Gas core reactors for actinide transmutation. Annual report
The preliminary design of a uranium hexafluoride actinide transmutation reactor to convert long-lived actinide wastes to shorter-lived fission product wastes was analyzed. It is shown that externally moderated gas core reactors are ideal radiators. They provide an abundant supply of thermal neutrons and are insensitive to composition changes in the blanket. For the present reactor, an initial load of 6 metric tons of actinides is loaded. This is equivalent to the quantity produced by 300 LWR-years of operation. At the beginning, the core produces 2000 MWt while the blanket generates only 239 MWt. After four years of irradiation, the actinide mass is reduced to 3.9 metric tonnes. During this time, the blanket is becoming more fissile and its power rapidly approaches 1600 MWt. At the end of four years, continuous refueling of actinides is carried out and the actinide mass is held constant. Equilibrium is essentially achieved at the end of eight years. At equilibrium, the core is producing 1400 MWt and the blanket 1600 MWt. At this power level, the actinide destruction rate is equal to the production rate from 32 LWRs.
- Research Organization:
- Georgia Inst. of Tech., Atlanta (USA). School of Nuclear Engineering
- OSTI ID:
- 5622799
- Report Number(s):
- N-79-22876
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210400* -- Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Otherwise Moderated or Unmoderated
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
BARYONS
DESIGN
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
FISSION PRODUCTS
FLUID FUELED REACTORS
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
GAS FUELED REACTORS
HADRONS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HOMOGENEOUS REACTORS
ISOTOPES
KINETICS
NEUTRONS
NUCLEONS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
REACTOR KINETICS
REACTORS
THERMAL NEUTRONS
TRANSMUTATION
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM FLUORIDES
URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE
WASTES