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Management of Commercially Generated Radioactive Waste - U.S. ...

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Reactors<br />

6.120<br />

-- ILWRl<br />

<strong>Waste</strong> Sources * Production, propulsion, Fuel Cycle<br />

I* Domestic Civilian<br />

and research<br />

LMFBR I<br />

u e<br />

U & Pu recycle cases<br />

SDomestic Defense HTGR Once-through cycle<br />

* Foreign * CANDU I(LWR)<br />

* Magnox<br />

* Pebble Bed<br />

STransmutation Neutron Sources<br />

Material to be Transmuted r t<br />

<strong>Waste</strong> Mixes„l<br />

Wraste e Mixes a* |<br />

--------<br />

Transuranic Actinides t<br />

LWR (light water reactors)<br />

LMFBR (liquid metal fast breeder reactors)<br />

* High-level waste from Purex process<br />

I r *<br />

T c<br />

1291<br />

Other fission reactors e.g., D20 moderated)<br />

Fusion reactors (Tokamak)<br />

* .90Sr137Cs Particle accelerators<br />

* Nuclear explosives<br />

Method <strong>of</strong> Recycling Actinides<br />

Terrestrial Disposal Options<br />

*<br />

*<br />

Homogenous dispersion in recycle MOX fuel<br />

Homogenous dispersion in all fuel<br />

*<br />

*<br />

Mined geologic<br />

Very deephole<br />

Subseabd<br />

N t e :<br />

o Option Classifications<br />

* Current Reference]<br />

* Target rods in an ordinary fuel assembly * Ice sheet Primary Alternative<br />

* Target rods in a target assembly * Island * Secondary Alternative<br />

* Targets for neutron sources * Etc.<br />

FIGURE 6.1.20. Major Options for a <strong>Waste</strong> Disposal<br />

Alternative Using Transmutation<br />

The reference concept was selected somewhat arbitrarily to be used as a basis for comparison<br />

and to help identify the impacts associated with a typical transmutation fuel cycle. If<br />

transmutation were selected as a candidate alternative for further research and development,<br />

considerable study would be required to optimize the available alternatives. Additional<br />

information concerning the advantages and disadvantages <strong>of</strong> the many process options is avail-<br />

able in sources listed in Appendix M.<br />

<strong>Waste</strong>-Type Compatibility<br />

Transmutation would be applicable to only those fuel cycles that involve the processing<br />

<strong>of</strong> irradiated nuclear fuel, e.g., the recycle <strong>of</strong> uranium and plutonium. In that context,<br />

transmutation would not apply to once-through fuel cycles. It could be used with both com-<br />

mercial and defense waste, although little work has been done concerning defense wastes.<br />

<strong>Waste</strong>-System Description<br />

The fuel cycle and process flow for the reference concept are shown in Figure 6.1.21.<br />

The cycle begins with the insertion <strong>of</strong> a reload <strong>of</strong> fuel into the reactor. The reload is<br />

two-thirds fresh enriched U02 and one-third recycle mixed oxide (MOX) fuel, which has all<br />

the waste actinides (i.e., neptunium and other transplutonics) homogeneously dispersed in it.

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