Los Alamos and Oak Ridge National Laboratories are investigating the accelerator-based conversion (ABC) concept, one of several U.S. Department of Energy efforts to define and assess plutonium disposition technologies. The ABC concept uses an accelerator-driven, fluid-fuel blanket, operating subcriticality, to achieve near-total destruction of {sup 239}Pu ...
Energy Citations Database
A Molten-Salt Reactor Program for power applications was initiated at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 1956. In 1965 the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) went critical and was successfully operated for several years. Operation of the MSRE reveale...
National Technical Information Service (NTIS)
An accelerator-based conversion (ABC) system is presented that is capable of rapidly burning plutonium in a low-inventory sub-critical system. The system also returns fission power to the grid and transmutes troublesome long-lived fission products to short lived or stable products. Higher actinides are totally fissioned. The system is suited not only to ...
The detailed analysis of the few parameters important for the safety of the accelerator-driven plutonium burner concept developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory was performed. The plutonium load, optimal thermalization of the neutron spectrum and temperature reactivity coefficients were investigated. The calculations revealed the strong positive ...
In preparation for and in support of a detailed R and D Plan for the Accelerator-Based Conversion (ABC) of weapons plutonium, an ABC Plant Layout Study was conducted at the level of a pre-conceptual engineering design. The plant layout is based on an adaptation of the Molten-Salt Breeder Reactor (MSBR) detailed conceptual design that was completed in the ...
Accelerator-base systems are described that can eliminate long-lived nuclear materials. The impact of these systems on global issues relating to plutonium minimization and nuclear waste disposal can be significant. An overview of the components that comprise these systems is given, along with discussion of technology development status and needs. A ...
The Secretary of Energy requested the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Committee on International Security and Arms Control to evaluate disposition options for weapons-grade plutonium. The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory offered to assist the NAS in this evaluation by investigating the technical aspects of the disposition options and their capability for achieving high ...
Accelerator-driven transmutation technology (ADTT) refers to a concept for a system that uses a blanket assembly driven by a source of neutrons produced when high-energy protons from an accelerator strike a heavy metal target. One application for such a system is called Accelerator-Based Plutonium Conversion, or ABC. Currently, the ...
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
The prediction of materials lifetime in the preconceptual Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Accelerator-Based Conversion of Plutonium (ABC) is of utmost interest. Because Hastelloy N showed good corrosion resistance to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Molten Salt Reactor Experiment fuel salt that is similar to the LANL ABC fuel ...
DOE Information Bridge
Accelerator-Driven Transmutation Technology, or ADT{sup 2}, is a collection of programs that share a common theme - they each have at their heart an intense source of neutrons generated by a high-energy proton beam striking a heavy metal target. The beam energy, typically 1000 MeV, is enough for a single proton to smash a target atom into atomic fragments. This so-called spallation process ...
A large proportion of the trifluoride of plutonium can be converted, in the absence of hydrogen fluoride, to the tetrafiuoride of plutonium. This is done by heating plutonium trifluoride with oxygen at temperatures between 250 and 900 deg C. The trifiuoride of plutonium reacts with oxygen to form ...
DOEpatents
The plutonium stabilization program at the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) includes conversion of acidic plutonium nitrate solution into plutonium oxide. Conversion is facilitated through use of a vertical calciner installed in Glovebox HC-23OC-2, which i...
... Abstract : DIRECT OXIDE REDUCTION (DOR) IS USED IN PLUTONIUM PROCESSING FOR CONVERSION OF PLUTONIUM OXIDE TO METAL. ...
DTIC Science & Technology
Plutonium(III), (IV), and (VI) carbonate; plutonium(III) fluoride; plutonium(III) and (IV) oxalate; and plutonium(IV) and (VI) hydroxide precipitation methods were evaluated for conversion of plutonium nitrate anion-exchange eluate to a solid, and compared with the current ...
The plutonium based fuel fabrication requires the conversion of the plutonium nitrate solution from nuclear fuel reprocessing into pure PuO2. The conversion method based on the precipitation of plutonium (III) oxalate and subsequent calcination has been s...
An accurate, simplified expression relating Pu conversion to exposure, was found which could be substituted for the lengthy subroutine used to calculate conversions in the Process Optimization Program.
This is the final report of a one-year Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). This project investigated separations technology development needed for accelerator-driven transmutation technology (ADTT) concepts, particularly those associated with plutonium disposition (accelerator-based ...
A Molten-Salt Reactor Program for power applications was initiated at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 1956. In 1965 the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) went critical and was successfully operated for several years. Operation of the MSRE revealed two deficiencies in the Hastelloy N alloy that had been developed specifically for molten-salt systems. The alloy embrittled at elevated ...
A Molten-Salt Reactor Program for civilian power applications was initiated at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 1956. In 1965 the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) went critical and was successfully operated for several years. Operation of the MSRE revealed two deficiencies in the Hastelloy N alloy that had been developed specifically for molten-salt systems. The alloy embrittled at ...
The Plutonium Immobilization Plant (PIP) accepts plutonium (Pu) from pit conversion and from non-pit sources and, through a glass immobilization process, converts the plutonium into an immobilized form that can be disposed of in a high level waste (HLW) repository. The objective is to make an immobilized form, ...
This standard establishes requirements for control of nuclear material in conversion facilities. The basic materials to be converted include yellow cake or similar crude uranium compounds, uranium or plutonium oxides or nitrate, or uranium hexafluoride. The products of a conversion process include uranium hexafluoride, uranium or ...
An assessment was performed to show the impact on airborne release fraction, respirable fraction, dose conversion factor and dose consequences of postulated accidents at the Plutonium Finishing Plant involving uranium dioxide rather than plutonium dioxide.
When coupled with the spallation process in appropriate target materials, high-power accelerators can be used to produce large numbers of neutrons, thus providing an alternate method to the use of nuclear reactors for this purpose. Spallation offers exciting new possibilities for generating intense neutron fluxes for a variety of applications, including: (a) spallation-neutron sources for ...
...conversion of UO3 to UO2, conversion of uranium oxides to UF4 or UF6, conversion of...performed by first dissolving the ore in nitric acid and extracting purified uranyl...the conversion of plutonium nitrate to oxide. The main functions involved...
Code of Federal Regulations, 2011
The Department of Energy's Plutonium Materials Conversion Program for Russia is designed to assist Russia in defining a path for the destruction of weapons grade plutonium. A similar program is currently defining a program for destruction of US weapons grade plutonium. These two sister programs arose from the ...
This report describes a screw calciner direct-denitration process for converting plutonium nitrate to plutonium oxide. The information should be used when making comparisons of alternative plutonium nitrate-to-oxide conversion processes or as a basis for further detailed studies. The report contains process flow ...
A process is presented for converting plutonium oxalate to other plutonium compounds by a dry conversion method. According to the process, lower valence plutonium oxalate is heated in the presence of a vapor of a volatile non- oxygenated monobasic acid, such as HCl or HF. For example, in order to produce ...
Pilot plant studies indicate that a slurry calcination process for conversion of uranium and plutonium solutions to a mixed oxide powder can be operated at a plant scale. (ERA citation 05:036053)
Estimates were made for occupational exposure associated with operation of two commercial scale production plant models, one a plutonium conversion plant and the other a mixed oxide fuel fabrication plant. The estimates were made by visualizing production...
... uranium enrichment and plutonium reprocessing facilities; conversion of nuclear ... leadership and control over the international nuclear fuel cycle as ...
The effect of a partial plutonium conversion on the equilibrium concentration was theoretically investigated. The increase of the multiplication factor in partial Pu conversion with respect to the value for the total conversion was calculated as a function of the separation coefficient. The optimum ...
A description is given of the process and equipment for the continuous conversion of plutonium nitrate to tetrafluoride powder for reduction to Pu metal. The conversion involves oxalate precipitation, filtration, calcination, and hydrofluorination. Typical results are described; the product is a free-flowing PuF/sub 4/ ...
...is performed by reduction with hydrogen...of the chemical process industry. For example...plutonium conversion processes, items of equipment...plutonium nitrate to oxide. The main functions involved in this process are: process feed...metal), metal reduction (e.g.,...
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010
Faced with a backlog of nuclear waste and weapons plutonium, as well as an ever-increasing public concern about safety and environmental issues associated with conventional nuclear reactors, many countries are studying new, accelerator-driven technologies that hold the promise of providing safe and effective solutions to these problems. Proposed projects include accelerator ...
The Plutonium Immobilization Plant (PIP) accepts plutonium (Pu) from pit conversion and from non-pit sources and, through a glass immobilization process, converts the plutonium into an immobilized form that can be disposed of in a high level waste (HLW) repository. This immobilization process is shown conceptually ...
The report looks at basic ways of converting surplus weapons grade plutonium to MOX fuel for fast and light-water reactors. The authors give results of research under standard conditions on the physicochemical and technological characteristics of plutonium and uranium-plutonium dioxides produced by different process arrangements. A ...
Results of studies of the known parameters for direct calcination of plutonium nitrate in an agitated bed and conversion of PuO/sub 2/ to PuCl/sub 3/ by fluid bed processes are presented. A description of the processes and the demonstration equipment is included. The study of variables is discussed along with the parameters and plans for ...
The conversion of plutonium halides from plutonium peroxide can be done by washing the peroxide with hydrogen peroxide, drying the peroxide, passing a dry gaseous hydrohalide over the surface of the peroxide at a temperature of about lOO icient laborato C until the reaction rate has stabillzed, and then ralsing the reaction ...
This design-only conceptual design report was prepared to support a funding request by the Department of Energy Office of Fissile Materials Disposition for engineering and design of the Plutonium Immobilization Plant, which will be used to immobilize up to 50 tonnes of surplus plutonium. The Plutonium Immobilization Plant will be ...
This design-only conceptual design report was prepared to support a funding request by the Department of Energy Office of Fissile Materials Disposition for engineering and design of the Plutonium Immobilization Plant, which will be used to immobilize up to 50 tonnes of surplus plutonium. The siting for the Plutonium Immobilization ...
In the present research project the goal was first to develop further a pressure dissolution process for plutonium dioxide that had already proved successful, with the aid of making greater throughputs possible. The next objective was to find a possibilit...
Pyrometallurgical methods studied are liquation, self-drossing and filtration, slagging by the addition of oxide, carbide, or halide, liquid metal extraction, complete conversion to halide, followed by filtration and selective reduction of the plutonium, and electrorefininng. Experimental techniques and results are presented for each method. (auth)
This study described the general safeguards characteristics of a material measurement system and then describes typical accounting systems for a fuel reprocessing plant, a plutonium nitrate to oxide conversion facility, a LWR mixed oxide fuel fabrication ...
The purpose of this analysis is to determine the field screening countrate conversion and limitation values required when analyzing soil samples to determine if there are criticality concerns, potentially transuranic waste (TRU) quantities of plutonium pr...
This manual provides a list of the quantities of plutonium and plutonium isotope formation. Other isotopes whose concentrations are important and included in this report are U-236 buildup, U-235 burnout, U burnout, Np-237 build-up, GVR (the Gas Volume Rat...
This paper describes the interim storage of plutonium oxide after its conversion from plutonium nitrate and before fabrication into fuel elements. The capacity of the store is 3 tons Pu. A description of the major handling, criticality, maintenance and ph...
Rocky Flats Plant has received a contract from the Savannah River Operations Office of the U.S. Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) to critically analyze and evaluate existing technology for converting plutonium nitrate to plutonium oxide, and to recommend improved flow sheets and equipment for this process. Information will be provided ...
