The influence of external source intensity in accelerator/target/blanket system on conversion ratio and fuel cycle
- Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics, B. Cheremushkinskaya, 25, Moscow, 117259 (Russian Federation)
The analysis of neutron balance relation for a subcritical system with external source shows that a high ratio of neutron utilization (conversion ratio, breeding ratio) much exceeding similar values for nuclear reactors (both thermal or fast spectrum) is reachable in accelerator/target/blanket system with high external neutron source intensity. An accelerator/target/blanket systems with thermal power in blanket about 1850 Mwt and operating during 30 years have been investigated. Continual feed up by plutonium (fissile material) and Tc-99 (transmuted material) was assumed. Accelerator beam intensity differed 6.3 times (16 mA-Case 1, and 100 mA-Case 2). Conversion ratio (CR) was defined as the ratio of Tc-99 nuclei transmuted to the number of Pu nuclei consumed. The results for two cases are as follows: <mpos;l><ar;l><arr> <arc> Case 1<arc>Case 2<arr>CR<arc> 0.77<arc> 1.66<arr>N(LWR)<arc> 8.6<arc> 19.1<arr>Power MWt(el)<arc> 512<arc> 225<arx> where N(LWR)-number of LWRs(3000 MWt(th)) from which yearly discharge of Tc-99 is transmuted during 30 years. High value of conversion ratio considerably exceeding 1 (CR=1.66) was obtained in the system with high source intensity as compared with low source system (CR=0.77). Net output of electric power of high source intensity system is about twice lower due to consumption of electric power for accelerator feed up. The loss of energy for Tc-99 transmutation is estimated as 40 Mev(el)/nuclei. Yet high conversion ratio (or breeding ratio) achievable in electronuclear installations with high intensity of external source can effectively be used to close fuel cycle (including incineration of wastes) or to develop growing nuclear power production system.
- OSTI ID:
- 21156167
- Journal Information:
- AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 346, Issue 1; Conference: International conference on accelerator-driven transmutation technologies and applications, Las Vegas, NV (United States), 25-29 Jul 1994; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.49116; (c) 1995 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
ACCELERATOR BREEDERS
ACCELERATOR DRIVEN TRANSMUTATION
BREEDER REACTORS
BREEDING RATIO
CRITICALITY
ENERGY LOSSES
FISSILE MATERIALS
FUEL CYCLE
MEV RANGE
NEUTRON SOURCES
NEUTRONS
PLUTONIUM
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
TECHNETIUM 99