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

Abstract

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.

Inventors:
 [1]
  1. Los Alamos, NM
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
868524
Patent Number(s):
5160696
Assignee:
United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21D - NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21F - PROTECTION AGAINST X-RADIATION, GAMMA RADIATION, CORPUSCULAR RADIATION OR PARTICLE BOMBARDMENT
DOE Contract Number:  
W-7405-ENG-36
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
apparatus; nuclear; transmutation; power; production; intense; accelerator-generated; thermal; neutron; flux; fluxes; generated; action; proton; accelerator; spallation; target; allows; efficient; burn-up; actinide; waste; two-step; process; additionally; rapid; fission; product; nuclides; sections; practicality; material; thermal neutron; fission product; neutron flux; nuclear waste; two-step process; step process; power production; neutron fluxes; nuclear transmutation; intense accelerator-generated; product waste; accelerator-generated thermal; /376/

Citation Formats

Bowman, Charles D. Apparatus for nuclear transmutation and power production using an intense accelerator-generated thermal neutron flux. United States: N. p., 1992. Web.
Bowman, Charles D. Apparatus for nuclear transmutation and power production using an intense accelerator-generated thermal neutron flux. United States.
Bowman, Charles D. Wed . "Apparatus for nuclear transmutation and power production using an intense accelerator-generated thermal neutron flux". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/868524.
@article{osti_868524,
title = {Apparatus for nuclear transmutation and power production using an intense accelerator-generated thermal neutron flux},
author = {Bowman, Charles D},
abstractNote = {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.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1992},
month = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1992}
}

Works referenced in this record:

Preliminary Design and Neutronic Analysis of a Laser Fusion Driven Actinide Waste Burning Hybrid Reactor
journal, January 1979