Fusion-driven transmutation of selected long-lived fission products

Autor: Hiroshi Sagara, Alan Takibayev, V.V. Artisyuk, Masaki Saito
Rok vydání: 2005
Předmět:
Zdroj: Progress in Nuclear Energy. 47:354-360
ISSN: 0149-1970
DOI: 10.1016/j.pnucene.2005.05.034
Popis: The long-term radiological burden associated with nuclear power production is usually attributed to long-lived fission products (LLFP). Their lifetime and large equilibrium mass and hence radioactivity accumulated in the course of fission energy generation make their storage a rather formidable task to solve. Therefore the idea of artificial incineration of LLFP through their transmutation has been quite naturally incorporated into the concept of self-consistent nuclear energy system (SCNES) based primarily on fast breeder reactor technologies. However it is now acknowledged that neutron environment of fission facilities including fast breeder reactors does not seem most appropriate for LLFP transmutation. The issue has been then extensively developed within the framework of multi-component self-consistent nuclear energy system (MC-SCNES). Neutrons of specific quality required for LLFP transmutation are proposed there to be of non-fission origin. Given neutron excess available and neutron quality, a fusion neutron source (FNS) is appearing as the candidate No. 1 to consider for LLFP transmutation. Research on LLFP transmutation by means of FNS has very long history and has received an additional boost during the decade passed. In the present study, potential of thermal flux blanket of FNS is exemplified by transmutation of 93 Zr and 126 Sn, the most difficult LLFP to transmute. It is shown that transmutation of 93 Zr is effective even with a rather modest neutron loading of 1 MWt·m −2 , typical for ITER project. Transmutation of 126 Sn, however, requires neutron loading of as high as 3 MWt·m −2 for DD fusion and is quite unattractive for DT fusion. In the latter case, transmutation through the threshold (n,2n) reaction may be preferable.
Databáze: OpenAIRE