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On the Burning of Plutonium Originating from Light Water Reactor Use in a Fast Molten Salt Reactor—A Neutron Physical Study

Author

Listed:
  • Bruno Merk

    (Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstrasse 400, Dresden 01328, Germany
    Center for Materials and Structure, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, Merseyside L69 3BX, UK)

  • Dzianis Litskevich

    (Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstrasse 400, Dresden 01328, Germany)

Abstract

An efficient burning of the plutonium produced during light water reactor (LWR) operation has the potential to significantly improve the sustainability indices of LWR operations. The work offers a comparison of the efficiency of Pu burning in different reactor configurations—a molten salt fast reactor, a LWR with mixed oxide (MOX) fuel, and a sodium cooled fast reactor. The calculations are performed using the HELIOS 2 code. All results are evaluated against the plutonium burning efficiency determined in the Consommation Accrue de Plutonium dans les Réacteurs à Neutrons RApides (CAPRA) project. The results are discussed with special view on the increased sustainability of LWR use in the case of successful avoidance of an accumulation of Pu which otherwise would have to be forwarded to a final disposal. A strategic discussion is given about the unavoidable plutonium production, the possibility to burn the plutonium to avoid a burden for the future generations which would have to be controlled.

Suggested Citation

  • Bruno Merk & Dzianis Litskevich, 2015. "On the Burning of Plutonium Originating from Light Water Reactor Use in a Fast Molten Salt Reactor—A Neutron Physical Study," Energies, MDPI, vol. 8(11), pages 1-16, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:8:y:2015:i:11:p:12328-12572:d:58357
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Bruno Merk & Dzianis Litskevich & Karl R. Whittle & Mark Bankhead & Richard J. Taylor & Dan Mathers, 2017. "On a Long Term Strategy for the Success of Nuclear Power," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-21, June.
    2. Bruno Merk & Anna Detkina & Dzianis Litskevich & Omid Noori-kalkhoran & Lakshay Jain & Gregory Cartland-Glover, 2022. "A HELIOS-Based Dynamic Salt Clean-Up Study Analysing the Effects of a Plutonium-Based Initial Core for iMAGINE," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(24), pages 1-17, December.

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