Fusion Driven Transmutation of Transuranics in a Molten Salt

TL;DR

This paper explores a novel approach to transmuting transuranics in nuclear fuel using a fusion-driven neutron source combined with molten salt, enabling controllable, safe, and monitorable nuclear waste reduction with AI-assisted control strategies.

Contribution

It introduces a new system combining compact fusion neutron sources with molten salt reactors for transmutation, emphasizing controllability and AI-based operational strategies.

Findings

Feasibility of using laser-accelerated fusion neutrons for transmutation.

Potential for rapid feedback control in molten salt systems.

Integration of AI for spatial and operational management.

Abstract

A first set of computational studies of transmutation of spent nuclear fuel using compact tunable 14 MeV D-T fusion driven neutron sources is presenter. Where we study the controllability, time evolution, as well as effects of spatial distribution of the neutronics in the transmutation in the subcritical operations regime of a transmutator, in which our neutron sources are small, distributed, and can be monitored. Source neutrons are generated via beam-target fusion whereas a deuteron beam is created by laser irradiation of nanometric foils, through the Coherent Acceleration of Ions by Laser (CAIL) process, onto a tritium soaked target. This can be accomplished using relatively cheap fiber lasers terminating onto small scale targets which makes possible the use of multiple tunable and distributable neutron sources. This source is then combined with a molten salt core whose liquid state allows: homogeneity by mixing, safety, in-situ processing, and monitoring. Such a source and molten salt combination allows for the introduction of rapid feedback or feedforward control of the system's operation that have not previously been considered. This encourages an investigation with the aid of AI into new spatial and operation control strategies as done here.