Proposal for an Experimental Fast ADS Using Th–Pu MOX Fuel for Higher Actinide Transmutation

Abstract

An experimental program to design and study external source-driven subcritical assembly has been initiated at BARC. This program is aimed at understanding neutronics of accelerator-driven system at low-power level. In this series, an experimental thermal subcritical core BRAHMMA driven by a D-D/D-T neutron generator has been developed. Various ADS-related technique development and experiments for flux measurement, reactivity measurement using PNS techniques, noise methods, etc., have been conducted using this thermal assembly. Following the successful implementation of BRAHMMA which is thermal assembly, low-power experimental fast ADS based on Th–Pu MOX fuel has been proposed for the next stage of ADS programme to study the issues related to higher actinide transmutation using ADS. Fast ADS is an excellent tool for waste transmutation and worldwide efforts are on to study such a system on low-power scale. However, most studies such as Guinevere (Belgium) have been limited to enriched uranium and lead system, whereas from Indian point of view, thorium–plutonium fast experimental ADS system is of direct interest not only from the point of view of waste transmutation but also for thorium utilization using ADS. Design concept and issues related to a Th–Pu MOX fast subcritical assembly driven by intense D-T neutron generator for mock-up studies of waste transmuter ADS will be discussed.