The role of accelerators in the nuclear fuel cycle

Conference · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:6991700

Takahashi, Hiroshi

The use of neutrons produced by the medium energy proton accelerator (1 GeV--3 GeV) has considerable potential in reconstructing the nuclear fuel cycle. About 1.5 {approximately} 2.5 ton of fissile material can be produced annually by injecting a 450 MW proton beam directly into fertile materials. A source of neutrons, produced by a proton beam, to supply subcritical reactors could alleviate many of the safety problems associated with critical assemblies, such as positive reactivity coefficients due to coolant voiding. The transient power of the target can be swiftly controlled by controlling the power of the proton beam. Also, the use of a proton beam would allow more flexibility in the choice of fuel and structural materials which otherwise might reduce the reactivity of reactors. This paper discusses the rate of accelerators in the transmutation of radioactive wastes of the nuclear fuel cycles. 34 refs., 17 figs., 9 tabs.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/ER
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• OSTI ID: 6991700
• Report Number(s): BNL-43887; CONF-900156-4; ON: DE90008823; TRN: 90-008956
• Resource Relation: Conference: 2. international symposium on advanced nuclear energy research - evolution by accelerators, Mito (Japan), 24-26 Jan 1990
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
TRANSMUTATION
ACCELERATORS
CESIUM 137
CROSS SECTIONS
FISSILE MATERIALS
FUEL CYCLE
MUON-CATALYZED FUSION
NEUTRON FLUX
NEUTRON REACTIONS
PROTON BEAMS
PROTON REACTIONS
STRONTIUM 90
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
BARYON REACTIONS
BEAMS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CESIUM ISOTOPES
CHARGED-PARTICLE REACTIONS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FISSIONABLE MATERIALS
HADRON REACTIONS
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
MATERIALS
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEI
NUCLEON BEAMS
NUCLEON REACTIONS
NUCLEOSYNTHESIS
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PARTICLE BEAMS
RADIATION FLUX
RADIOISOTOPES
STRONTIUM ISOTOPES
SYNTHESIS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTIONS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
052000* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Management
651000 - Nuclear Physics
430000 - Particle Accelerators