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ANS > Publications > Journals > Nuclear Technology > Volume 129 |
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A Novel Method for Energy Production Using 242mAm as a Nuclear Fuel Volume 129 · Number 3 · March 2000 · Pages 407-417 Technical Note · Fission Reactors  Yigal Ronen, Menashe Aboudy, Dror Regev ANS Store: Purchase Article A novel system for energy production is presented. This system has a modular composition of homogeneous reactors with H2O and 242mAm as a fuel. These reactors are spheres of 0.11-m radius and 1-MW(thermal) power and with a critical mass of 0.0201 kg of 242mAm. The advantages of homogeneous reactors are constant fuel reprocessing and constant refueling. As a result, there is a reduction of fission products, which improves the ratio of natural cooling to heat production with respect to a loss-of-control accident (LOCA) and other safety aspects. Homogeneous reactors also have a large negative temperature coefficient and small inherent excess reactivity during operation. The reactor concept we have presented for a very small, homogeneous reactor, further enhances the safety aspects in the case of a LOCA, because of a large surface-to-volume ratio. The improved safety, the simplicity, and the small volume should compensate for the use of an unconventional nuclear fuel. |
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