Neutronic characteristics of an actinide-reduced plutonium fuel with tungsten
- Idaho National Engineering Lab., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
The United States and Russia expect to have a surplus of {approximately}100 tonnes (MT) of weapons-grade plutonium (WGP) and 1000 tonnes of weapons-grade uranium (WGU) resulting from the drastic reductions in nuclear weapon programs. The current proposed nuclear-fuel-industry practice for disposing of the WGU and WGP is to blend it with depleted uranium down to commercial grade ({approximately} 5 wt%) for light water reactor (LWR) fuel pellet fabrication. However, this approach, with a conversion ratio of 0.6, will produce a lot of plutonium and other actinides in the spent fuel. This process only transforms the weapons-usable fissile materials to civilian-grade plutonium, and does not completely solve the weapons-grade materials (WGM) disposition problem. To meet the WGU/WGP disposal goal while minimizing the plutonium production, a new actinide-reduced plutonium fuel (ARPF) using the WGM and neo-fertile material tungsten is proposed.
- OSTI ID:
- 89292
- 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
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