Future Trend Toward the Ultimate Goal of Radwaste-Free Fusion: Feasibility of Recycling/Clearance, Avoiding Geological Disposal

摘要

Electricity generating plants powered by fusion have long been envisioned as possessing inherent advantages for enhanced safety and benign environmental impact over the presently used fuels. However, fusion power plant designs developed to date tend to generate a sizable amount of mildly radioactive materials, compared to fission reactors. Proper handling of the anticipated quantities of activated materials is important to the future of fusion energy. The problem of handling such materials has been overlooked in many past fusion studies and/or relegated to the back-end as only a disposal issue. In fact, the geological disposal is not an environmentally attractive option. Here, we propose an integrated management strategy that can handle the sizable, mildly activated fusion materials and minimize the radwaste burden for future generations. More specifically, we propose recycling and clearing the majority of fusion activated materials, if technically and economically feasible, and avoiding the geological disposal option. Demo and power plant designs should consider recycling and clearance as much as practically possible. Internationally, numerous fission industries are currently developing advanced techniques for spent nuclear fuel reprocessing and several regulatory agencies have issued guidelines for the free release of clearable materials. Both developments will be of great importance to fusion.