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Time-dependent Neutronic Analysis for High Level Waste Transmutation in a Fusion-driven Transmuter

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Abstract

This study presents time-dependent transmutations of high-level waste (HLW) including minor actinides (MAs) and long-lived fission products (LLFPs) in the fusion-driven transmuter (FDT) that is optimized in terms of the neutronic performance per fusion neutron in our previous study. Its blanket has two different transmutation zones (MA transmutation zone, TZMA, and LLFP transmutation zone, TZFP), located separately from each other. High burn-up pressured water reactor (PWR)-mixed oxide (MOX) spent fuel is used as HLW. The time-dependent transmutation analyses have been performed for an operation period (OP) of up to 10 years by 75% plant factor (η) under a first-wall neutron load (P) of 5 MW/m2. The effective half-lives of the MA and LLFP nuclides can be shortened significantly in the considered FDT while substantial electricity is produced in situ along the OP.

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Abbreviations

A :

Area (cm2)

C E :

Energy conversion factor (1.6021 × 10−19 MWs/MeV)

C m :

Ratio of atomic mass to N 0 (g/atom)

E :

Neutron energy (MeV)

E f :

Energy per fission (200 MeV)

k eff :

Neutron multiplication coefficient

M :

Blanket energy multiplication factor

m :

Mass (kg)

n :

Neutron

N :

Atomic density (atoms/cm3)

N a :

Avogadro number (6.023 × 1023 atom/mol)

N x :

Transmuted density of nuclide by x reaction (atom/cm3)

P :

First-wall neutron load (MW/m2)

P th :

Thermal power production (GWth)

R x :

x-Reaction rate (reactions/s)

R x D :

x-Reaction rate density (reactions/cm3/s)

t :

Time (year)

T :

Total operation time (year)

T 1/2 :

Half-life (year)

T 6 :

Tritium breeding ratio from 6Li

T 7 :

Tritium breeding ratio from 7Li

V :

Volume (cm3)

VF:

Volume fraction (%)

BOP:

Beginning of operation period

BU:

Fuel burn-up (GWd/tHM)

B/T :

Burning and/or transmutation

C/C:

Carbon/carbon

D–T:

Deuterium–tritium

EC:

Electron capture

EOP:

End of operation period

FDT:

Fusion-driven transmuter

FW:

First-wall

HLW:

High-level waste

LLFP:

Long-lived fission product

MA:

Minor actinide

MOX:

Mixed oxide

NMZ:

Neutron multiplier zone

OP:

Operation period

PWR:

Pressured water reactor

RZ:

Reflector zone

SZ:

Shielding zone

TBR:

Tritium breeding ratio

TBZ:

Tritium breeding zone

TF:

Transmutation fraction

TR:

Transmutation rate (kg/GWth year)

TRU :

Transuranium

TZ:

Transmutation zone

α:

Alpha particle

β:

Beta decay

\( \phi \) :

Neutron flux (n cm−2 s−1)

γ:

Capture

η:

Plant factor

λ:

Decay constant (1/year)

μ :

Volume fraction

ρ :

Density (g/cm3)

σ:

Microscopic cross-section (cm2)

Δt :

Discrete time interval

Φ:

Number of fusion neutron per second

Γ:

Peak-to-average fission power density ratio

a:

Absorption reaction

c:

Capture reaction

dep:

Depleted

f or F:

Fission

fuel:

Fuel

FP:

Long-lived fission product

fw:

First-wall

i :

Daughter nuclide

j :

Mother nuclide

j→i :

From j to i

Li2O:

Lithium oxide

MA:

Minor actinide

max:

Maximum

x :

Transmutation reaction type (one of a, c and f reactions or F)

eff:

Effective

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mühendislik Fakültesi, Erciyes Üniversitesi, 38039, Kayseri, Turkey

    Hüseyin Yapıcı, Nesrin Demir & Gamze Genç

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  1. Hüseyin Yapıcı
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  2. Nesrin Demir
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  3. Gamze Genç
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Correspondence to Hüseyin Yapıcı.

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Yapıcı, H., Demir, N. & Genç, G. Time-dependent Neutronic Analysis for High Level Waste Transmutation in a Fusion-driven Transmuter. J Fusion Energ 27, 206–215 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10894-007-9130-1

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