![]() ![]() For these reasons, Path 4 in Figure 15.1 is shown grayed-out.īecause there are three practical paths to produce fissile material, there is no single path or single activity that is mandatory for a nuclear weapons program, including nuclear testing, which makes detecting illicit proliferation more difficult. This process is rarely used because thorium (Th) as a nuclear fuel is less efficient than either natural uranium in a heavy-water reactor or low-enriched uranium in a light-water reactor.Īdditionally, the uranium-233 produced is less efficient as a fissile material than plutonium. A fourth possible path uses a thorium-fueled reactor producing uranium-233 as the fissile material (Path 4). The spent fuel is reprocessed to extract the fissile plutonium from the other materials in the spent fuel, and the plutonium is fabricated into a fissile component (Path 3). 2 The reactor converts a small portion of the nuclear fuel to the fissile material plutonium. A third possible path is to run a sufficiently large light-water reactor (LWR) with low-enriched uranium (LEU) as the reactor’s nuclear fuel. The extracted plutonium is put through a fabrication process to create a fissile component (Path 2). ![]() The spent fuel is reprocessed to extract the fissile plutonium from the other materials in the spent fuel. ![]() The reactor’s operation process converts a small portion of the nuclear fuel to the fissile material plutonium (Pu). A second possible path is to run a sufficiently large heavy-water reactor (HWR) with natural uranium as the reactor’s nuclear fuel. The enrichment process produces weapons-grade highly enriched uranium (WG-HEU) as the fissile material, which is put through a fabrication process to create a fissile component. The first path to a fissile component is to use an enrichment process with natural uranium (NU) as the basic material to be transformed into fissile material, shown as Path 1 in Figure 15.1. It also lists the required 1 major non-fissile components that must be developed and produced in a process called weaponization.įigure 15.1 Paths to Attain a Nuclear Weapons Development Program Figure 15.1 shows four basic paths to produce fissile material and then a fissile component. Nuclear Weapons Development ProgramĪny nation that desires to successfully develop a nuclear weapon must engage in two essential activities: 1) a process to produce fissile material and from that a fissile component, and 2) a process to develop and produce all of the non-fissile (non-nuclear) components required to produce a nuclear weapon. This chapter describes nuclear weapon development and includes: nuclear fuel-cycle basic principles of nuclear engineering and the process to develop, produce, and weaponize a nuclear program. Analyzing a proliferant nation’s weapons development program and its ability to produce nuclear weapons capabilities depends on understanding the nuclear fuel cycle and how it relates to the major activities required to produce a nuclear weapon. Other nations prefer to hide their proliferation activities until they have produced usable weapons. Some nations prefer to advertise their intent to develop nuclear weapons. History shows that most proliferating nations rely on their own nuclear weapons development programs to produce the essential components for a nuclear weapon. Approximately one third of the energy produced by a thermal power reactor comes from fission of this plutonium.There is a close relationship between the technology and infrastructure necessary for a nation to produce nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and those necessary to produce nuclear weapons. It is important to realize that while the U-235 in the fuel assembly of a thermal reactor is undergoing fission, some of the fertile U-238 present in the assembly is also absorbing neutrons to produce fissile Pu-239. Cooling towers are also employed with coal and natural gas plants. Finally, the most obvious components of many nuclear power plants are the cooling towers, the external components, which provide cool water for condensing the steam to water for recycling into the containment structure. The containment structure, composed of thick concrete and steel, inhibits the release of radiation in case of an accident and also secures components of the reactor from potential intruders. The pressure vessel, made of heavy-duty steel, holds the reactor core containing the fuel assembly, control rods, moderator, and coolant.
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