Comparison of the Waste Transmutation Potential of Different Innovative Dedicated Systems and Impact on the Fuel Cycle (original) (raw)
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Long-lived radioactive waste transmutation and the role of accelerator driven (hybrid) systems
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 1998
Partitioning and transmutation strategies are studied in several countries within the framework of R&D programs devoted to the management of high-level radioactive wastes. One option is to use accelerator-driven reactors in order to transmute Pu and minor actinides and/or long-lived fission products. Conceptual studies underway in France and Japan are illustrated in the present paper. Some basic ideas of a reactor park capable of stabilizing production and consumption of Pu and minor actinides, which could reduce significantly the potential source of radiotoxicity in a geological repository, are worked out.
Progress in Particle and Nuclear Physics, 2011
If nuclear power becomes a sustainable source of energy, a safe, robust, and acceptable solution must be pursued for existing and projected inventories of high-activity, longlived radioactive waste. Remarkable progress in the field of geological disposal has been made in the last two decades. Some countries have reached important milestones, and geological disposal (of spent fuel) is expected to start in 2020 in Finland and in 2022 in Sweden. In fact, the licensing of the geological repositories in both countries is now entering into its final phase. In France, disposal of intermediate-level waste (ILW) and vitrified high-level waste (HLW) is expected to start around 2025, according to the roadmap defined by an Act of Parliament in 2006. In this context, transmutation of part of the waste through use of advanced fuel cycles, probably feasible in the coming decades, can reduce the burden on the geological repository. This article presents the physical principle of transmutation and reviews several strategies of partitioning and transmutation (P&T). Many recent studies have demonstrated that the impact of P&T on geological disposal concepts is not overwhelmingly high. However, by reducing waste heat production, a more efficient utilization of repository space is likely. Moreover, even if radionuclide release from the waste to the environment and related calculated doses to the population are only partially reduced by P&T, it is important to point out that a clear reduction of the actinide inventory in the HLW definitely reduces risks arising from less probable evolutions of a repository (i.e., an increase of actinide mobility in certain geochemical situations and radiological impact by human intrusion).
Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 1995
A deep geological repository for safe long-term storage of long-lived radioactive materials (waste) arising from nuclear fuel irradiation in reactors is a need generally accepted, whatever the strategy envisaged for further use of the irradiated fuel (e.g. : reprocessing and re-use of uranium and plutonium ; no reprocessing and final disposal).
Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 2007
Benefit of implementing Partitioning and Transmutation (P&T) technology was parametrically surveyed in terms of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) disposal by discussing possible reduction of the geological repository area. First, the amount and characteristics of HLWs caused from UO 2 and MOX spent fuels of light-water reactors (LWR) were evaluated for various reprocessing schemes and cooling periods. The emplacement area in the repository site required for the disposal of these HLWs was then estimated with considering the temperature constrain in the repository. The results showed that, by recycling minor actinides (MA), the emplacement area could be reduced by 17-29% in the case of UO 2-LWR and by 63-85% in the case of MOX-LWR in comparison with the conventional PUREX reprocessing. This significant impact in MOX fuel was caused by the recycle of 241 Am which was a long-term heat source. Further 70-80% reduction of the emplacement area in comparison with the MA-recovery case could be expected by partitioning the fission products (FP) into several groups for both fuel types. To achieve this benefit of P&T, however, it is necessary to confirm the engineering feasibility of these unconventional disposal concepts.
Fusion transmutation of waste: design and analysis of the in-zinerator concept
2006
Due to increasing concerns over the buildup of long-lived transuranic isotopes in spent nuclear fuel waste, attention has been given in recent years to technologies that can burn up these species. The separation and transmutation of transuranics is part of a solution to decreasing the volume and heat load of nuclear waste significantly to increase the repository capacity. A fusion neutron source can be used for transmutation as an alternative to fast reactor systems. Sandia National Laboratories is investigating the use of a Z-Pinch fusion driver for this application. This report summarizes the initial design and engineering issues of this "In-Zinerator" concept. Relatively modest fusion requirements on the order of 20 MW can be used to drive a sub-critical, actinide-bearing, fluid blanket. The fluid fuel eliminates the need for expensive fuel fabrication and allows for continuous refueling and removal of fission products. This reactor has the capability of burning up 1,280 kg of actinides per year while at the same time producing 3,000 MW th . The report discusses the baseline design, engineering issues, modeling results, safety issues, and fuel cycle impact.
Nuclear Engineering and Design, 2018
The performance of the fusion-fission hybrid system based on the molten salt (flibe) blanket, driven by a plasma based fusion device, was analyzed by comparing transmutation scenarios of actinides extracted from the LWR (Sweden) and RBMK (Lithuania) spent nuclear fuel in the scope of the EURATOM project BRILLIANT. The IAEA nuclear fuel cycle simulation system (NFCSS) has been applied for the estimation of the approximate amount of heavy metals of the spent nuclear fuel in Sweden reactors and the SCALE 6 code package has been used for the determination of the RBMK-1500 spent nuclear fuel composition. The total amount of trans-uranium elements has been estimated in both countries by 2015. Major parameters of the hybrid system performance (e.g., k scr , k eff , Φ n (E), equilibrium conditions, etc.) have been investigated for LWR and RBMK trans-uranium transmutation cases. Detailed burn-up calculations with continuous feeding to replenish the incinerated trans-uranium material and partial treatment of fission products were done using the Monteburns (MCNP + ORIGEN) code system. About 1.1 tons of spent fuel trans-uranium elements could be burned annually with an output of the 3 GW th fission power, but the equilibrium stage is reached differently depending on the initial trans-uranium composition. The radiotoxicity of the remaining LWR and RBMK transmuted waste after the hybrid system operation time has been estimated.
Germany gradually phases-out the utilization of nuclear energy until 2022. Spent nuclear fuel (SNF) accumulated in Germany is produced mainly by light water reactors and amounts more than 10,000 tonnes. In the reference year 2022 approximately 152 tonnes of transuranics: ~131 tonnes of plutonium and ~21 tonnes of minor actinides will be contained in German SNF legacy. Apart from this ca. 215 tonnes of vitrified High Level Waste (HLW) is produced. In the paper different options for the management of German SNF legacy in mid and long terms will be presented. As a reference option interim decay storage of SNF over a period of 20-100 years (with ref. to 2022) is considered followed by SNF disposal in a geological repository. Evolution of SNF radioactivity, decay heat and radiotoxicity will be shown. In order to minimize the impact on repository advanced fuel cycles dedicated to transmutation of transuranics by deploying fast critical or subcritical transmuters will be analyzed. Fuel cycle options based on TRU partitioning and transmutation with Na-cooled fast critical burners of CR=0.5 fuelled by MOX bearing MA will be discussed as well as the deployment of accelerator driven systems (ADS) capable to burn transuranics such as American ATW-design or only MA like European EFITdesign.
Transmutation of high-level nuclear waste by means of accelerator driven system
Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, 2013
To be able to answer the worlds' increasing demand for energy, nuclear energy must be part of the energy basket. The generation of nuclear energy produces, besides energy, also high-level nuclear waste, which is nowadays for geological storage. Transmutation of the minor actinides and long-lived fission products that arise from the reprocessing of the nuclear waste can reduce the radiological impact of these radioactive elements. Transmutation can be completed in an efficient way in fast neutron spectrum facilities. Both critical fast reactors and subcritical accelerator driven systems are potential candidates as dedicated transmutation systems. Nevertheless, an accelerator driven system operates in a flexible and safer manner even with a core loading containing a high amount of minor actinides leading to a high more-efficient transmutation approach.
Spent Nuclear Fuel and Alternative Methods of Transmutation
Spent Nuclear Fuel and Accelerator-Driven Subcritical Systems
The chapter deals with the status of the spent nuclear fuel and accumulation of unspent nuclear fuel world over. Its fertile, fissile and fission product components are also discussed along with their applications and various methods of reprocessing the SNF. International situation related to reprocessing, security aspects arising from the SNF, and the fissile components along with its handling at individual national level are also summarized. 1.1 Spent and Unspent Nuclear Fuel and the Nuclear Waste Spent nuclear fuel (SNF) is the nuclear fuel that is irradiated in a power reactor. A few percent of this is utilized in power generation, and a very large part is left behind as a radiotoxic material at the time of discharge of a reactor. In the SNF major actinides, U and Pu are 95-96 and 1%, respectively. Minor actinides (Np, Am, and Cm) are 0.1%, short-lived fission products (FP) are 3-4%, and long-lived FPs are 0.1%. Different composition elements pose different challenges for disposition of SNF. In fact, unspent nuclear fuel (UNF) is of high concern because its components can be utilized for nuclear energy or other atomic devices with least efforts.