Nuclear Waste Recycling: New Tech Reduces Lifespan & Generates Power

A new initiative at the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility is aiming to transform the handling of spent nuclear fuel. Supported by $8.17 million in grants from the DOE’s NEWTON (Nuclear Energy Waste Transmutation Optimized Now) programme, the projects seek to both generate additional carbon-free electricity and significantly reduce the longevity of radioactive waste.

Rethinking Nuclear Waste

Currently, unprocessed nuclear fuel remains hazardous for approximately 100,000 years. Researchers are developing Accelerator-Driven Systems (ADS) technology to “burn” the most dangerous components of this waste through a process called transmutation. This approach, supported by the NEWTON programme, represents a shift from viewing used nuclear fuel as a permanent liability to recognizing it as a potential recyclable resource.

Did You Know? The NEWTON programme’s goal is to enable the recycling of the entire US commercial nuclear fuel stockpile within the next 30 years.

How ADS Works

ADS technology utilizes a particle accelerator to fire high-energy protons at a target, such as liquid mercury. This process, called “spallation,” releases a flood of neutrons that interact with the long-lived isotopes present in nuclear waste. According to Rongli Geng, head of SRF Science & Technology at Jefferson Lab, this could shorten the storage requirement from 100,000 years to just 300 years.

Addressing Technical Challenges

Jefferson Lab is focusing on two key challenges to make ADS economically viable: improving accelerator efficiency and increasing power output. Traditional particle accelerators rely on expensive cryogenic cooling systems. The lab is pioneering a more cost-effective method by coating the interior of pure niobium cavities with tin, allowing them to operate at higher temperatures and utilize standard commercial cooling units.

The team is also developing spoke cavities to further enhance neutron spallation efficiency. Simultaneously, researchers are working to adapt magnetrons – the components found in microwave ovens – to generate the 10 megawatts of power needed for ADS.

Expert Insight: The adaptation of existing technologies, like magnetrons, and the collaboration with industry partners such as RadiaBeam, General Atomics, and Stellant Systems, suggests a deliberate strategy to accelerate the transition from research to practical application.

A significant hurdle in adapting magnetrons is ensuring the energy frequency precisely matches the accelerator cavity at 805 Megahertz. Researchers, in collaboration with Stellant Systems, are prototyping advanced magnetrons that can be combined to achieve the necessary power levels with maximum efficiency.

The heat generated by the process can also be harnessed to produce additional electricity for the grid.

Looking Ahead

If successful, these projects could offer an alternative to the long-debated need for permanent geological repositories for nuclear waste, potentially shifting the focus towards active reuse. However, Rongli Geng notes that the primary challenge remains translating current accelerator science into a technology ready for this specific application.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Accelerator-Driven Systems (ADS) technology?

ADS technology uses a particle accelerator to fire protons at a target, creating neutrons that interact with and transmute the hazardous components of nuclear waste.

How much funding is being allocated to these projects?

The projects are supported by $8.17 million in grants from the Department of Energy’s NEWTON programme.

What is the potential impact on the lifespan of nuclear waste?

Partitioning and recycling via ADS could reduce the radioactive lifespan of nuclear waste from approximately 100,000 years to just 300 years.

Could this technology fundamentally alter how we approach the long-term management of nuclear energy byproducts?