2026-04-28|IEEE Future Tech Forum: Nuclear at McMaster University
Dr. John S. Preston
In presentation "Nuclear at McMaster University", it was mentioned that McMaster's nuclear reactor has "fast-flux" feature. Would it be able to enable R & D for fast breeder reactor, i.e., transmutating Uranium-238 (U-238) (fertile material) to Uranium-233 (U-233) (fissile material) in situ?
CANDU (CANada Deuterium Uranium) Reactors
CANDU reactors are Canadian-designed Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) that use natural non-enriched uranium as fuel and heavy water (D2O) as coolant and moderator.
Fast Breeder Reactors (FBRs)
FBRs use fast (i.e., unmoderated) neutrons to breed Plutonium-239 (Pu-239) from fertile Uranium (U-238) or Thorium-232 (Th-232).
