Apparatus for nuclear transmutation and power production using an intense accelerator-generated thermal neutron flux

Patent · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:868524

Bowman, Charles D ^[1]

---

1. Los Alamos, NM

Apparatus for nuclear transmutation and power production using an intense accelerator-generated thermal neutron flux. High thermal neutron fluxes generated from the action of a high power proton accelerator on a spallation target allows the efficient burn-up of higher actinide nuclear waste by a two-step process. Additionally, rapid burn-up of fission product waste for nuclides having small thermal neutron cross sections, and the practicality of small material inventories while achieving significant throughput derive from employment of such high fluxes. Several nuclear technology problems are addressed including 1. nuclear energy production without a waste stream requiring storage on a geological timescale, 2. the burn-up of defense and commercial nuclear waste, and 3. the production of defense nuclear material. The apparatus includes an accelerator, a target for neutron production surrounded by a blanket region for transmutation, a turbine for electric power production, and a chemical processing facility. In all applications, the accelerator power may be generated internally from fission and the waste produced thereby is transmuted internally so that waste management might not be required beyond the human lifespan.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 5160696
• OSTI ID: 868524
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/376/
accelerator
accelerator-generated
accelerator-generated thermal
actinide
action
additionally
allows
apparatus
burn-up
efficient
fission
fission product
flux
fluxes
generated
intense
intense accelerator-generated
material
neutron
neutron flux
neutron fluxes
nuclear
nuclear transmutation
nuclear waste
nuclides
power
power production
practicality
process
product
product waste
production
proton
rapid
sections
spallation
step process
target
thermal
thermal neutron
transmutation
two-step
two-step process
waste