Assessment of the possibility for large-scale 238Pu production in a VVER-1000 power reactor
The paper presents the estimates for the possibility for large-scale production of 238Pu in the core of a VVER-1000 power reactor. The Np-fraction of minor actinides extracted from transuranic radioactive waste is proposed to be used as the starting material. The irradiation device with NpO2 fuel el...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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National Research Nuclear University (MEPhI)
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Nuclear Energy and Technology |
| Online Access: | https://nucet.pensoft.net/article/117199/download/pdf/ |
| _version_ | 1797378200409473024 |
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| author | Anatoly N. Shmelev Nikolay I. Geraskin Vladimir A. Apse Gennady G. Kulikov Evgeny G. Kulikov Vasily B. Glebov |
| author_facet | Anatoly N. Shmelev Nikolay I. Geraskin Vladimir A. Apse Gennady G. Kulikov Evgeny G. Kulikov Vasily B. Glebov |
| author_sort | Anatoly N. Shmelev |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The paper presents the estimates for the possibility for large-scale production of 238Pu in the core of a VVER-1000 power reactor. The Np-fraction of minor actinides extracted from transuranic radioactive waste is proposed to be used as the starting material. The irradiation device with NpO2 fuel elements is installed at the reactor core center. The NpO2 fuel lattice pitch is varied and the irradiation device is surrounded by a heavy moderator layer to create the best possible spectral conditions for large-scale production (~ 3 kg/year) of conditioned plutonium with the required isotopic composition (not less than 85% of 238Pu and not more than 2 ppm of 236Pu). Plutonium with such isotopic composition can be used as the thermal source in thermoelectric radioisotope generators and in cardiac pacemakers. It has been demonstrated that the estimated scale of the 238Pu production in a VVER-type power reactor exceeds considerably the existing scale of its production in research reactors. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:04:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ae7ad549faae4fd59d89f88511b12255 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2452-3038 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:04:18Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | National Research Nuclear University (MEPhI) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nuclear Energy and Technology |
| spelling | doaj.art-ae7ad549faae4fd59d89f88511b122552023-12-23T11:00:08ZengNational Research Nuclear University (MEPhI)Nuclear Energy and Technology2452-30382023-12-019429730110.3897/nucet.9.117199117199Assessment of the possibility for large-scale 238Pu production in a VVER-1000 power reactorAnatoly N. Shmelev0Nikolay I. Geraskin1Vladimir A. Apse2Gennady G. Kulikov3Evgeny G. Kulikov4Vasily B. Glebov5MEPhIMEPhIMEPhIState Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOMState Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOMMEPhIThe paper presents the estimates for the possibility for large-scale production of 238Pu in the core of a VVER-1000 power reactor. The Np-fraction of minor actinides extracted from transuranic radioactive waste is proposed to be used as the starting material. The irradiation device with NpO2 fuel elements is installed at the reactor core center. The NpO2 fuel lattice pitch is varied and the irradiation device is surrounded by a heavy moderator layer to create the best possible spectral conditions for large-scale production (~ 3 kg/year) of conditioned plutonium with the required isotopic composition (not less than 85% of 238Pu and not more than 2 ppm of 236Pu). Plutonium with such isotopic composition can be used as the thermal source in thermoelectric radioisotope generators and in cardiac pacemakers. It has been demonstrated that the estimated scale of the 238Pu production in a VVER-type power reactor exceeds considerably the existing scale of its production in research reactors.https://nucet.pensoft.net/article/117199/download/pdf/ |
| spellingShingle | Anatoly N. Shmelev Nikolay I. Geraskin Vladimir A. Apse Gennady G. Kulikov Evgeny G. Kulikov Vasily B. Glebov Assessment of the possibility for large-scale 238Pu production in a VVER-1000 power reactor Nuclear Energy and Technology |
| title | Assessment of the possibility for large-scale 238Pu production in a VVER-1000 power reactor |
| title_full | Assessment of the possibility for large-scale 238Pu production in a VVER-1000 power reactor |
| title_fullStr | Assessment of the possibility for large-scale 238Pu production in a VVER-1000 power reactor |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessment of the possibility for large-scale 238Pu production in a VVER-1000 power reactor |
| title_short | Assessment of the possibility for large-scale 238Pu production in a VVER-1000 power reactor |
| title_sort | assessment of the possibility for large scale 238pu production in a vver 1000 power reactor |
| url | https://nucet.pensoft.net/article/117199/download/pdf/ |
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