Re:Turning nuclear waste into diamond batteries
by sylware on Sunday April 24, 2022 @11:21AM
(#31144865)
It seems there is a difference between "fast-neutron" reactors and breeder reactors: the article states that russian BN-600 and BN-800 are "fast-neutron" reactors but not in "breeder" mode.
Since I am garbage in nuclear physics, I am wondering if those "fast-neutron" reactors "but not breeders" can reuse a significant part of current nuclear waste?
Re:Turning nuclear waste into diamond batteries
by natmaka on Monday April 25, 2022 @01:01AM
(#31150888)
I'm not a specialist. If I understand correctly "breeder mode" depends upon fuel composition (which actinide/isotope, in which proportion...). Non 'fast-neutron' mode is dubbed 'thermal' and seems less interesting as it obtains less energy (however some fuel, such as thorium, may enhance its performance), however it has benefits (less difficult to design/build/exploit(?)).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast-neutron_reactor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal-neutron_reactor
To this day there is no such reactor working industrially satisfactorily.
This architecture has been, for all practical purposes, abandoned by nearly all countries that were researching and developing it. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breeder_reactor#Future_plants
One of the most (if not the most) ambitious project was Superphénix, costed billions and failed flat. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superph%C3%A9nix
The most successful was Russia's BN-800 but "problems ((...)) indicated a redesign was needed", and construction of it's successor (the BN-1200) was put on indefinite hold. Problems related to cost and process/security seem quite difficult(?) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BN-1200_reactor
Russians are back to the drawing board. The sole officially actively pursued (since 2021) pertinent design, BREST-OD-300 ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BREST_(reactor) ) will only (when completed, if ever) be a demonstrator (low power).
French ahead: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surg%C3%A9n%C3%A9ration