Authors & Affiliations
Ovcharenko M.K., Pyshko A.P., Plotnikov A.Yu., Krotov A.D., Alekseev P.A., Khoromsky V.A.
A.I. Leypunsky Institute for Physics and Power, Obninsk, Russia
Abstract
The issue of spent nuclear fuel management is currently one of the major problems in nuclear power. In particular, the problem consists in accumulation of materials containing transuranium elements, such as americium, neptunium, curium, etc. A possible solution of this problem may be in the process of these elements burnup (transmutation) by means of their irradiation with a fast neutron flux. Due to that, long-lived elements are transformed into stable or short-lived ones.
Accelerator-driven subcritical blankets have been lately considered as “burners” for transuranium elements. A target made of the material with high atomic weight serves as a neutron source in these systems and it is irradiated with a proton beam shaped by the charged particle accelerator. In the target the (p,n)-reaction takes place, generated neutrons multiply on the blanket fissile materials and burn the required elements.
This paper considers an accelerator-driven subcritical blanket with molten salt fuel and modular core configuration.
The presented accelerator-driven subcritical blanket with molten salt fuel and modular core configuration complies with the research subcritical system in terms of both neutronic processes and technological issues. The achievable power parameters and neutron spectra allow long-lived radioactive elements to be burned. The modular core configuration provides safe reactor operation and the possibility to perform neutronic, material-research and other experimental studies with the aim to develop and master molten salt reactor technologies.
Key words
Accelerator-driven subcritical blanket, modular core configuration, molten salt fuel, transuranium elements, transmutation, neutronic characteristics, fast neutron flux
Article Text (PDF, in Russian)
References
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UDC 621.039.7
Problems of Atomic Science and Technology. Series: Nuclear and Reactor Constants", issue 4:5, 2014
