Evaluation of Proliferation Resistance of Plutonium Based on Decay Heat

Abstract

The present paper is prepared for the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Proliferation resistance of plutonium can be enhanced by increasing the decay heat of plutonium. For example, it can be enhanced by increasing the isotopic fraction of 238 Pu, which has the largest decay heat among plutonium isotopes. In the present paper, the proliferation resistance of plutonium was evaluated based on decay heat with a physical assessment model. New criteria were proposed to evaluate the proliferation resistance based on isotopic compositions of plutonium from the viewpoint of decay heat. The present criteria were applied to evaluate the proliferation resistance of plutonium produced in typical Light Water Reactor and Fast Breeder Reactor based on an evaluation function ''Attractiveness'' as case studies.

Feasibility study of the fast breeder reactor blanket as a target of plutonium denaturing and TRU transmutation for enhancement of the proliferation resistance and the actinide management in the future fuel cycle

“…Fig. 8 shows evaluation results of ATTR index of the blanket fuel during irradiation in FBR, satisfying the criterion proposed by Kimura et al (2011) to hinder the fission explosive device manufacturing by means of the decay heat. When the moderators were heterogeneously loaded into the blanket as described in section 3.1 and 3.2, namely 2.5 wt.% TRU doping ratio to UO 2 fuel.…”

“…In the term of technical difficulty, spontaneous neutron and radiation dose terms are omitted in the present paper because of the advanced level of the state technology, as same formula as the reference (Kimura et al, 2011). Fig.…”