1 / 16

Proliferation Aspects of Plutonium Production in Nuclear Reactors

Proliferation Aspects of Plutonium Production in Nuclear Reactors. Dwight L. Williams, Ph.D., P.E. Martin Luther King Visiting Professor Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Overview. Introduction Reactor Isotopes of Interest Types of Plutonium

oni
Download Presentation

Proliferation Aspects of Plutonium Production in Nuclear Reactors

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Proliferation Aspects of Plutonium Production in Nuclear Reactors Dwight L. Williams, Ph.D., P.E. Martin Luther King Visiting ProfessorDepartment of Nuclear Science and EngineeringMassachusetts Institute of Technology

  2. Overview • Introduction • Reactor Isotopes of Interest • Types of Plutonium • Plutonium Production

  3. About the Speaker -- the “New Guy” • Education and Registration (Nuclear Engineering) • B.S., North Carolina State University (NCSU) • M.S., NCSU, Plasma Physics/Fusion • Ph.D. University of Maryland, Radionuclide Detection • P.E., Commonwealth of Virginia • Professional Experience • Nuclear Analyst, Prototype International Data Centre • Senior Nuclear Engineer, Department of Defense (DoD) • Chief Engineer/Principal Nuclear Physicist, DoD

  4. Introduction • Why knowledge of nuclear proliferation is useful within peaceful nuclear academic program • expands upon foundational knowledge • fosters effective nonproliferation and counterproliferation efforts • facilitates nuclear security planning • enables better public relations and perceptions to be cultivated

  5. Weapons Development Pathways

  6. Weapons Development Pathways

  7. Typical Reactor Isotopes of Interest • Plutonium (Pu-239) • product of natural and depleted uranium irradiation • one of many Pu isotopes generated • Uranium (U-235) • U-235 abundance customarily of 3 - 5% in reactors • Tritium (H-3) • product of heavy water irradiation • product of Li-6 and Li-7 irradiation • possible fission product

  8. Relevant Plutonium Isotopes • Pu-239: U-238 + n → U-239 → Np-239 → Pu-239 • most desirable for nuclear weapons use • Pu-240: Pu-239 + n → Pu-240 (if no fission) • neutron emitter/spontaneous fission • Pu-241: Pu-240 + n → Pu-241 • relatively strong gamma-ray emitter • Pu-238: U-235 or U-238 + n →→→ Pu-238 • generates heat from rapid decay

  9. Plutonium Isotope Properties • Notes, • Pu-241 decays into Am-241, an intense  emitter • Most even Pu isotopes (238, 240, etc.) decay by SF

  10. Production of Weapons Grade Pu • At least 94% Pu-239 • Typically generated in weeks to months in reactor • frequent refueling required for optimum production • separating isotopes is nontrivial effort • Typically affects power production

  11. Comparison of Plutonium Grades • In general, • Weapons Grade: < 7% Pu-240 • Reactor Grade: > 18% Pu-240

  12. Pu Isotopes as a Function of Burnup

  13. Pu Production in Various Reactors Pu in Fuel at 1000 MWd/MTU

  14. Estimated Pu in Fuel at Discharge

  15. Pu Production Rules of Thumb

  16. Conclusions • Roles exist for nuclear proliferation knowledge within peaceful nuclear program • Pu-239 is generated prolifically in reactors • Pu-239 is most useful isotope for weapons, but generating weapons grade plutonium (>94% Pu-239) is nontrivial • Typical power reactor operations are not conducive for weapons grade plutonium production

More Related