Safeguard aspects of 244Cm as a multiplier in cylindrical hybrid blankets

In this work, the neutron multiplication and breeding performance of 244Cm is analyzed in connection with a deuterium-tritium (D-T)-driven experimental hybrid blanket in cylindrical geometry within the research program AYMAN in order to simulate relatively realistic neutron spectra for future hybrid reactors. Results show that the 244Cm(n,γ) reaction rate of 0.0148 per D-T fusion neutron corresponds to a production rate of 50 g/245Cm per year-MW(t) fusion chamber power by a load factor of 75%. A relatively small fusion driver with 100 MW(t) of power would lead to the production of ∼ 5 kg 245Cm per year under similar spectral conditions, enough to provide fuel for up to 50 explosives per year. The raw material required for this process would be ∼ 25 kg of 244Cm per year, which can be extracted from the inventory of minor actinides from 30 tons of heavy metal, after a burnup of 33 GWd/ton in a 1250-MW(e) pressurized water reactor plant, containing 30% conventional mixed-oxide fuel (U-Pu) and 70% uranium and plutonium recycling. These numbers demonstrate clearly the necessity of revising safeguarding regulations prior to the introduction of fusion reactors