Patent
Accelerator-driven transmutation of spent fuel elements
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TLDR
In this article, an apparatus and method for transmuting higher actinides, plutonium, and selected fission products in a liquid-fuel subcritical assembly was described, and the size of the accelerator needed to complete fuel cycle closure depends on the neutron efficiency of the supported reactors and the neutron spectrum of the actinide transmutation apparatus.Abstract:
An apparatus and method is described for transmuting higher actinides, plutonium and selected fission products in a liquid-fuel subcritical assembly. Uranium may also be enriched, thereby providing new fuel for use in conventional nuclear power plants. An accelerator provides the additional neutrons required to perform the processes. The size of the accelerator needed to complete fuel cycle closure depends on the neutron efficiency of the supported reactors and on the neutron spectrum of the actinide transmutation apparatus. Treatment of spent fuel from light water reactors (LWRs) using uranium-based fuel will require the largest accelerator power, whereas neutron-efficient high temperature gas reactors (HTGRs) or CANDU reactors will require the smallest accelerator power, especially if thorium is introduced into the newly generated fuel according to the teachings of the present invention. Fast spectrum actinide transmutation apparatus (based on liquid-metal fuel) will take full advantage of the accelerator-produced source neutrons and provide maximum utilization of the actinide-generated fission neutrons. However, near-thermal transmutation apparatus will require lower standing inventories of plutonium and higher actinides. Uranium, presently the largest volume constituent in nuclear waste, is fully utilized and not discharged as waste. Since no plutonium, higher actinides or fission products are present in the reconstituted fuel elements, the present processes can be used repeatedly. Since the performance of the existing reactors is not changed, full utilization of both thorium and uranium resources is achieved.read more
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References
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Journal ArticleDOI
Nuclear energy generation and waste transmutation using an accelerator-driven intense thermal neutron source
C.D. Bowman,E. D. Arthur,P. W. Lisowski,G.P. Lawrence,R.J. Jensen,J.L. Anderson,B. Blind,Michael W. Cappiello,J.W. Davidson,T.R. England,L.N. Engel,R. C. Haight,H.G. Hughes,John R. Ireland,R.A. Krakowski,R.J. LaBauve,B.C. Letellier,R.T. Perry,G.J. Russell,K.P. Staudhammer,G. Versamis,William B. Wilson +21 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe a new approach for commercial nuclear energy production without a long-term high-level waste stream and for transmutation of both fission product and higher actinide commercial nuclear waste using a thermal flux of accelerator-produced neutrons in the 1016 n/cm2s range.
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Apparatus for nuclear transmutation and power production using an intense accelerator-generated thermal neutron flux
TL;DR: In this article, the authors proposed a two-step process for nuclear transmutation and power production using an intense accelerator-generated thermal neutron flux. But the authors did not consider the practicality of small material inventories while achieving significant throughput.
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