AbstractA design concept and the performance characteristics for a fusion transmutation of waste reactor (FTWR)—a sub-critical fast reactor driven by a tokamak fusion neutron source—are presented. The present design concept is based on nuclear, processing and fusion technologies that either exist or are at an advanced stage of development and on the existing tokamak plasma physics database. A FTWR, operating with keff⩽0.95 at a thermal power output of about 3 GW and with a fusion neutron source operating at Qp=1.5–2, could fission the transuranic content of about a hundred metric tons of spent nuclear fuel per full-power-year and would be self-sufficient in both electricity and tritium production. In equilibrium, a nuclear fleet consisting of Light Water Reactors (LWRs) and FTWRs in the electrical power ratio of 3/1 would reduce the actinides discharged from the LWRs in a once-through fuel cycle by 99.4% in the waste stream that must be stored in high-level waste repositories.
本摘要介绍了一种聚变嬗变反应堆（FTWR）的设计概念及其性能特征——这是一种由托卡马克聚变中子源驱动的次临界快堆。该设计概念基于现有或处于先进开发阶段的核技术、后处理技术和聚变技术，并依托现有的托卡马克等离子体物理数据库。一台FTWR在keff≤0.95、热功率约3 GW、聚变中子源Qp=1.5–2的运行条件下，每年可嬗变约一百公吨乏燃料中的超铀元素，并能在电力和氚生产方面实现自给自足。在平衡状态下，由轻水反应堆（LWR）和FTWR按3:1的电力比例组成的核能机群，可将一次通过式燃料循环中LWR产生的锕系元素排放量减少99.4%，从而显著降低需处置于高放废物库中的废物量。