The Molten Salt Reactor option for beneficial use of fissile material from dismantled weapons

Title: The Molten Salt Reactor option for beneficial use of fissile material from dismantled weapons

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Abstract

The Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) option for burning fissile fuel from dismantled weapons is examined. It is concluded that MSRs are very suitable for beneficial utilization of the dismantled fuel. The MSRs can utilize any fissile fuel in continuous operation with no special modifications, as demonstrated in the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment. Thus MSRs are flexible while maintaining their economy. MSRs further require a minimum of special fuel preparation and can tolerate denaturing and dilution of the fuel. Fuel shipments can be arbitrarily small, all of which supports nonproliferation and averts diversion. MSRs have inherent safety features which make them acceptable and attractive. They can burn a fuel type completely and convert it to other fuels. MSRs also have the potential for burning the actinides and delivering the waste in an optimal form, thus contributing to the solution of one of the major remaining problems for deployment of nuclear power. 19 refs.

Authors:

Gat, U.; Engel, J.R. ^[1]; Dodds, H.L. ^[2]

(Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA))
(Tennessee Univ., Knoxville, TN (USA))

Publication Date:: 1991-01-01

Research Org.:: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (USA)

OSTI Identifier:: 5717860

Report Number(s):: CONF-910208-2
ON: DE91013512

DOE Contract Number:: AC05-84OR21400

Resource Type:: Conference

Resource Relation:: Conference: Annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science: earth science, Washington, DC (USA), 15-19 Feb 1991

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; FISSILE MATERIALS; REPROCESSING; MOLTEN SALT REACTORS; TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT; ACTINIDES; BERYLLIUM FLUORIDES; HEAD END PROCESSES; LITHIUM FLUORIDES; MSRE REACTOR; NUCLEAR FUEL CONVERSION; NUCLEAR WEAPONS; PLUTONIUM; REACTOR SAFETY; SAFEGUARDS; URANIUM 233; URANIUM 235; ACTINIDE ISO; ACTINIDE ISOTOPES; ACTINIDE NUCLEI; ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS; ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS; ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BERYLLIUM COMPOUNDS; ELEMENTS; ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS; EVEN-ODD NUCLEI; EXPERIMENTAL REACTORS; FISSIONABLE MATERIALS; FLUORIDES; FLUORINE COMPOUNDS; GRAPHITE MODERATED REACTORS; HALIDES; HALOGEN COMPOUNDS; HEAVY ION DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; HEAVY NUCLEI; INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES; ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES; ISOTOPES; LITHIUM COMPOUNDS; LITHIUM HALIDES; MATERIALS; METALS; MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; MOLTEN SALT COOLED REACTORS; NEON 24 DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; NUCLEI; POWER REACTORS; RADIOISOTOPES; REACTORS; RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS; SAFETY; SEPARATION PROCESSES; SPONTANEOUS FISSION RADIOISOTOPES; THERMAL REACTORS; TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS; URANIUM ISOTOPES; WEAPONS; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; 220900* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Reactor Safety; 210300 - Power Reactors, Nonbreeding, Graphite Moderated; 050800 - Nuclear Fuels- Spent Fuels Reprocessing

Citation Formats


                    Gat, U., Engel, J.R., and Dodds, H.L.. The Molten Salt Reactor option for beneficial use of fissile material from dismantled weapons.  United States: N. p., 1991. 
        Web.

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                    Gat, U., Engel, J.R., & Dodds, H.L.. The Molten Salt Reactor option for beneficial use of fissile material from dismantled weapons.  United States.

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                    Gat, U., Engel, J.R., and Dodds, H.L.. Tue .  
        "The Molten Salt Reactor option for beneficial use of fissile material from dismantled weapons".  United States.  
        doi:.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5717860.

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@article{osti_5717860,

  title        = {The Molten Salt Reactor option for beneficial use of fissile material from dismantled weapons},

  author       = {Gat, U. and Engel, J.R. and Dodds, H.L.},

  abstractNote = {The Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) option for burning fissile fuel from dismantled weapons is examined. It is concluded that MSRs are very suitable for beneficial utilization of the dismantled fuel. The MSRs can utilize any fissile fuel in continuous operation with no special modifications, as demonstrated in the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment. Thus MSRs are flexible while maintaining their economy. MSRs further require a minimum of special fuel preparation and can tolerate denaturing and dilution of the fuel. Fuel shipments can be arbitrarily small, all of which supports nonproliferation and averts diversion. MSRs have inherent safety features which make them acceptable and attractive. They can burn a fuel type completely and convert it to other fuels. MSRs also have the potential for burning the actinides and delivering the waste in an optimal form, thus contributing to the solution of one of the major remaining problems for deployment of nuclear power. 19 refs.},

  doi          = {},

  journal      = {},

  number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {1991},

  month        = {1}

}

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