Scientists in the U.S. have demonstrated that magnetic fusion power systems may prove less risky when compared to nuclear fission reactors, used to make weapon-usable materials, and their related fuel cycle.
Princeton University scientists discovered that the threat posed by the production of fissile materials can be reduced, if nuclear fusion power plants are designed with suitable safeguards.
A quantitative risk assessment was conducted by the researchers on the nuclear material dispersion for use in weapons that can be related to the prospective magnetic fusion energy power systems in three various states, and can be compared to the hazards related to nuclear fission reaction.
Producing weapon-usable material secretly in an undeclared plant, producing material in a breakout scenario, and clandestine manufacturing of those materials in a declared center were the three different scenarios.
The researchers found that constructing a small-scale nuclear fusion system is not possible and cannot be operated to produce material in a clandestine manner. In fact, producing material even for a single weapon for two years is not feasible because of huge power consumption and large size of the facility.
A set of computer simulations were employed by the scientists in order to find the amount of weapons materials, which may be manufactured using a fusion power plant. When the capacity of production is found important, then supervisors can easily find the clandestine development of weapon-usable material in a declared nuclear fusion facility.
The final scenario was breakout, wherein weapon-usable material is quickly produced with no concealment. The scientists have calculated that the minimum period required will be one to two months to produce any weapon-usable material through a fusion power facility.
Source: http://www.iop.org/