Fusion-triggered Liquid-phased Transmutator Monitored and Controlled Real-time by CAN Laser and Gamma beamsA. Necas, T. Tajima, S. Gales, K. Hatfield, G. Mourou, M. Leroy, J. Tanner and the Entire TAE Team

TAE Technologies, Inc., 19631 Pauling, Foothill Ranch, CA 92610Motivation

A Scientific Journey from Wakefields to Astrophysics and Fusion: A Symposium in Honor of Toshiki Tajima, January 25 - 26, 2018 • University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA

S. Gales (2008)

Historical Flow and Confluence

Fission Accelerator Fusion Laser

OurTransmutator(2017)

Fermipile(1942)

Moltensaltreactor(1957)

ADSSubcriticalReactorC.Rubbia(1995)

BetatronDonKerst (1940)

Declassified(1956)

BeamstabilizedFRCRostoker (2012)

Invention(1960)

CANLaser(2013)

LaserComptonGamma(1990’s)

Simulating Our Transmutator

Compact, Safe, Mobile, LiquidTRANSMUTATOR

of Spent Nuclear WasteNuclear Wasteand FLiBe solutionIN

CAN laser andGamma beamsmonitors

Vary NUCLEAR WASTEconcentrationby laser monitor

Transmuted NuclearWaste chemicallyseparated andOUT

FRC Fusion Neutron generator

Neutral beams

FieldReversedConfiguration(FRC)Merge14MeVneutrongeneration

OurTransmutator (our“toiletscience”): ConceptualDesign• MAFissionxs >> neutroncapturexs forneutronenergy• Safe byLiquid solution-FLiBe (moltensaltwithveryhighboilingpt;passivesafetyvalve)

• Safe byreal-time monitor andcontrol (by laserandlaser Comptongamma)• Operationclosetooverallcriticality andyetsafe(criticalityvariedradiallybysegmentedtanks)

• Light burdenonFusionTrigger (flexibility,safety,compact,mobile,inexpensive)• LowenergyacceleratorforFusiontrigger(compactand cheap)• FusionFRCstabilized byaccelerator• à Confluenceofmanytechnologies:low-energyaccelerator-drivenFusion;fusion-triggeredfission;safeliquid-phasedMSR ;liquidMAmonitored/controlledrealtime bylaser;realtime chemicalseparation inliquid

r1

r2

Graphite

r3

r4

Tank2:FLiBe/Am-241

Tank1:FLiBe/Cm-243

Hastelloywall

Plasma

ThermalPowerGeneratedbyburningactinides=100MW

Dr

r1

r2

r3

r4

GEOMETRYDr=5cmr1=60cmr2=75cmr3=90cmr4=115cmTankaxiallength=10m

Fissionxs >> neutroncapturexs

Cro

ss s

ectio

n [b

arns

]

Neutron incident energy [MeV]

NEUTRONSOURCEPlasmaAxiallength=8mRadius=0.45mEnergy=14MeVSource@t=0

% by volume Initial Molar %Cm-243 Am-241 LiF BeF2 CmF3 AmF3

Tank 1 2% 0 63.2% 35.9% 0.9% 0.0

Tank 2 0 1% 63.5% 36.1% 0.0% 0.4%

Fusion neutronenergy ~14MeV

Keff

U, Pu (MOX)

PWR

U ore

enriched U

Pu recycling (Fr,J)

U,Pu precious fuel!!!Waste:- Fission products- 0.1% Pu- 100% Np, Am, Cm- Once-through

Pu recycling

- possibility of multirecycling

Reduction of final waste

Partition&TransmutationCurtesy:

S.Gales(2008)

Once-through case (US,Sw): No Recycling, geological repository

Nuclear Spent Fuel Radiotoxicity

Transmutation reduces radiotoxicity and heat

Mass depletion of Cm-243 Mass depletion of Am-241

Time [days] Time [days]

Mas

s [k

g]

Mas

s [k

g]

Burnup Results using MCNP/CINDER90 and MCNP/MURE