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AGA: Arbeitsgruppe Physik und Abrüstung

AGA 7: Disposition of Excess Weapon Plutonium

AGA 7.3: Talk

Wednesday, March 18, 2015, 16:30–17:00, EMH 225

PRISM reactor: An Option for Plutonium Disposition? — •Sebastian Fehlinger, Friederike Frieß, and Moritz Kütt — IANUS, Technische Universität Darmstadt

The Power Reactor Innovative Small Module (PRISM) is sodium cooled fast reactor model. The energy output depends on the core configuration, however with an energy output of approximately 300 MWe, the PRISM reactor belongs to the class of small modular reactors.

Beside using the reactor as a breeder reactor or for the transmutation of nuclear waste, it might also be used as a burner reactor for separated plutonium. This includes for example U.S.-American excess weapon-grade plutonium as well as separated reactor-grade plutonium. Recently, there has been an ongoing discussion in GB to use the PRISM reactor to dispose their excess civilian plutonium.

Depending on the task, the core configuration varies slightly. We will present different layouts and the matching MCNP models, these models can then be used to conduct depletion calculations. From these results, analysis of the change in the plutonium isotopics in the spent fuel, the amount of fissioned plutonium, and the possible annual plutonium thoughputs is possible.