Nuclear Engineering and Technology

Korean Nuclear Society (한국원자력학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

An optimization design study of producing transuranic nuclides in high flux reactor

  • Wei Xu (School of Nuclear Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Passive Safety Technology for Nuclear Energy, North China Electric Power University) ;
  • Jian Li (Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Nuclear Energy Technology, Key Laboratory of Advanced Reactor Engineering and Safety of Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University) ;
  • Jing Zhao (Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Nuclear Energy Technology, Key Laboratory of Advanced Reactor Engineering and Safety of Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University) ;
  • Ding She (Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Nuclear Energy Technology, Key Laboratory of Advanced Reactor Engineering and Safety of Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University) ;
  • Zhihong Liu (Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Nuclear Energy Technology, Key Laboratory of Advanced Reactor Engineering and Safety of Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University) ;
  • Heng Xie (Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Nuclear Energy Technology, Key Laboratory of Advanced Reactor Engineering and Safety of Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University) ;
  • Lei Shi (Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Nuclear Energy Technology, Key Laboratory of Advanced Reactor Engineering and Safety of Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University)
  • Received : 2022.11.27
  • Accepted : 2023.04.15
  • Published : 2023.08.25
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

Transuranic nuclides (such as 238Pu, 252Cf, 249Bk, etc.) have a wide range of application in industry, medicine, agriculture, and other fields. However, due to the complex conversion chain and remarkable fission losses in the process of transuranic nuclides production, the generation amounts are extremely low. High flux reactor with high neutron flux and flexible irradiation channels, is regarded as the promising candidate for producing transuranic nuclides. It is of great significance to increase the conversion ratio of transuranic nuclides, resulting in higher efficiency and better economy. In this paper, we perform an optimization design evaluation of producing transuranic nuclides in high flux reactor, which includes optimization design of irradiation target and influence study of reactor core loading. It is demonstrated that the production rate increases with appropriately determined target material and target structure. The target loading scheme in the irradiation channel also has a significant influence on the production of transuranic nuclides.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This work is supported by Young Elite Scientist Sponsorship Program by Beijing Association for Science and Technology (BAST) (No.BYESS2023083).

References

  1. C. Fry, M. Thoennessen, Discovery of isotopes of the transuranium elements with 93 Z 98, Atomic Data Nucl. Data Tables 99 (2013) 96-114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adt.2012.04.001
  2. P.B. Nuno, Applications of research reactors, Encyclopedia of Nuclear Energy 4 (2021) 8-25. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-819725-7.00110-0
  3. R.C. Martin, Production, distribution and application of Californium-252 neutron sources, Appl. Radiat. Isot. 53 (2000) 785-792. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0969-8043(00)00214-1
  4. S.M. Robinson, et al., Production of Cf-252 and other transplutonium isotopes at Oak ridge national laboratory, Radiochim. Acta: Int. J. Chem. Aspects.Nucl. Sci. Technol. 108 (9) (2020) 737-746.
  5. Y.A. Karelin, Y.G. Toporov, RIRA reactor produced radionuclides, Appl. Radiat. Isot. 49 (4) (1998) 299-304. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0969-8043(97)00041-9
  6. R.B. Benjamin, et al., Design optimization methods for high-performance research reactor core design, Nucl. Eng. Des. 352 (2019), 110167.
  7. P.K. Romano, F. Benoit, The OpenMC Monte Carlo particle transport code, Ann. Nucl. Energy 51 (2013) 274-281. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2012.06.040
  8. J. Li, D. She, et al., The NUIT code for nuclide inventory calculations, Ann. Nucl. Energy 148 (2020), 107690.
  9. H. Susan, et al., Increasing transcurium production efficiency through directed resonance shielding, Ann. Nucl. Energy 60 (2013).
  10. IAEA, Manual for Reactor Produced Radioisotopes, International Atomic Energy Agency, 2003. IAEA-TECDOC-1340.