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One of the most important concerns for the nuclear energy is the radioactive waste management. Geological disposal is the solution of this problem. Nevertheless, a relaxation of the constraints on the geological disposal would be very welcome. This could be achieved thanks to the transmutation of minor actinides (Np, Am, Cm,...) and long lived fission products. MYRRHA will allow studying these phenomena. |
MYRRHA as an intense irradiation neutron source could also be used for nuclear fuel and material research for present day fission reactors (PWR, BWR) and the new generation reactors (Pb-cooled fast reactor, HTGR) presently called "Generation IV" reactors and for the fusion reactor.
The purpose of MYRRHA is to serve as a multipurpose irradiation facility for research to address:
- ADS technological demonstration
- Waste transmutation studies of minor actinides and long lived fission products
- Structural material studies for PWR, fusion and ADS type reactors
- Nuclear fuel behaviour studies for PWR, BWR and ADS type reactors
- Radioisotopes production for medical & industrial applications
- Proton beam applications
Taking into account the above catalogue of applications and the objective to put in service the facility around 2014-2015, the choice of MYRRHA components and parameters are as follows:
- A proton beam power of 1.5 MW (600 MeV * 2.5 mA)
- A windowless liquid Pb-Bi spallation target
- A sub-critical core (about 60 MW) made of MOX fuel with a plutonium content limited to 35 wt%, cooled with Pb-Bi and a Keff value of 0.95.