The PHOENIX Concept
A proposed means of transmuting key long-lived radioactive isotopes, primarily the so-called minor actinides (Np, Am, Cm), using a hybrid proton-accelerator-sub-critical lattice, is described. It is argued that by partitioning the components of the light water reactor (LWR) spent fuel and by transmuting key elements, such as the plutonium, the minor actinides, and a few of the long-lived fission products, that some of the most significant challenges in building a waste repository can be substantially reduced. If spent fuel partitioning and transmutation were fully implemented, the time required to reduce the waste stream toxicity below that of uranium ore would be reduced from more than 10,000 years to approximately 30 years. The proposed machine, based on the described PHOENIX Concept, would transmute the minor actinides and much of the iodine produced by 75 LWRs, and would generate usable electricity (beyond that required to run the large accelerator) of 850 MW{sub e}. 14 refs., 29 figs.
- Research Organization:
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-76CH00016
- OSTI ID:
- 6021439
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-52279; ON: DE91011519; TRN: 91-014944
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
07 ISOTOPES AND RADIATION SOURCES
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
POWER GENERATION
SPENT FUELS
TRANSMUTATION
ACTINIDES
ELECTRIC POWER
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
FISSION PRODUCTS
PLUTONIUM
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE
RADIOISOTOPES
WATER COOLED REACTORS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FUELS
ISOTOPES
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
METALS
NUCLEAR FUELS
POWER
PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTORS
STORAGE
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTE STORAGE
WASTES
052000* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Management
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