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A hybrid (γ, n) and (n, γ) transmutation study for long-lived fission products and thermal analysis of converter cooling system

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Abstract

The goal of this work is to optimize the hybrid (γ, n) and (n, γ) transmutation system of long-lived fission products (LLFPs), particularly cesium and technetium, to stable or short-lived nuclei based on an electron accelerator by MCNPX code. Photons and neutrons produced by the interaction of electrons with high atomic number materials create a mixed field. In this study, design parameters such as geometry, materials, target dimensions, and configurations have been optimized to enhance the intensity of mixed field to increase the transmutation rate based on (γ, n) and (n, γ) reactions simultaneously. We have designed a system that uses the photons produced to transmute cesium based on the 135Cs (γ, n) 134Cs and 137Cs (γ, n) 136Cs reactions, and the neutrons produced to transmute the technetium based on the 99Tc (n, γ) 100Tc reaction. Furthermore, we have analyzed the temperature of the converter and heat transfer under steady-state thermal (SST) using ANSYS software. The designed system using a duct with a hydraulic diameter of 1.5 cm and 2 m/s for cooling water inlet velocity provides a suitable cooling process with a maximum converter temperature of about 337 °C.

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Acknowledgements

The research was funded by the Research Council of Arak University, so the authors are grateful to the council.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Arak University, Arak, Iran

    Bahar Salajeghe & Reza Pourimani

  2. Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, Tehran, Iran

    Mostafa Hassanzadeh

Authors
  1. Bahar Salajeghe
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  2. Reza Pourimani
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  3. Mostafa Hassanzadeh
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Correspondence to Bahar Salajeghe.

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Salajeghe, B., Pourimani, R. & Hassanzadeh, M. A hybrid (γ, n) and (n, γ) transmutation study for long-lived fission products and thermal analysis of converter cooling system. Eur. Phys. J. Plus 137, 248 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-022-02484-2

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