Utilisation and Reliability of High Power Proton Accelerators
Workshop Proceedings, Daejeon, Republic of Korea, 16-19 May 2004
Accelerator-driven systems (ADS) are being considered for their potential use in the transmutation of radioactive waste. The performance of such hybrid nuclear systems depends to a large extent on the specification and reliability of high power accelerators, as well as the integration of the accelerator with spallation targets and sub-critical systems. At present, much R&D work is still required in order to demonstrate the desired capability of the system as a whole.
Accelerator scientists and reactor physicists from around the world gathered at an NEA workshop to discuss issues of common interest and to present the most recent achievements in their research. Discussions focused on accelerator reliability; target, window and coolant technology; sub-critical system design and ADS simulations; safety and control of ADS; and ADS experiments and test facilities. These proceedings contain the technical papers presented at the workshop as well as summaries of the working group discussions held. They will be of particular interest to scientists working on ADS development as well as on radioactive waste management issues in general.
On the Supplementary Feedback Effect Specific for Accelerator-Coupled Systems ACS
Agence pour l'Energie Nucléaire
In this work a new approach to the realisation of an accelerator-coupled hybrid system (ACS) is proposed. A significant improvement of the feedback effect due to the particularities of the neutron production in a spallation target is expected. In the present study, we explain the principles of system functioning as well as the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed concept. The quantitative analysis of the innovative ACS operation is based on a generalised point kinetics approach. In the framework of this simplified model, we show that the particular dependence of the spallation neutron yield allows for the creation of a supplementary negative feedback effect (Doppler-like). Implementation of this concept should compensate, to some extent, the eventual feedback degradation in the cores dedicated to the transmutation of nuclear waste.