Neutronics Analysis of LANL's Accelerator Transmutation of Waste

Conference · Sun Jun 02 00:00:00 EDT 1991 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society

OSTI ID:6000417

LaBauve, R. ^[1]; Cappiello, M. ^[1]; Perry, R. ^[1]

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1. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

The Los Alamos National Laboratory's (LANL's) accelerator transmutation concept is directed at the problems associated with high-level wastes stored at several US Department of Energy sites. A high-energy (1,600-MeV), high-current (25- to 60-mA) proton accelerator is used as a driver. The protons are directed onto a flowing liquid lead-bismuth (Pb-Bi) target and through the process of spallation generates {approximately}50 neutrons for each incident proton. The neutrons are moderated to thermal energy in a surrounding blanket of heavy water (D₂O) and are used to transmute fission products, capture and fission actinides, or directly fission fissile isotopes. Because of the intense flux of neutrons generated, very dilute mixtures are used, thereby reducing the potential for criticality and power excursion. In this proposed design, the authors have devised a system to transmute high-level defense fission product and actinide waste at Hanford. Specifically, the system is designed for transmutation of the long-lived fission products ⁹⁹Tc and ¹²⁹I, and the higher actinides ²³⁷Np and ^241,243Am. For the total inventory at Hanford of 2,000 kg of technetium and iodine and 400 kg of neptunium and americium, the goal transmutation rates for a 30-yr operation are 67 kg/yr for the fission products and 13 kg/yr for actinides. It is concluded that the LANL accelerator transmutation concept is feasible and can transmute the long-lived defense waste at a site like Hanford.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• OSTI ID: 6000417
• Report Number(s): CONF-910603--
• Journal Information: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society Vol. 63; ISSN TANSA; ISSN 0003-018X
• Publisher: American Nuclear Society
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Management
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS
430100 -- Particle Accelerators-- Design
Development
& Operation
ACCELERATORS
ACCIDENTS
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ACTINIDES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
AMERICIUM 241
AMERICIUM 243
AMERICIUM ISOTOPES
Accelerator Transmutation Concept
BARYONS
BEAMS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-PLUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BISMUTH
CAPTURE
CROSS SECTIONS
Conclusions
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
EXCURSIONS
FAST NEUTRONS
FERMIONS
FISSION PRODUCTS
HADRONS
HEAVY NUCLEI
HEAVY WATER
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
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IODINE 120
IODINE ISOTOPES
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LANL
LEAD
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
METALS
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
MULTIPLICATION FACTORS
NANOSEC LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NEPTUNIUM 237
NEPTUNIUM ISOTOPES
NEUTRON FLUX
NEUTRONS
NUCLEI
NUCLEON BEAMS
NUCLEONS
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLE BEAMS
PROCESSING
PROTON BEAMS
RADIATION FLUX
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
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REACTOR ACCIDENTS
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TECHNETIUM 99
TECHNETIUM ISOTOPES
THERMAL NEUTRONS
TRANSMUTATION
US DOE
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES
WATER
YEARS LIVING RADIOI
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES