(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009-10-16)
Stacey, Weston M.
Over the past decade the group at Georgia Tech has examined (Refs. 1-16) the application of a tokamak D-T fusion neutron source, based (insofar as possible) on the physics and technology of ITER, that could drive a sub-critical fast transmutation (burner) reactor fueled with the transuranics (TRU) from spent nuclear fuel (SNF). The purpose of such a reactor would be to stabilize the accumulation of spent fuel being discharged from LWRs by fissioning the TRU in SNF to significantly reduce the number of high-level-waste storage repositories required. Both gas-cooled reactors operating on a "burn and bury" non-reprocessing fuel cycle with TRISO TRU fuel (GCFTR) and liquid metal cooled reactors (SABR, FTWR) operating on a “reprocessing” fuel cycle with TRU metallic fuel have been considered, all driven by essentially the same tokamak neutron source. Determination of the required neutron source parameters for the SABR design is discussed here.