Safe disposition of weapons-grade plutonium in Westinghouse PWRs

Journal Article · Sat Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1994 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society

OSTI ID:89162

Garkisch, H D; Ankney, R D; Rosenthal, P W

Westinghouse evaluated the potential for rapid disposition of weapons-grade plutonium in new and existing Westinghouse-designed pressurized water reactors (PWRs). Most existing PWRs were originally designed with sufficient shutdown margin to accept partial (40%) mixed-oxide (MOX) cores using reprocessed light water reactor fuel with high (24%) {sup 240}Pu content. For comparable fissile plutonium loading, PWRs fueled with weapons-grade plutonium, 6% {sup 240}Pu, can meet the same shutdown margins. Westinghouse and European fuel suppliers currently evaluate the MOX fuel cycle performance and are aware of the differences between partial MOX and uranium-fueled cores.

• OSTI ID: 89162
• Report Number(s): CONF-941102--
• Journal Information: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society Vol. 71; ISSN 0003-018X; ISSN TANSAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUEL PELLETS
MIXED OXIDE FUELS
PLUTONIUM
REACTOR CORES
REACTOR SAFETY
SAFETY ANALYSIS
TRANSIENTS
WESTINGHOUSE STANDARD REACTOR