Metrics for comparing plasma mass filters

Journal Article · Sat Oct 15 00:00:00 EDT 2011 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3646311· OSTI ID:22046993

Fetterman, Abraham J; Fisch, Nathaniel J ^[1]

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1. Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08540 (United States)

High-throughput mass separation of nuclear waste may be useful for optimal storage, disposal, or environmental remediation. The most dangerous part of nuclear waste is the fission product, which produces most of the heat and medium-term radiation. Plasmas are well-suited to separating nuclear waste because they can separate many different species in a single step. A number of plasma devices have been designed for such mass separation, but there has been no standardized comparison between these devices. We define a standard metric, the separative power per unit volume, and derive it for three different plasma mass filters: the plasma centrifuge, Ohkawa filter, and the magnetic centrifugal mass filter.

• OSTI ID: 22046993
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 18, Issue 10; Other Information: (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
CENTRIFUGATION
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
FILTERS
FISSION PRODUCTS
MASS
MASS SPECTROMETERS
PLASMA
PLASMA CENTRIFUGES
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
REMEDIAL ACTION