Transmutation of Zirconium-93 in High-flux Blanket of Fusion Neutron Source

Abstract

Amongst fission products discharged from a fission reactor, mainly iodine and technetium are considered as of primary concern. Their transmutation has been of high priority to reduce the long-term consequences of nuclear energy generation. So far little attention was given to radioactive ⁹³Zr, but its hazard appears to be rather substantial. The importance of ⁹³Zr transmutation is emphasized in the present paper. It is demonstrated that the fusion driven neutron source with high-flux blanket can be applied to transmute ⁹³Zr sufficiently and resolve the problem of its accumulation within the time period of several decades.

KEYWORDS:

• transmutation
• fission products
• fusion
• nuclear energy system
• zirconium-93
• thermonuclear reactions