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Conference Article: Reactor aspects of electronuclear transmutation of actinides in the heavy water high flux blankets. Analysis of problems

Gai, E.V.; Ignatyuk, A.V.; Rabotnov, N.S. (Gosudarstvennyj Komitet po Ispol'zovaniyu Atomnoj Ehnergii SSSR, Obninsk (Russian Federation). Fiziko-Ehnergeticheskij Inst.)

Abstract

The following problems in reactor and neutron physics of high flux heavy water accelerator driven blankets are considered and shown to be very serious at the fluxes of 1016 n/cm2s: the difficulty of attaining needed neutron flux. High radioactivity and power release in the primary circuit. Tritium accumulation. Heavy water radiolysis and hydrogen release. Positive flux-reactivity feed-back. Poisoning. At more moderate fluxes fission rates of the minor actinides become unsatisfactory which leads to the accumulation of heavier hazardous long-lived isotopes. The desirability of investigation of static liquid blankets which may solve some of those problems is pointed out.

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key words: Fast Neutron Spectrum Systems, Nuclear Technology
Reference:
Use of fast reactors for actinide transmutation. Proceedings of a specialists meeting, Obninsk, Russian Federation, 22-24 September 1992. Mar 1993.
International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria)
IAEA-TECDOC--693, pp:49-55