Implications of Plutonium isotopic separation on closed fuel cycles and repository design
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave. Cambridge, MA 20129 (United States)
Advances in laser enrichment may enable relatively low-cost plutonium isotopic separation. This would have large impacts on LWR closed fuel cycles and waste management. If Pu-240 is removed before recycling plutonium as mixed oxide (MOX) fuel, it would dramatically reduce the buildup of higher plutonium isotopes, Americium, and Curium. Pu-240 is a fertile material and thus can be replaced by U-238. Eliminating the higher plutonium isotopes in MOX fuel increases the Doppler feedback, simplifies reactor control, and allows infinite recycle of MOX plutonium in LWRs. Eliminating fertile Pu-240 and Pu-242 reduces the plutonium content in MOX fuel and simplifies fabrication. Reducing production of Pu-241 reduces production of Am-241 - the primary heat generator in spent nuclear fuels after several decades. Reducing heat generating Am-241 would reduce repository cost and waste toxicity. Avoiding Am- 241 avoids its decay product Np-237, a nuclide that partly controls long-term oxidizing repository performance. Most of these benefits also apply to LWR plutonium recycled into fast reactors. There are benefits for plutonium isotopic separation in fast reactor fuel cycles (particularly removal of Pu-242) but the benefits are less. (author)
- Research Organization:
- American Nuclear Society, 555 North Kensington Avenue, La Grange Park, IL 60526 (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 22257879
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
AMERICIUM
AMERICIUM 241
CURIUM
DAUGHTER PRODUCTS
FAST REACTORS
FERTILE MATERIALS
ISOTOPE SEPARATION
MIXED OXIDE FUELS
NEPTUNIUM 237
PLUTONIUM
PLUTONIUM 240
PLUTONIUM 241
PLUTONIUM 242
PLUTONIUM RECYCLE
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
SPENT FUELS
URANIUM 238