Target-fueled nuclear reactor for medical isotope production

摘要

A small, low-enriched, passively safe, low-power nuclear reactor comprises a core of target and fuel pins that can be processed to produce the medical isotope ⁹⁹Mo and other fission product isotopes. The fuel for the reactor and the targets for the ⁹⁹Mo production are the same. The fuel can be low enriched uranium oxide, enriched to less than 20% ²³⁵U. The reactor power level can be 1 to 2 MW. The reactor is passively safe and maintains negative reactivity coefficients. The total radionuclide inventory in the reactor core is minimized since the fuel/target pins are removed and processed after 7 to 21 days.