Increased Plutonium-238 Production via High Flux Isotope Reactor Permanent Beryllium Reflector Redesign

Title: Increased Plutonium-238 Production via High Flux Isotope Reactor Permanent Beryllium Reflector Redesign

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Abstract

Irradiation of 237Np-bearing targets in the permanent beryllium reflector (PBR) of Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s (ORNL) High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) results in high-purity 238Pu that can be used as a reliable power source for deep space and planetary National Aeronautics and Space Administration missions. However, HFIR’s 238Pu production capability is constrained by the available irradiation volume in its PBR. In preparation for the HFIR beryllium change-out in 2023, ORNL staff have redesigned the PBR to include six additional irradiation sites, be more versatile with respect to irradiation and scattering experiments, and enhance its thermal-structural performance. The new PBR design offers large potential increases in annual 238Pu production at ORNL.

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^[1];

^[1]

ORNL

Publication Date:: 2019-02-01

Research Org.:: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE

OSTI Identifier:: 1502566

DOE Contract Number:: AC05-00OR22725

Resource Type:: Conference

Resource Relation:: Conference: Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space 2019 - Richland, Washington, United States of America - 2/25/2019 5:00:00 AM-2/28/2019 5:00:00 AM

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Citation Formats


                    Chandler, David, Crowell, Michael W., and Royston, Katherine E. Increased Plutonium-238 Production via High Flux Isotope Reactor Permanent Beryllium Reflector Redesign.  United States: N. p., 2019. 
        Web.

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                    Chandler, David, Crowell, Michael W., & Royston, Katherine E. Increased Plutonium-238 Production via High Flux Isotope Reactor Permanent Beryllium Reflector Redesign.  United States.

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                    Chandler, David, Crowell, Michael W., and Royston, Katherine E. Fri .  
        "Increased Plutonium-238 Production via High Flux Isotope Reactor Permanent Beryllium Reflector Redesign".  United States.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1502566.

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@article{osti_1502566,

  title        = {Increased Plutonium-238 Production via High Flux Isotope Reactor Permanent Beryllium Reflector Redesign},

  author       = {Chandler, David and Crowell, Michael W. and Royston, Katherine E.},

  abstractNote = {Irradiation of 237Np-bearing targets in the permanent beryllium reflector (PBR) of Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s (ORNL) High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) results in high-purity 238Pu that can be used as a reliable power source for deep space and planetary National Aeronautics and Space Administration missions. However, HFIR’s 238Pu production capability is constrained by the available irradiation volume in its PBR. In preparation for the HFIR beryllium change-out in 2023, ORNL staff have redesigned the PBR to include six additional irradiation sites, be more versatile with respect to irradiation and scattering experiments, and enhance its thermal-structural performance. The new PBR design offers large potential increases in annual 238Pu production at ORNL.},

  doi          = {},

  url          = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1502566},
  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2019},

  month        = {2}

}

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