Title: Estimation of plutonium produced in nuclear power reactors from the electricity generated

Authors: K.L. Ramakumar

Addresses: Department of Atomic Energy, Nuclear Controls & Planning Wing, Mumbai 400001, Maharashtra, India

Abstract: Estimation of burnup of nuclear fuel and of the amount of plutonium produced and its Pu-240 content in a typical nuclear power reactor is required for different nuclear information management purposes. Although time-consuming analytical methodologies are capable of giving accurate values (for example, mass spectrometry for post-irradiation examination), empirical computations do contribute for understanding of that information. Electricity generated in a nuclear reactor could be a good indicator for this purpose. It is shown that this empirical computation is better than taking recourse to name-plate capacity. The operating history of Calder Hall and Chapelcross nuclear power reactors in the UK was used to validate the empirical calculations. Reasonably reliable information on total quantity of plutonium, its Pu-240 content and the burnup could be estimated. Based on these empirical calculations, an attempt has been made to deduce the Pu-240 content in the nuclear weapon test carried out by the USA in 1962 using reactor grade plutonium.

Keywords: computations; empirical calculations; plutonium production; electricity generation; burnup; Pu-240 content; Calder Hall; Chapelcross reactor 1962 US nuclear weapons test.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNEST.2019.106053

International Journal of Nuclear Energy Science and Technology, 2019 Vol.13 No.4, pp.340 - 349

Received: 19 Jul 2019
Accepted: 20 Jan 2020
Published online: 26 Mar 2020 *

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