Studies on the properties of hard-spectrum, actinide fissioning reactors. Final report

Technical Report · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 UTC 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5837025· OSTI ID:5837025

Nelson, J. B.; Prichard, A. W.; Schofield, P. E.; Robinson, A. H.; Spinrad, B. I.

It is technically feasible to construct an operable (e.g., safe and stable) reactor to burn waste actinides rapidly. The heart of the concept is a driver core of EBR-II type, with a central radial target zone in which fuel elements, made entirely of waste actinides are exposed. This target fuel undergoes fission, as a result of which actinides are rapidly destroyed. Although the same result could be achieved in more conventionally designed LWR or LMFBR systems, the fast spectrum reactor does a much more efficient job, by virtue of the fact that in both LWR and LMFBR reactors, actinide fission is preceded by several captures before a fissile nuclide is formed. In the fast spectrum reactor that is called ABR (actinide burning reactor), these neutron captures are short-circuited.

• Research Organization: Oregon State Univ., Corvallis (USA). Dept. of Nuclear Engineering
• DOE Contract Number: AT06-76RL74032
• OSTI ID: 5837025
• Report Number(s): DOE/RL/74032-8; ON: DE83017454
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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ACTINIDES
BREEDER REACTORS
BURNUP
ELEMENTS
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
FAST REACTORS
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FUEL CYCLE
KINETICS
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
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MATERIALS
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RADIOACTIVE WASTES
REACTIVITY COEFFICIENTS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR CORES
REACTOR KINETICS
REACTORS
SPECTRA
WASTES