner - Modular Helium Reactor (DB-MHR) for Actinide Incineration