Production of Pu-238 in Existing Commercial Reactors; PNNL Briefing for Pu-238 Production

Beschreibung

14 pages and 2 added pages (from separate Tritium briefing?). Color illustrations. Plutonium-238 (also known as Pu-238 or 238Pu) is a radioactive isotope of plutonium that has a half-life of 87.7 years. Plutonium-238 is a very powerful alpha emitter. This makes the plutonium-238 isotope suitable for usage in radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) and radioisotope heater units. Early in 1964 Mound scientists developed a different method of fabricating the weapon component that resulted in a production efficiency of around 98%. This made available the excess Savannah River Pu-238 production for Space Electric Power use in time to meet the needs of the SNAP-27 RTG, the Pioneer spacecraft, the Mars Landers, and navigation satellites. This briefing presents a production concept of replacing thimble plugs with targets with neptunium oxide. It recommends a feasibility be performed. The Defense Programs activity at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory assist in the Tritium program. A stable supply of tritium, which decays over time, is necessary to maintain the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile. This is done by the irradiation of tritium-producing burnable absorber rods (TPBARs) in a commercial nuclear power reactor. PNNL is the Design Agency for the TPBARs. In this role, PNNL provides the TPBAR design for each reactor operating cycle, assesses the performance of the TPBAR during and after each operating cycle, completes post-irradiation examinations on selected TPBARs, considers design changes to improve the performance or fabricability of the TPBARs, manages a multi-site demonstration and test program to collect performance information, and evaluates future design changes. PNNL also serves as a resource to support other Defense Program missions. PNNL draws on materials sciences, reactor operations, and tritium technology expertise to provide support capabilities. Included in this support is access to PNNL's Category 2 nuclear facility with new hot cells and glove boxes and the capability to work with a wide variety of nuclear materials. Briefing slides attached with paper clip Presumed First Edition, First printing thus.

Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers 75421

Verkäufer kontaktieren

Diesen Artikel melden

Bibliografische Details

Titel

Production of Pu-238 in Existing Commercial Reactors; PNNL Briefing for Pu-238 Production

Verlag

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA

Erscheinungsjahr

2013

Auflage

1. Auflage

Zustand

Good

Verkäuferkataloge

• Plutonium