Laka Foundation

Publication Laka-library:
Minimizing the integrated collective radiation dose and the transmutation of long-lived nuclear waste (1992)

AuthorK.Abrahams
DateMay 1992
Classification 6.01.5.56/06 (WASTE - ACTINIDES (TRANSMUTATION / BURNING) GENERAL)
Front

From the publication:

MINIMIZING THE INTEGRATED COLLECTIVE RADIATION DOSE
AND THE TRANSMUTATION OF LONG-LIVED NUCLEAR WASTE

Contribution to "PSI meeting on Accelerator based Transmutation"
at Wuerenlingen from 24-26 March 1992

ABSTRACT

For more than a year, ECN is engaged in a research programme on transmutation
of actinides as well as of fission products by means of fission and neutron capture
respectively. It is intended to contribute to international efforts, which evaluate
recycling options of the nuclear waste problem. Besides studies on strategy and
scenarios, efforts are made to demonstrate possibilities for transmutation of long-
lived fission products as Tc-99 and I-129. Global scenario studies on light water
power reactors show that in principle such reactors could consume their own
technetium production by means of neutron capture only in case that some surplus
of technetium is being situated in the core. If the Tc would be homogeneously
mixed through the LWR fuel, the inventory of Tc (a few hundred kg) would be
toohigh to be practical in present scenarios for reprocessing this fuel. For
inhomogeneous combinations of waste and fuel, the inventory would have to
beeven higher, and in general it can be stated that problems with reactor based
incineration are complicated whereas only marginal advantages are to be expected.
Therefore incineration schedules have been studied, which use an inventory as low
as possible, and which would involve a high flux thermal neutron field for example
at accelerator based reactor systems. Such hybrid systems are being considered as
they may reduce the risk possibly without too high energy cost. Finally an
experimental programme is presented, in which the Petten High Flux Reactor
may be used to support comparative studies on targets for incineration.

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