Nuclear Fusion-Fission Hybrid Could Destroy Nuclear Waste and Contribute to Carbon-Free Energy Futur

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Nuclear Fusion-Fission Hybrid Could Destroy Nuclear Waste and Contribute to Carbon-Free Energy Future | The University of Texas at Austin

University of Texas researchers have proposed a method for generating energy from the waste products of standard nuclear reactors which is based on the tokamak "magnetic bottle". The system consists of two stages, one to destroy the 75% of the waste using a process that is already employed in some countries (like France), and a second to destroy the remaining highly radioactive 25%. Nuclear fusion is used to provide neutrons to augment the neutrons produced by the fissionable material, resulting in a reduction in waste by as much as 99% (in theory). The magnetic bottle design keeps the hot material from melting the walls of the chamber. One hybrid system could process the waste generated by as many as 15 light-water reactors.