Transmutation of Actinides in CANDU Reactors B. Hyland G. Dyck A. Morreale R. Dworschak Outline • Introduction to CANDU reactors • Motivation for transmutation of actinides • Transmutation of actinides in CANDU – Group-extracted TRU in MOX – Separated Am/Cm in targets The CANDU Reactor On-power Fuelling Heavy Water Moderator – Good neutron economy Simple fuel bundle CANDU fuel channel 37-element bundle Motivation • Increase capacity of long-term geological disposal • YM final, total cost: $96 billion • Technical capacity limited by decay heat load What’s Contributing to the Heat Load? FP’s at short times Actinides at long times *Data for Russian VVER B.R. Bergelson, A.S. Gerasimov, and G.V. Tikhomirov Transmutation Scenarios • Two transmutation scenarios were examined • Group-extracted TRU in MOX • Separated Am/Cm in targets TRU MOX Scenario LWR, 45 MWd/kg •WIMS-AECL lattice cell calculations Cool 30 years •RFSP full-core calculations Group extraction •45 MWd/kg exit burnup for MOX MOX 30 year cooled SNF MOX Initial TRU Compostion, Initial TRU Content, 653 g/bundle g/kg initial TRU Initial TRU Content, 3.3% % by volume Pu-238 +163 13 Pu-239 -77 563 Pu-240 -1.8 201 Pu-241 +65 30 Pu-242 +176 38 Pu Total -39 845 Np Total -52 47 Am-241 -90 100 Am total -64 108 Cm total +3700 0.6 Total MA -45 155 Total TRU -40 1000 Change in actinide composition (%) at discharge burnup Decay Heat from Actinides MOX 200.0 180.0 Once through PWR without CANDU 160.0 140.0 t a e 120.0 h y a 100.0 c e d 80.0 % 60.0 40.0 20.0 0.0 10 100 1000 10000 100000 Time (years)