Nuclear Science

Consideration of Accelerator Production of Tritium Requires R&D Gao ID: RCED-92-154 June 15, 1992

Tritium, a crucial material used in nuclear weapons, gradually decays and must be continually replaced. The Department of Energy (DOE) is responsible for producing tritium and has traditionally generated it at its nuclear reactors. The reactors are getting old, however, and it is unclear how much longer they will last. An alternative--producing tritium with a particle accelerator--was first proposed in 1989 by scientists at Los Alamos and Brookhaven National Laboratories. DOE has devoted scant funds to test the concept, however, and the full extent of the accelerator's abilities remains unknown. DOE declined to pursue this idea because it doubted that enough time existed to develop the concept, given the immaturity of the technology and the urgency with which DOE believed new tritium production capacity would be needed. Reductions in the nuclear weapons stockpile have eliminated the need for an urgent schedule and have given DOE more time to study the accelerator. To sufficiently develop the technology for an accelerator so that it can be compared with reactors for tritium production would require a research and development program.

GAO found that: (1) due to a lack of DOE funding, the particle accelerator's capability for tritium production remains unknown; (2) although the use of a particle accelerator may present safety and environmental advantages over the use of nuclear reactors, DOE has not explored or resolved technological issues and continues to rely on the proven reactor technology for tritium production; (3) the reduction of nuclear weapons stockpiles has lessened the urgency for tritium, which allows time for reevaluating and comparing particle accelerator capabilities with reactor options; and (4) to sufficiently compare accelerator capabilities with reactor capabilities, DOE will need a funded research and development program.

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