Abstract ANALOGIES OF EXPERIENCE IN THE UNITED STATES TRANSURANIUM ELEMENT PRODUCTION PROGRAM

Transcription

1 Analogies of experience in the United States Transuranium Element Production Program with partitioning and transmutation of transuranic actinides in commercial used fuels Abstract ACTINIDE AND FISSION PRODUCT PARTITIONING AND TRANSMUTATION, ISBN , OECD 212 1

2 Introduction Figure 1: Vision of a unified heavy element production programme Vision of a Unified Heavy Element Production Programme The field of new transuraniumelements is entering an era where the participating scientists in this country cannot go much further without some unified national effort which can only be authorised and co-ordinated by the Atomic Energy Commission itself. The future progress in this area depends on substantial weighable quantities (say milligrams) of berkelium, californium and einsteinium. The acquiring of this depends upon our country s entrance into a two-fold programme. The irradiation of substantial quantities of 239 as reactor fuel element, and the reirradiation of the products to form hundred gram amounts of 244 and higher curium isotopes The irradiation of the curium in the suggested very high flux reactor. Z Np N G.T. Seaborg Berkeley, 24 October Np 237 Am Bk , ( n,f) Np Fm Am 241 Am 242 Am 243 Am 244 Am 245 Am 246 Es Bk Bk 25 Bk251, ( n,f), (n,f), (n,f), SF - SF -, EC , (n,f) Fm 254 Fm 255 Fm 256 Es 253 Es 254 Es 255, -, EC -, (n,f), (n,f), SF -, ( n,f) SF SF Fm 257 Transplutonium element yields Heavy element production 2 ACTINIDE AND FISSION PRODUCT PARTITIONING AND TRANSMUTATION, ISBN , OECD 212

3 Figure 2: Transplutonium-element yield and fission loss during thermal neutron irradiation of plutonium % % 26% Am 244 Am Bk Bk 251.3% 8.5% 1.5%.8%.4% 64% Fm 3n, 9% fission loss 2n, ~1% fission loss 8n, ~8.7% fission/decay loss 5n, ~.3% fission/decay loss Figure 3: Heavy element production for DOE research programmes and 252 neutron sources Recycle - Am - Feed Material 242, 243 Am, Target Preparation Reactor Irradiation Hot Cell Separations Product Shipment SRS REDC HFIR 1 st Campaign in mg 5.6 mg 14 µg 249 Bk Product 252 Product 253 Es Product Recent Campaign in mg 35 mg 1.7 mg Bk ( 249 Bk) ( 252 ) Es ( 253 Es, 254 Es) Fm ( 257 Fm) 249 Bk Es Es Fm ACTINIDE AND FISSION PRODUCT PARTITIONING AND TRANSMUTATION, ISBN , OECD 212 3

4 /Absorption Figure 4: Production rate for Produced (mg/8 g Target) Heavy Curium Target (22% 244, 51% 246, 11% 248 ) 244 Target 243 Am Target 242 Target HFIR Irradiation Cycles (23 d per cycle) Comparison of actinide consumption in thermal and fast spectrum irradiations Figure 5: Comparison of fission versus absorption in a pressurised water reactor (PWR) and a sodium fast reactor (SFR) DOE Spent Nuclear Fuel Recycling Program Plan March PWR SFR U235 U238 Np Am241 Am ACTINIDE AND FISSION PRODUCT PARTITIONING AND TRANSMUTATION, ISBN , OECD 212

5 Figure 6: Transplutonium-element yield and fission loss during irradiation of plutonium Thermal Neutron Irradiation Am 244 Am Bk 25 Bk % 8.5% 1.5%.3% 36% 26%.8%.4% 64% Fast Neutron Irradiation Am % 1.4%.8%.12%.6% 23% 14% 9% 11.8%.8%.6%.7%.6% 77% Actinide partitioning-transmutation modelling studies ACTINIDE AND FISSION PRODUCT PARTITIONING AND TRANSMUTATION, ISBN , OECD 212 5

6 Figure 7: Transplutonium-element yield and fission loss during irradiation of 242 TRU Actinide Yield and Loss During Thermal Neutron Irradiation of Am % 7% 5% ~% ~% 92% 8% 8% 242 TRU Actinide Yield and Loss During Fast Neutron Irradiation of Am % 2.5% 34% 65% 58% 2.5% 29% 7% 24% 35% Figures 8(a) and 8(b): P-T scenarios evaluated U to Re-enrichment FR Used Fuel LWR UO 2 Used Fuel 3-4 y Cooled 2 MT/y Separations U-TRU-Zr Fuel Fab Fast Reactor Irradiation ~3 y Low Heat FP Waste to Repository Irradiated MA Target Storage MOX Used Fuel Storage U to Re-enrichment U--Np MOX Fuel Fab LWR Irradiation y LWR UO 2 Used Fuel 3-4 y Cooled 2 MT/y Separations Low Heat FP Wastes to Repository U-Am- Targets LWR Irradiation y 6 ACTINIDE AND FISSION PRODUCT PARTITIONING AND TRANSMUTATION, ISBN , OECD 212

7 Total Destruction (%) Figure 9: Burn-up of TRU actinides in one P-T cycle irradiation Total 241 Am Destruction (%) Am 237 Np Destruction (%) Np Core Burn-up (%) Core Burn-up (%) Core Burn-up (%) 241 Am 242 Am Summary ACTINIDE AND FISSION PRODUCT PARTITIONING AND TRANSMUTATION, ISBN , OECD 212 7

8 Quantit y (MT/year) Quantit y (MT/year) Quantit y (MT/year) Figure 1: Comparison of total TRU and element inventories in the total recycle from each cycle during multiple P-T cycles 7 6 LWR, 3-Year Decay Total TRUs 7 6 FR.25CR, 5 -Year Decay Total TRUs 7 6 -Np in FR/.25CR Am- in LWR, 5 -Year Decay Total TRUs Am Np P -T Cycle Number 1 Am Np P -T Cycle Number 1 Am Np P -T Cycle Number References 8 ACTINIDE AND FISSION PRODUCT PARTITIONING AND TRANSMUTATION, ISBN , OECD 212