Overview of B&W Medical Isotope
Production System
Foundation for Nuclear Studies
September 27, 2011
Steve Schilthelm
Deputy Program Manager
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The Babcock & Wilcox Company
Government Operations
B&W Technical
Services Group, Inc.
Manages and operates
high-consequence
facilities, provides
technical services and
support to government
agencies and private
customers
B&W Nuclear
Operations Group, Inc.
Manufactures nuclear
components for U.S.
Department of Energy
Power Generation Systems
B&W Power
Generation Group, Inc.
B&W Nuclear
Energy , Inc.
Manufactures and
services coal, biomass,
CNG, concentrated solar
power plant equipment, &
Nox, Sox, mercury
scrubbers
Manufactures commercial
nuclear components and
provides services to
commercial nuclear
market
High-Consequence Operations & Services
Advanced Engineering and Manufacturing
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Covidien Reach Extends Globally and Locally
20,000+ U.S. employees,
41,000+ worldwide
Diverse healthcare products
used in all clinical settings
Products manufactured in
17 states
Nuclear Medicine:
One of two U.S. suppliers of
technetium 99m (Tc 99m)
Image used by permission of Covidien
Covidien Tc 99m-based
products sold in all 50 states
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B&W MIPS – 99Mo Production Using
Aqueous Homogeneous Reactor
 Market studies in Late 1990s
 Patented
in 1997 (Dr. Russell M. Ball)
 2007 MIPS project re-initiated
 2009 Agreement with Covidien
 2009 Cooperative Agreement with NNSA
 Non-proliferation
 Domestic
(LEU)
supply
AHR using LEU offers safety, safeguards, simplicity and waste advantages
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AHRs are not New Technology
CLEVELAND, OH
CLEVELAND, OH
SHEBA Reactor, LANL
Over 30 AHRs Built and Operated
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AHR - America’s First University Reactor
N.C. State’s – R1 (1953-73)
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Traditional Technology
235U
Target
Fabrication
Transport
Target Irradiation: Several days
Reactor: 10,000 -100,000 kilowatts
99mTc
User
Medical Facilities
Dissolved Target
Waste with 235U
Transport
99Mo
Processing
Facility
99mTc
Generator Facility
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B&W MIPS Technology
MIPS Facility
AHR Reactor
240 kilowatts- 5 days
99mTc
User
Medical Facilities
Initial Fuel
Solution Preparation
Reactor fuel/target
solution returned
for subsequent
irradiation
99mTc
99Mo
Generator Facility
Processing Cells
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Completing R&D Phase of Project
 National Laboratories

Argonne

Los Alamos
 Armed Forces Radiobiology
Research Institute, MD
 Purdue University
 B&W Labs, VA
 INVAP, Argentina
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MIPS Project Progress
 Conceptual design complete
 NRC licensing and waste policy decisions
complete
 Environmental analysis prepared
 Completing R&D activities
 Following legislation (HR 3276, S 99)
 Entering detailed design and licensing phase of
the project
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B&W MIPS Summary
Mo-99 production using LEU
AHR results in:
 Increased efficiency
 Reduced waste
 No proliferation concerns
 Safe operation
 Stable domestic supply
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