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-; CODEN: TANSAO
- Journal Information:
- Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States), Vol. 62; Conference: American Nuclear Society (ANS) winter meeting, Washington, DC (United States), 11-16 Nov 1990; ISSN 0003-018X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
ACTINIDES
TRANSMUTATION
IFR REACTOR
FUEL CYCLE
REACTOR SAFETY
AMERICIUM
ANL
CURIUM
DESIGN
ENGINEERED SAFETY SYSTEMS
FUEL MANAGEMENT
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
NEPTUNIUM
PLUTONIUM
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
REACTOR CORES
REPROCESSING
SPENT FUEL STORAGE
SPENT FUELS
US DOE
USA
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
EXPERIMENTAL REACTORS
FAST REACTORS
FUELS
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
METALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEAR FUELS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR MATERIALS
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RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
SAFETY
SEPARATION PROCESSES
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WASTE DISPOSAL
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WASTES
ZERO POWER REACTORS
220900* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Reactor Safety
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