Heterogeneous Transmutation Sodium Fast Reactor

Technical Report · Sat Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 2007

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/920415· OSTI ID:920415

Bays, S E

The threshold-fission (fertile) nature of Am-241 is used to destroy this minor actinide by capitalizing upon neutron capture instead of fission within a sodium fast reactor. This neutron-capture and its subsequent decay chain leads to the breeding of even neutron number plutonium isotopes. A slightly moderated target design is proposed for breeding plutonium in an axial blanket located above the active “fast reactor” driver fuel region. A parametric study on the core height and fuel pin diameter-to-pitch ratio is used to explore the reactor and fuel cycle aspects of this design. This study resulted in both non-flattened and flattened core geometries. Both of these designs demonstrated a high capacity for removing americium from the fuel cycle. A reactivity coefficient analysis revealed that this heterogeneous design will have comparable safety aspects to a homogeneous reactor of comparable size. A mass balance analysis revealed that the heterogeneous design may reduce the number of fast reactors needed to close the current once-through light water reactor fuel cycle.

• Research Organization: Idaho National Laboratory (INL)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE - NE
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-99ID13727
• OSTI ID: 920415
• Report Number(s): INL/EXT-07-13252
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
ACTINIDES
AMERICIUM
BREEDING
CAPTURE
DECAY
FAST REACTORS
FISSION
FUEL CYCLE
FUEL PINS
HOMOGENEOUS REACTORS
MASS BALANCE
NEUTRON REACTIONS
NEUTRONS
NUCLEAR FUELS
PLUTONIUM
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
REACTIVITY COEFFICIENTS
SODIUM
TRANSMUTATION
axial target
minor actinide
sodium fast reactor
transmutation