Parametric systems studies of the aqueous-based (slurry) blanket concept for accelerator transmutation of waste
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
Transmutation of long-lived nuclear waste currently stored in spent reactor fuels may represent an attractive alternative to deep geologic disposal. The aqueous-based accelerator transmutation of waste (ATW) concept uses a proton accelerator to produce a 1.6-GeV, 250-mA ( ca. 400 MW) beam that is split four ways and directed to four D{sub 2}O-cooled solid W-Pb composite targets. Each target in turn is centered in a heavy water moderated, highly multiplying, actinide (oxide)-slurry blanket. The target-blanket system for ATW resides at an interface separating two major systems that are crucial to the economic and technical success of the concept: (a) the high-energy (power-intensive) accelerator delivering 0.8 to 1.6 GeV protons to the high-Z spallation neutron source and (b) the chemical-plant equipment (CPE) that provides feedstock appropriate for efficient and effective transmutation. Parametric studies have been performed to assess the effects of the target-blanket on overall system performance with regard to neutron economy, chemical-processing efficiency and thermal-hydraulic design options. Based on these parametric evaluations, an interim base-case aqueous-slurry ATW design was selected for more detailed analysis. This base-case target-blanket consists of an array of Zr-Nb pressure tubes placed in a heavy water moderator surrounding a heavy-water-cooled W-Pb target. Neutronics and thermal-hydraulic calculations indicate that each of the four ATW target-blanket modules operating with a neutron multiplication k{sub eff} = 0.95 can transmute the actinide waste and the technetium and iodine waste from ca. 2.5 light water reactors. By recovering the fission heat, sufficient electricity can be produced both to operate the accelerator and to supply power to the grid for revenue generation. These broad-based parametric studies have provided guidance to a preliminary conceptual engineering design of the aqueous-slurry ATW blanket concept.
- OSTI ID:
- 72802
- Journal Information:
- Nuclear Technology, Vol. 110, Issue 3; Other Information: PBD: Jun 1995
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS
22 NUCLEAR REACTOR TECHNOLOGY
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
TRANSMUTATION
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
PARAMETRIC ANALYSIS
SPENT FUELS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
ON-SITE POWER GENERATION
ACCELERATORS
HEAVY WATER
MODERATORS
DESIGN
ACCELERATOR FACILITIES
ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS
NIOBIUM ALLOYS
SUBCRITICAL ASSEMBLIES