DOE Plutonium Disposition Study; Analysis of Existing ABB-CE Light Water Reactors for the Disposition of Weapons-Grade Plutonium: A Final Report

Various paginations (approximately 250 pages). Tables. Figures. Some notations on copy. This copy was reproduced by the National Technical Information Service. Under contract from the Department of Energy,m ABB-CE has been furthering the study of Light Water Reactors to dispose of mission quantities of excess weapons grade plutonium in existing reactors of ABB-CVE designs, irradiating the fuel to produce electric power, and discharging the spent fuel in a condition similar in activity to uranium-fueled LWR spent fuel. The ABB-CE has taken an initial look at the potential for existing ABB-CE reactors in operation in the U.S. of System 80 design and others, to carry out the specified plutonium disposition mission of rendering 50 Metric Tons (MT) of weapons-grade plutonium into the "Spent Fuel" condition, over the remaining lifetime of the reactor. An alternative mission of the disposal of 100 MT of weapons-grade plutonium was also considered. This is the study report. System 80 is a pressurized water reactor design by Combustion Engineering (which was subsequently bought by Asea Brown Boveri and eventually merged into the Westinghouse Electric Company). Three System 80 reactors were built at Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station. Combustion Engineering (C-E) was a multi-national American-based engineering firm and a leader in the development of nuclear steam supply power systems in the United States. C-E owned over three dozen other companies including Lummus Company, National Tank Company and the Morgan Door Company. Former workers have gone on to hold leadership positions in major engineering firms and governments around the world. T he company was acquired by Asea Brown Boveri in early 1990. The boiler and fossil fuel businesses were purchased by Alstom in 2000, and the nuclear business was purchased by Westinghouse Electric Company also in 2000. Reproduced copy from a three-hole punched original.…