Virginia Commonwealth University VCU Scholars Compass Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 2020 Reducing Material Attractiveness Utilizing Pu-238 and U-232 Cody Lloyd Virginia Commonwealth University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd Part of the Nuclear Engineering Commons © The Author Downloaded from https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/6440 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at VCU Scholars Compass. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of VCU Scholars Compass. For more information, please contact [email protected]. REDUCING MATERIAL ATTRACTIVENESS UTILIZING 238Pu AND 232U A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy with a Major in Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering in the Graduate School Virginia Commonwealth University By Cody Lloyd Dissertation Committee Chair: Braden Goddard NOVEMBER 2020 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I’d like to thank the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for partially supporting this work (NRC-HQ-84-14-G-0051) i TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................................................................... i TABLE OF CONTENTS ......................................................................................................................................... ii LIST OF TABLES.................................................................................................................................................... vi LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................................................. ix LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .............................................................................................................................. xiii GLOSSARY ............................................................................................................................................................. xiv Abstract .................................................................................................................................................................. xvi 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1. Motivation ................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2. Objectives .................................................................................................................................................... 2 1.3. Background ................................................................................................................................................ 3 1.3.1. Introduction to Nuclear Nonproliferation ............................................................................. 3 1.3.2. Contributions to Material Attractiveness ............................................................................... 7 1.4. 238Pu Unattractive Features ................................................................................................................. 9 1.5. Possible Production Routes for 238Pu............................................................................................ 11 1.6. 232U Unattractive Features ................................................................................................................ 12 1.7. Possible Production Routes for 232U .............................................................................................. 16 1.8. Material Properties .............................................................................................................................. 17 1.8.1. Plutonium Material Properties ................................................................................................ 17 ii 1.8.2. Uranium Material Properties ................................................................................................... 19 1.8.3. Additional Material Properties ................................................................................................ 20 1.9. Layout of Dissertation .................................................................................................................... 21 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................................................................. 22 2.1. Modeling Based Analysis.................................................................................................................... 22 2.2. Figure of Merit Analysis ..................................................................................................................... 24 2.3. Broader Approaches ............................................................................................................................ 27 3. METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................................................. 29 3.1. Heat Transfer Theory .......................................................................................................................... 29 3.1.1. Steady State Conductive Heat Transfer ............................................................................... 29 3.1.2. Transient Conductive Heat Transfer ..................................................................................... 30 3.1.3. Boundary Conditions .................................................................................................................. 31 3.1.4. Thermal Stress ............................................................................................................................... 33 3.2. Plutonium Analysis .............................................................................................................................. 33 3.2.1. Plutonium Vector .......................................................................................................................... 33 3.2.2. Modeling Based Analysis ........................................................................................................... 34 3.2.3. Figure of Merit Analysis ............................................................................................................. 38 3.3. Uranium Analysis .................................................................................................................................. 40 3.3.1. Uranium Vectors ........................................................................................................................... 40 3.3.2. Model Based Analysis ................................................................................................................. 42 iii 3.3.3. Figure of Merit Analysis ............................................................................................................. 44 3.3.4. Enrichment Issues ........................................................................................................................ 45 3.3.5. Effects on Safety ............................................................................................................................ 46 3.3.6. Effects on Security ........................................................................................................................ 49 3.3.7. Effects on Safeguards .................................................................................................................. 52 4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS .................................................................................................................... 62 4.1. Plutonium Analysis .............................................................................................................................. 62 4.1.1. Model Based Analysis ................................................................................................................. 62 4.1.2. Figure of Merit Analysis ............................................................................................................. 75 4.2. Uranium Analysis .................................................................................................................................. 76 4.2.1. Model Based Analysis ................................................................................................................. 76 4.2.2. Figure of Merit Analysis ............................................................................................................. 94 4.2.3. Enrichment Issues ........................................................................................................................ 97 4.2.4. Effects on Safety ............................................................................................................................ 99 4.2.5. Effects on Security ...................................................................................................................... 102 4.2.6. Effects on Safeguards ................................................................................................................ 109 5. CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE WORKS ................................................................................................. 126 5.1. Plutonium Conclusions ....................................................................................................................