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Transmutation of /sup 90/Sr and /sup 137/Cs in a high-flux fast reactor with a thermalized central region

Journal Article · · Nucl. Sci. Eng.; (United States)
OSTI ID:7102281

The fission products /sup 90/Sr and /sup 137/Cs produced by fission reactors of 30 GW(th) can be transmutated into stable nuclides by neutron irradiation with a thermal flux of 2 x 10/sup 16/ n cm/sup -2/ s/sup -1/. The rates of transmutation are 15 and 3.3 times greater, respectively, than that of spontaneous beta decay. The transmutation would take place in a central thermalized region of a high-flux fast burner reactor of 7 GW(th). In the case where the power reactors of 23 GW(th) are breeders with a high breeding gain of G = 0.38, the total system, inclusive of the high-flux burner, remains a breeding system, with G/sub total/ = 0.09. Details of the neutronics calculations and simplified thermohydraulics are given. The high-flux burner is fueled with a molten salt of chlorides of plutonium and sodium with a power density of 10 kW cm/sup -3/. The ''self-liquidation'' of such a system is discussed.

Research Organization:
Federal Inst. for Reactor Research, Wuerenligen, Switzerland
OSTI ID:
7102281
Journal Information:
Nucl. Sci. Eng.; (United States), Journal Name: Nucl. Sci. Eng.; (United States) Vol. 61:2; ISSN NSENA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English