Proposal of a plutonium burner system based on HTGR with high proliferation resistance

Fukaya, Y.; Goto, Minoru; Ohashi, Hirofumi; Tachibana, Yukio; Kunitomi, Kazuhiko; Chiba, Satoshi

doi:10.1080/00223131.2014.905803

Cited by 17 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 17 publications

(21 reference statements)

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“…The process converting the TRISO fuel particle to the IMF kernel will need complex mechanical and combustion processes because the IMF kernel is protected by chemically inert and robust ceramics layers (Takei et al, 2003). And the plutonium extraction process from IMF kernel needs dissolution in nitric acid solution as well as irradiate fuels and will be difficult in the conventional PUREX process as the dissolution experiment of the IMF shows zirconium which is a host phase of plutonium dissolved only 2% even in concentrated nitric acid solution in 3 days (Fukaya et al, 2014). Then IMF will be quite difficult to extract plutonium completely even in several months and its conversion time should be greater than 3 months which is the conversion time estimated for the irradiated fuel.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The IMF composed of a stable solid solution of TRU oxide and yttria stabilized zirconia in fluorite-type crystal structure is difficult to extract plutonium from that because of its specific crystal structure (Fukaya et al, 2014). Theft and diversion of nuclear material to produce the nuclear explosive device (NED) is one of the most significant threats in nuclear security and non-proliferation, respectively.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Aoki

Sagara

Han

2019

Annals of Nuclear Energy

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The impacts of chemical stability of inert-matrix-fuel (IMF) on the material attractiveness for states and non-state actors were evaluated in an open transuranic fuel cycle employing high temperature gas cooled reactors. The methodology for material attractiveness evaluation was developed to assess material attractiveness for states and treat IMF which is chemically inert for nitric acid solution. The material attractiveness was relatively assessed with physical properties of material in each of three discrete phases in the development of a nuclear explosive device. The material attractiveness assessment for non-state actors revealed that the non-irradiated TRISO fuel particle and IMF kernel for high temperature gas cooled reactors and the non-irradiated mixed oxide fuel (MOX) powder for MOX light water reactors were the most vulnerable targets in each fuel cycles. The TRISO fuel particle and IMF kernel would have less material attractiveness than the MOX powder because of their greater processing time and complexity. The material attractiveness assessment for states aiming concealed diversion revealed that the TRISO fuel particle and IMF kernel have less material attractiveness than the MOX powder, and are regarded as irradiated uranium fuel grade in the material attractiveness.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Aoki

Sagara

Han

2019

Annals of Nuclear Energy

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“…TRU elimination was also analysed in Generation IV reactors, such as lead-cooled fast reactor [5], sodium-cooled fast reactor [24], high temperature gas-cooled reactor [25], and molten salt reactor [26,27]. Fast-spectrum reactors possess an advantage in term of high neutron energy which allows the fission of various TRU elements.…”

Section: Introduction mentioning

confidence: 99%

Transmutation of Transuranic Elements as Solid Coating in Molten Salt Reactor Fuel Channel

Dwijayanto,

Miftasani,

Harto

2023

Tri Dasa Mega

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The accumulation of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) is presently considered as a hindrance of the massive deployment of nuclear power plant, especially regarding the transuranic (TRU) elements. Eliminating TRU through transmutation is one of the most feasible alternative as a technical solution to solve the issue. This study explores the possibility of TRU transmutation using molten salt reactor (MSR) in a heterogeneous configuration, where a solid TRU is coated inside the fuel channel filled with liquid salt fuel. Such configuration is proposed to allow higher TRU loading into fluoride salt mixture without compromising the safety of the reactor. TRU coating was applied in consecutively outward radial fuel channel layers with coating thicknesses of 2.5 mm and 5 mm. Calculation was performed using MCNP6.2 radiation transport code and ENDF/B-VII.0 neutron cross section library. From the results, TRU coating with smaller thickness and positioned closer to the centre of the core exhibit higher transmutation efficiency due to exposure to higher neutron flux. Highest transmutation efficiency was achieved at 67.93% after 160 days of burnup. This shows a potential of achieving highly efficient TRU using heterogeneous configuration in MSR core.

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“…Furthermore, plutonium (Pu)-burner HTGR is proposed to reduce Pu inventory by combustion using the inherently safe HTGR as focused on a super-safe nuclear system after the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident . In order to burn plutonium efficiently and in large quantities, Pu-burner HTGR targets a burnup of 10 times or more than that of ordinary uranium fuel of 500 GWd/thm (Fukaya, 2014). In addition, TRISO-CFP fabrication also had been confirmed to be high-reliability, i.e., 1/100 times smaller damage ratio over the conventional TRISO-CFP fabrication, through HTTR operation (Ueta, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Research and development on high burnup HTGR fuels in JAEA

Ueta

Mizuta

Sasaki

et al. 2020

Mechanical Engineering Journal

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JAEA has been progressing to design HTGR fuels for not only small-type practical HTGRs but also VHTR proposed in GIF which can be utilized for various purposes with high-temperature heat at 750 to 950 °C. To increase economy of these HTGRs, JAEA has been upgrading the design method for the HTGR fuel, which can maintain their integrities at the burnup of three to four times higher than that of the conventional HTTR fuel. Design principles and specifications of various concepts of the high burnup HTGR fuels designed by JAEA are reported. As the latest results on post-irradiation examinations of the high burnup HTGR fuel progressing in a framework of international collaboration with Kazakhstan, irradiation shrinkage rate of the fuel compact as a function of fast neutron fluence was obtained at around 100 GWd/thm. Furthermore, the future R&Ds needed for the high burnup HTGR fuel are described based on these experimental results.

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Proposal of a plutonium burner system based on HTGR with high proliferation resistance

Cited by 17 publications

References 17 publications

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

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

Transmutation of Transuranic Elements as Solid Coating in Molten Salt Reactor Fuel Channel

Research and development on high burnup HTGR fuels in JAEA

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