"GEM*STAR (Green Energy-Multiplier: Sub-critical, Thermal spectrum, Accelerator-driven, Recycling Reactor)"Bruce Vogelaar , Virginia Tech [Host: Blaine Norum]
ABSTRACT:
The world faces serious energy issues, and while nuclear energy could in principle address base-line needs, current methods intrinsically link it to proliferation, waste, high-construction cost, and safety issues.
Advances (as confirmed in the 2010 Department of Energy study) in accelerator technology (e.g. SRF at JLab) now allow neutrons to be reliably generated at low-enough cost that a reactor core with a critical mass of fissile material is no longer required. The combination obviates the historical incremental approach to nuclear energy being pursued in this country.
The GEM*STAR approach to such an Accelerator Driven System (ADS) thus intrinsically breaks the links to issues which have crippled the nuclear energy option. It does this by requiring: no enrichment, no reprocessing, no critical-mass on site; and providing far deeper burning with orders-of-magnitude less releasable radioactivity in its core and resulting in far less final waste. The project will demonstrate electricity cheaper than coal, and could beneficially utilize today's LWR spent fuel producing no additional waste. Results from the recent workshop on ADS (hosted by VT and JLab) along with the new report from the DOE will be presented. GEM*STAR is a project of ADNA Corp. and the Virginia GEM*STAR Consortium (VCU, VT, JLab, UVA). |
Colloquium Friday, November 5, 2010 4:00 PM Physics Building, Room 204 Note special time. Note special room. |
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