A proposed new mission for producing sup 238 Pu at the Hanford site
A new mission for producing {sup 238}Pu has been proposed at the Hanford site. If approved, the program would produce {sup 238}Pu for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) space missions and possibly other speciality isotopes for medical and industrial applications. The {sup 238}Pu isotope is an excellent heat source and is currently used in generating electricity for deep-space applications. To produce {sup 238}Pu, special neptunium target assemblies would be irradiated for {approximately}2 yr in the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) operated by Westinghouse Handford Company. After {approximately}1 yr of cooling, the neptunium pins would be reprocessed in special hot cells in the Fuel and Materials Examination Facility (FMEF) at the Hanford site to recover the {sup 238}Pu and convert it into the oxide form. The oxide could then be encapsulated in the FMEF using special materials and procedures to meet rigid NASA requirements. The plutonium oxide capsules would later become part of the radioisotope thermoelectric generators used by NASA to power equipment launched into space. To meet projected NASA mission requirements, the program would provide the capability to recover up to 30 kg/yr of {sup 238}Pu from {sup 237}Np targets by late 1993. The conceptual design for the program was completed by Westinghouse Hanford in September 1989 for validation and approval by the U.S. Department of Energy.
- OSTI ID:
- 6768831
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-891103--
- Journal Information:
- Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (USA), Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (USA) Vol. 60; ISSN TANSA; ISSN 0003-018X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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220700* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Plutonium & Isotope Production Reactors
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FABRICATION
FAST REACTORS
FFTF REACTOR
HANFORD RESERVATION
HEAVY ION DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
HEAVY NUCLEI
IRRADIATION
ISOTOPE PRODUCTION
ISOTOPES
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
MOBILE REACTORS
NASA
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NEPTUNIUM 237 TARGET
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
NUCLEI
PLANNING
PLUTONIUM 238
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
POWER REACTORS
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTORS
REPROCESSING
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
RESEARCH REACTORS
SCRAP
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SILICON 32 DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
SODIUM COOLED REACTORS
SOLID WASTES
SPACE POWER REACTORS
TARGETS
TEST REACTORS
THERMOELECTRIC GENERATORS
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES