Accelerator-driven transmutation of spent fuel elements
Abstract
An apparatus and method is described for transmuting higher actinides, plutonium and selected fission products in a liquid-fuel subcritical assembly. Uranium may also be enriched, thereby providing new fuel for use in conventional nuclear power plants. An accelerator provides the additional neutrons required to perform the processes. The size of the accelerator needed to complete fuel cycle closure depends on the neutron efficiency of the supported reactors and on the neutron spectrum of the actinide transmutation apparatus. Treatment of spent fuel from light water reactors (LWRs) using uranium-based fuel will require the largest accelerator power, whereas neutron-efficient high temperature gas reactors (HTGRs) or CANDU reactors will require the smallest accelerator power, especially if thorium is introduced into the newly generated fuel according to the teachings of the present invention. Fast spectrum actinide transmutation apparatus (based on liquid-metal fuel) will take full advantage of the accelerator-produced source neutrons and provide maximum utilization of the actinide-generated fission neutrons. However, near-thermal transmutation apparatus will require lower standing
- Inventors:
-
- Los Alamos, NM
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 874692
- Patent Number(s):
- 6442226
- Assignee:
- The Regents of the University of California (Los Alamos, NM)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
C - CHEMISTRY C22 - METALLURGY C22B - PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS
C - CHEMISTRY C25 - ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES C25C - PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC PRODUCTION, RECOVERY OR REFINING OF METALS
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- accelerator-driven; transmutation; spent; fuel; elements; apparatus; method; described; transmuting; actinides; plutonium; selected; fission; products; liquid-fuel; subcritical; assembly; uranium; enriched; providing; conventional; nuclear; power; plants; accelerator; provides; additional; neutrons; required; perform; processes; size; complete; cycle; closure; depends; neutron; efficiency; supported; reactors; spectrum; actinide; treatment; light; water; lwrs; uranium-based; require; largest; neutron-efficient; temperature; gas; htgrs; candu; especially; thorium; introduced; newly; generated; teachings; fast; based; liquid-metal; advantage; accelerator-produced; source; provide; maximum; utilization; actinide-generated; near-thermal; standing; fuel element; power plant; spent fuel; light water; /376/
Citation Formats
Venneri, Francesco, Williamson, Mark A, and Li, Ning. Accelerator-driven transmutation of spent fuel elements. United States: N. p., 2002.
Web.
Venneri, Francesco, Williamson, Mark A, & Li, Ning. Accelerator-driven transmutation of spent fuel elements. United States.
Venneri, Francesco, Williamson, Mark A, and Li, Ning. Tue .
"Accelerator-driven transmutation of spent fuel elements". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/874692.
@article{osti_874692,
title = {Accelerator-driven transmutation of spent fuel elements},
author = {Venneri, Francesco and Williamson, Mark A and Li, Ning},
abstractNote = {An apparatus and method is described for transmuting higher actinides, plutonium and selected fission products in a liquid-fuel subcritical assembly. Uranium may also be enriched, thereby providing new fuel for use in conventional nuclear power plants. An accelerator provides the additional neutrons required to perform the processes. The size of the accelerator needed to complete fuel cycle closure depends on the neutron efficiency of the supported reactors and on the neutron spectrum of the actinide transmutation apparatus. Treatment of spent fuel from light water reactors (LWRs) using uranium-based fuel will require the largest accelerator power, whereas neutron-efficient high temperature gas reactors (HTGRs) or CANDU reactors will require the smallest accelerator power, especially if thorium is introduced into the newly generated fuel according to the teachings of the present invention. Fast spectrum actinide transmutation apparatus (based on liquid-metal fuel) will take full advantage of the accelerator-produced source neutrons and provide maximum utilization of the actinide-generated fission neutrons. However, near-thermal transmutation apparatus will require lower standing},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {2002},
month = {1}
}