BRR Cask Use for Pu-238 Isotope Production

Conference · Thu Jun 15 04:00:00 EDT 2023

OSTI ID:1984822

Zillmer, Andrew John ^[1]; Fradeneck, Austen David ^[1]; Marlow, Ryan L ^[1]; Howard, Richard ^[1]; Noss, Phillip ^[2]

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1. Idaho National Laboratory
2. ORANO Fedreral Services LLC

The Department of Energy (DOE), in partnership with its national laboratories and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), is responsible to produce Pu-238 isotope in the United States for use in space exploration. Major activities in the DOE complex are focused at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). INL is responsible for storing Np-237 feedstock, irradiation qualification in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR), and irradiating targets containing Np-237 to produce Pu-238. ORNL is responsible for target design, target fabrication, irradiation qualification in HFIR, and processing of targets to extract Pu-238 heat source material. A key part of the program lifecycle is moving irradiated targets from INL to ORNL. The BEA Research Reactor (BRR) cask was identified as a potential shipping cask for the transport of both unirradiated and irradiated targets between the project sites. This paper will discuss the production at INL and shipment of Pu-238 to ORNL using the BRR cask.

• Research Organization: Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), Nuclear Facility Operations (NE-3)
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-05ID14517
• OSTI ID: 1984822
• Report Number(s): INL/CON-23-71918-Rev000
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
BRR cask
Pu-238
isotope