The modular ALMR (PRISM) fuel cycle
The modular reactor concept, PRISM (power reactor, innovative, small module), originated by General Electric in conjunction with the integral fast reactor (IFR) metal fuel being developed by Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), is the reference US Department of Energy advanced liquid-metal reactor (ALMR). The reference ALMR is unique in several ways; for example, it can produce (or breed) substantially more fissile material than it consumes. It is also unique in that it has the capability to utilize as fuel the long-life radioactive actinides (primarily plutonium, and the minor actinides, neptunium, americium, and curium) present as waste in light water reactor (LWR) spent fuels. This capability provides a means for converting long-life actinide radioactive wastes to elements whose lifetimes and thus storage needs are much shorter, namely, hundreds of years. This could clearly focus and potentially alleviate a controversial aspect (waste disposal) of the nuclear option. While it does not change the need for, or timing of, an initial high-level waste (HLW) repository, the conversion of actinides could change in a dramatic way the time period required for safe storage of nuclear waste and potentially the number and criteria for future repositories. This work considers the potential for utilizing LWR actinides in the ALMR fuel cycle.
- OSTI ID:
- 6843548
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-901101--
- Journal Information:
- Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States), Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States) Vol. 62; ISSN 0003-018X; ISSN TANSAO
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
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ACTINIDES
AMERICIUM
ANL
CURIUM
DESIGN
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENGINEERED SAFETY SYSTEMS
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
EXPERIMENTAL REACTORS
FAST REACTORS
FUEL CYCLE
FUEL MANAGEMENT
FUELS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
IFR REACTOR
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
METALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NEPTUNIUM
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEAR FUELS
PLUTONIUM
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR CORES
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTOR SAFETY
REACTORS
REPROCESSING
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
SAFETY
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SPENT FUEL STORAGE
SPENT FUELS
STORAGE
TRANSMUTATION
TRANSPLUTONIUM ELEMENTS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
USA
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
ZERO POWER REACTORS