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.

Material attractiveness evaluation of inert matrix fuel for nuclear security and non-proliferation

“…The heat content is identified as the amount of heat generation that can be obtained from a unit BCM of the target material. Target materials are categorized by heat content with thresholds of 15 and 80% of the doping fraction of 238 Pu to 239 Pu, which is characterized by its thermal effect on the behavior of explosive material (Pellaud, 2002;Kimura et al, 2011). The SFN is identified as the SFN in neutron/s from a unit BCM of target material.…”

“…Impacts on IMF utilization on the proliferation resistance including the intrinsic resistance against NED manufacturing by states have been discussed with weighting factors dependent on expert knowledge and experiences (Akie et al, 1994). The intrinsic resistance of plutonium for states has been studied in terms of the heat content and the spontaneous fission emission rate hindering nominal yield of NED (Kimura et al, 2011(Kimura et al, , 2012. The material attractiveness, the relative utility of nuclear material for an adversary to assemble a NED, enables a comprehensive evaluation of the intrinsic resistance of nuclear material and an interface analysis based on a simplified threat basis system response analysis in malicious NED manufacturing process composed of acquisition, processing and utilization phases (Bathke and Inoue, 2013).…”