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Title: Fusion transmutation of waste and the role of the In-Zinerator in the nuclear fuel cycle.

Abstract

The Z-Pinch fusion experiment at Sandia National Laboratories has been making significant progress in developing a high-energy fusion neutron source. This source has the potential to be used for the transmutation of nuclear waste. The goal of this research was to do a scoping-level design of a fusion-based transmuter to determine potential transmutation rates along with the fusion yield requirements. Two ''In-Zinerator'' designs have been developed to transmute the long-lived actinides that dominate the heat production in spent fuel. The first design burns up all transuranics (TRU) in spent fuel (Np, Pu, Am, Cm), and the second is focused only on burning up Am and Cm. The TRU In-Zinerator is designed for a fuel cycle requiring burners to get rid of all the TRU with no light water reactor (LWR) recycle. The Am/Cm In-Zinerator is designed for a fuel cycle with Np/Pu recycling in LWRs. Both types of In-Zinerators operate with a moderate fusion source driving a sub-critical actinide blanket. The neutron multiplication is 30, so a great deal of energy is produced in the blanket. With the design goal of generating 3,000 MW{sub th}, about 1,200 kg/yr of actinides can be destroyed in each In-Zinerator. Each TRU In-Zinerator willmore » require a 20 MW fusion source, and it will take a total of 20 units (each producing 3,000 MWth) to burn up the TRU as fast as the current LWR fleet can produce it. Each Am/Cm In-Zinerator will require a 24 MW fusion source, and it will take a total of 2 units to burn up the Am/Cm as fast as the current LWR fleet can produce it. The necessary fusion yield could be achieved using a 200-240 MJ target fired once every 10 seconds.« less

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
887261
Report Number(s):
SAND2006-3522
TRN: US0604276
DOE Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; ACTINIDES; BURNERS; DESIGN; FUEL CYCLE; FUSION YIELD; NEUTRON SOURCES; NEUTRONS; NUCLEAR FUELS; PRODUCTION; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RECYCLING; SPENT FUELS; TARGETS; TRANSMUTATION; WASTES; WATER; Fusion reactors-Research.; Nuclear fusion.; Radioactive wastes-Transmutation.

Citation Formats

Cipiti, Benjamin B. Fusion transmutation of waste and the role of the In-Zinerator in the nuclear fuel cycle.. United States: N. p., 2006. Web. doi:10.2172/887261.
Cipiti, Benjamin B. Fusion transmutation of waste and the role of the In-Zinerator in the nuclear fuel cycle.. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/887261
Cipiti, Benjamin B. 2006. "Fusion transmutation of waste and the role of the In-Zinerator in the nuclear fuel cycle.". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/887261. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/887261.
@article{osti_887261,
title = {Fusion transmutation of waste and the role of the In-Zinerator in the nuclear fuel cycle.},
author = {Cipiti, Benjamin B},
abstractNote = {The Z-Pinch fusion experiment at Sandia National Laboratories has been making significant progress in developing a high-energy fusion neutron source. This source has the potential to be used for the transmutation of nuclear waste. The goal of this research was to do a scoping-level design of a fusion-based transmuter to determine potential transmutation rates along with the fusion yield requirements. Two ''In-Zinerator'' designs have been developed to transmute the long-lived actinides that dominate the heat production in spent fuel. The first design burns up all transuranics (TRU) in spent fuel (Np, Pu, Am, Cm), and the second is focused only on burning up Am and Cm. The TRU In-Zinerator is designed for a fuel cycle requiring burners to get rid of all the TRU with no light water reactor (LWR) recycle. The Am/Cm In-Zinerator is designed for a fuel cycle with Np/Pu recycling in LWRs. Both types of In-Zinerators operate with a moderate fusion source driving a sub-critical actinide blanket. The neutron multiplication is 30, so a great deal of energy is produced in the blanket. With the design goal of generating 3,000 MW{sub th}, about 1,200 kg/yr of actinides can be destroyed in each In-Zinerator. Each TRU In-Zinerator will require a 20 MW fusion source, and it will take a total of 20 units (each producing 3,000 MWth) to burn up the TRU as fast as the current LWR fleet can produce it. Each Am/Cm In-Zinerator will require a 24 MW fusion source, and it will take a total of 2 units to burn up the Am/Cm as fast as the current LWR fleet can produce it. The necessary fusion yield could be achieved using a 200-240 MJ target fired once every 10 seconds.},
doi = {10.2172/887261},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/887261}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 2006},
month = {Thu Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 2006}
}