Method of producing isotopes in power nuclear reactors
In a method of producing isotopes in a light water power reactor, one or more targets within the reactor may be irradiated under a neutron flux to produce one or more isotopes. The targets may be assembled into one or more fuel bundles that are to be loaded in a core of the reactor at a given outage. Power operations in the reactor irradiate the fuel bundles so as to generate desired isotopes, such as one or more radioisotopes at a desired specific activity or stable isotopes at a desired concentration.
1. A method of producing desired isotopes in a light water power reactor, comprising:
placing a non-fissile target into a containment structure;
inserting the containment structure into a first rod;
inserting the first rod into a first fuel bundle;
loading the first fuel bundle into a core of the power reactor, the power reactor being a light water commercial power reactor for the commercial production of electrical power at levels of at least 100 mega-watts thermal (MW t ); and
initiating power operations in the core for a duration of time to irradiate the target and produce a desired specific activity or concentration of the desired isotopes,
the inserting of the containment structure into the first rod including,
determining a position and enrichment level of at least one of enriched uranium and a moderator within the first rod, and
positioning the containment structure within the first rod to ensure that the target is located at a desired axial and radial position within the first rod based on isotope production factors, the isotope production factors including the determined positions and enrichment levels of the enriched uranium or moderator within the first rod, the desired specific activity or concentration of the desired isotopes, half-lives of any radioactive isotope produced by irradiating the target, the duration of time, and a neutron absorption rate of the target.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inserting of first rod into the first fuel bundle includes evaluating any full length rods, part length rods and segmented rods of the first fuel bundle to determine which full length, part length or segmented rod of the first fuel bundle is to be the first rod, the evaluation of the rods being based on the isotope production factors.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein,
the isotope production factors further include the identity of the full length, part length or segmented rod that is to be the first rod,
the loading of the first fuel bundle into the core of the power reactor further includes,
determining a desired axial and radial position of the target within the core based upon the isotope production factors,
positioning the first fuel bundle within the core to ensure that the target is located at the desired axial and radial position within the core.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the inserting of the containment structure into the first rod includes inserting a spring in the containment structure to hold the target at the desired axial and radial position within the first rod.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
coating the target with a magnetic material to improve solubility and prevent release of the target into reactor coolant.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the isotope production factors include determining positions and enrichment levels of both the enriched uranium and the moderator within the first rod.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the desired isotopes are radio-isotopes used for medical imaging.