Accelerator driven, transuranic, gas cooled transmuter

摘要

A transuranic transmuter includes a sealable steel housing having a window to allow a beam of protons to enter the housing and strike a spallation target, thereby generating fast neutrons. Conductive tubes holding minor actinides are positioned within the housing and at a distance from the spallation target. A graphite block is positioned within the housing to interpose the minor actinides between the graphite block and the spallation target. Plutonium and toxic fission products are positioned in recesses formed within the graphite block. Upon exposure to fast neutrons from the spallation target, the minor actinides transmute by either fission or neutron capture reactions into one or more stable, less radiotoxic isotopes. Some neutrons from the target pass through the moderator and subsequently transmute the plutonium and the toxic fission products into one or more stable, less radiotoxic isotopes. <IMAGE>