Uranyl Salt Reactors for Mo-99 Production

1. Uranyl Salt Reactors for Mo-99 Production Chris Cooling

2. Molybdenum 99 • Fission product • Half life of 66 hours • Decays to Tc-99m • Tc-99m has a half life of 6 hours • Tc-99m a radioactive tracer used in diagnostic medicine • Demand is currently exceeding supply

3. Current Production Methods • Bombarding targets with neutrons • HEU targets to induce fission • Mo-98 • Current reactors • NRU, Canada • HFR, Netherlands • SAFARI-1, South Africa • BR2, Belgium • OSIRIS, France • Opal, Australia

4. Uranyl Salt Reactors • Uranyl Sulphate or Uranyl Nitrate dissolved in acid (100-300gU/l) • Water acts as the moderator • Low temperatures • LEU or natural uranium • Many research reactors in early days of nuclear

5. Uranyl Salt Reactors • Reactivity Feedback • Void production • Thermal feedback • Challenges • Materials challenges • Complex multi-physics • Regulatory challenges

6. Advantages of Uranyl Salt Reactors in the Production of Mo-99 • LEU as opposed to HEU • Lower power • Continuous processing possible

7. The Medical Isotope Production System (MIPS) • AHR designed to produce Mo-99 • Uranyl Nitrate • Array of 4x220kW reactors • ~80l of fuel • Cooled internally by water-filled cooling coils

8. My Work • Modelling of MIPS for regulatory and optimisation purposes • 2D and 3D multi-physics models • Point kinetics models

9. FETCH • Based upon AMCG’s FLUIDITY program • Couples fluid mechanics and neutronics calculations • Multi-phase flow • Embedded cooling coils

10. FETCH Example – CRAC 43 • Increase in solution height • Void and temperature feedback

11. Goals • Improve heat transfer models • Implement boiling models • Validate point kinetics model

12. Questions?