TY - GEN
T1 - The effects of flux spectrum perturbation on transmutation of actinides
T2 - International Conference on the Physics of Reactors 2012: Advances in Reactor Physics, PHYSOR 2012
AU - Hogle, Susan
AU - Maldonado, G. Ivan
AU - Alexander, Charles
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - The research presented herein involves the optimization of transcurium isotope production in the High Flux Isotope Reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Due to the strong dependence of isotopic cross sections upon incoming neutron energy, the efficiency with which an isotope is transmuted is highly dependent upon the neutron flux energy spectrum and intensities. There are certain energy ranges in which the rate of fissions in feedstock materials can be minimized, relative to the rate of nonfission absorptions. Therefore, it is proposed that by perturbing the flux spectrum, it is possible to increase the production yield key isotopes for the heavy element research program, such as 249Bk and 252Cf, which are produced during a transmutation cycle, relative to the consumption of feedstock material. The optimization process is carried out by developing an iterative objective framework that involves problem definition, flux spectrum and cross-section analysis, simulated transmutation, and analysis of final yields and transmutation parameters. It is shown that it is possible to perturb the local flux spectrum in the transcurium target by perturbing the composition of the target. It is further shown that these perturbations can alter the target yields in a significant way, increasing the amount of 252Cf produced per feedstock consumption by over 8%. Future work is necessary to develop the optimization framework and to identify the necessary algorithms to update the problem definition based upon progress toward the production of the desired transcurium isotope.
AB - The research presented herein involves the optimization of transcurium isotope production in the High Flux Isotope Reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Due to the strong dependence of isotopic cross sections upon incoming neutron energy, the efficiency with which an isotope is transmuted is highly dependent upon the neutron flux energy spectrum and intensities. There are certain energy ranges in which the rate of fissions in feedstock materials can be minimized, relative to the rate of nonfission absorptions. Therefore, it is proposed that by perturbing the flux spectrum, it is possible to increase the production yield key isotopes for the heavy element research program, such as 249Bk and 252Cf, which are produced during a transmutation cycle, relative to the consumption of feedstock material. The optimization process is carried out by developing an iterative objective framework that involves problem definition, flux spectrum and cross-section analysis, simulated transmutation, and analysis of final yields and transmutation parameters. It is shown that it is possible to perturb the local flux spectrum in the transcurium target by perturbing the composition of the target. It is further shown that these perturbations can alter the target yields in a significant way, increasing the amount of 252Cf produced per feedstock consumption by over 8%. Future work is necessary to develop the optimization framework and to identify the necessary algorithms to update the problem definition based upon progress toward the production of the desired transcurium isotope.
KW - Isotope production
KW - Optimization
KW - Transcurium
KW - Transmutation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84870353232&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:84870353232
SN - 9781622763894
T3 - International Conference on the Physics of Reactors 2012, PHYSOR 2012: Advances in Reactor Physics
SP - 2373
EP - 2382
BT - International Conference on the Physics of Reactors 2012, PHYSOR 2012
Y2 - 15 April 2012 through 20 April 2012
ER -