The Linear Accelerator Fuel Enricher Regenerator (LAFER) and Fission Product Transmutor (APEX)

Two major problems face the nuclear industry today; first is the long-term supply of fissile material and second is the disposal of long-lived fission product waste. The high energy proton linear accelerator can assist in the solution of each of these problems. High energy protons from the linear accelerator can interact with a molten lead target to produce spallation and evaporation neutrons. The neutrons can be absorbed in surrounding light water power reactor (LWR) fuel elements to produce fissile Pu-239 or U-233 fuel from fertile U-238 or Th-232 in-situ. A schematic of the target assembly for enriching PWR fuel elements is shown in Figure 1. The enriched fuel element is used in the LWR power reactor until reactivity is lost after which the element is regenerated in the linear accelerator target blanket assembly and then the element is once again fissioned in the power LWR. In this manner the natural uranium fuel resource can supply an expanded nuclear power reactor economy without the need for fuel reprocessing, which satisfies the administration's policy of non-proliferation. Furthermore, the amount of spent fuel elements for long-term disposal is reduced in proportion to the number of fuel regeneration cycles. The limiting factor is the burnup damage to the fuel cladding. A 300 ma-1.5 GeV (450 MW) proton linear accelerator can produce approximately one ton of fissile (Pu-239) material annually which is enough to supply fuel to three 1000 MW(e) LWR power reactors.