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High power linear accelerators for tritium production and transmutation of nuclear waste

Conference ·
OSTI ID:6541091
Proton linacs driving high-flux spallation neutron sources are being considered for transmutation of nuclear waste and production of tritium. Advances in high-current linac technology have provided a basis for the development of credible designs for the required accelerator, which has a nominal 1.6-GeV energy, and a 250-mA cw current. A beam with these parameters incident on a liquid lead-bismuth (Pb-Bi) target can generate a thermal neutron flux of up to 5 {times} 10{sup 16} n/cm{sup 2}-s in a cylindrical blanket surrounding the spallation source. This high flux can produce tritium through the {sup 6}Li(n,{alpha})T or {sup 3}He(n,{gamma})T reactions, or can burn long-lived actinides and fission products from nuclear waste through capture and fission processes. In some system scenarios, waste actinides and/or other fissile materials in the blanket can produce sufficient fission energy to power the accelerator.
Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
Sponsoring Organization:
DOE/AD
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-36
OSTI ID:
6541091
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-90-3315; CONF-901116--2; ON: DE91000187
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
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TRITIUM
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WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES