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I failed physics but, in theory if you could keep pouring neutrons into fissile material, couldn't you lower the amount of nuclear fuel required to achieve crit
by elif 7y ago
I failed physics but, in theory if you could keep pouring neutrons into fissile material, couldn't you lower the amount of nuclear fuel required to achieve critical mass (which is bound by the rate of neutron loss)?
Wouldn't this basically boost mpg and/or increase safety of reactors?
- Enginerrrd 7y agoI believe there are some newer theoretical reactor designs based around this concept! In essence, they are designed such that the fuel is not in itself capable of sustaining a chain reaction. It is only with the active addition of neutrons that you can get the fission reaction underway. So if you halt that supply of neutrons from the neutron generator, the reaction dies off, greatly enhancing passive safety.
- petschge 7y agoThe mpg of reactors (or rather the burnup) is measured by the energy extracted from the primary fuel. In practice that is not limited by neutron flux, but by accumulation of gaseous fission products inside the fuel or the cladding. They do not get any better when you supply external neutron flux. Other, secondary concerns such as the fact that you need to leave the fuel in the ractor for a long time inside the reactor, which leaves a lot of time for corrosion to take place might be reduced. But in the end it is rather costly to produce neutrons with non-nuclear means on the outside.