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MCNP simulation of salt channel in LR-0 MCNP simulation of salt channel in LR-0 reactorreactor

12th session of the AER Working Group F - "Spent Fuel12th session of the AER Working Group F - "Spent Fuel Transmutations"Transmutations"

andand

3rd meeting of INPRO Project RMI - "Meeting energy needs in 3rd meeting of INPRO Project RMI - "Meeting energy needs in the period of raw materials insufficiency during the 21st century"the period of raw materials insufficiency during the 21st century"

Liblice, Czech Republic, April 6 – 9, 2010Liblice, Czech Republic, April 6 – 9, 2010

Martin SuchopárMartin Suchopár

Nuclear Physics InstituteNuclear Physics Institute

Academy of Sciences of Czech RepublicAcademy of Sciences of Czech Republic

AHTR and MSBRAHTR and MSBR

Demands on molten salts concerning their composition and Demands on molten salts concerning their composition and properties differ in the way of their applicationproperties differ in the way of their application

MSBR (Molten Salt Breeder Reactor) uses in the primary MSBR (Molten Salt Breeder Reactor) uses in the primary circuit molten salts containing fissile and fertile material, circuit molten salts containing fissile and fertile material, which serve as fuel and coolant at the same timewhich serve as fuel and coolant at the same time

AHTR (Advanced High-Temperature Reactor) uses graphite-AHTR (Advanced High-Temperature Reactor) uses graphite-matrix high-temperature fuel like in helium-cooled reactors, matrix high-temperature fuel like in helium-cooled reactors, but provides cooling with high-temperature fluoride salt (~900 but provides cooling with high-temperature fluoride salt (~900 °C) without fissionable material°C) without fissionable material

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33

Project SPHINXProject SPHINX

SPHINX = SPent Hot fuel Incinerator by Neutron fluXSPHINX = SPent Hot fuel Incinerator by Neutron fluX Demonstration nuclear transmutor with liquid fuel based on Demonstration nuclear transmutor with liquid fuel based on

molten fluoride saltsmolten fluoride salts Incineration of transuranic elements and long-lived fission Incineration of transuranic elements and long-lived fission

productsproducts Elementary module designed as subcritical fuel channel Elementary module designed as subcritical fuel channel

surrounded by graphite blocks equipped with tubes in which flow surrounded by graphite blocks equipped with tubes in which flow molten fluorides of long-lived radionuclidesmolten fluorides of long-lived radionuclides

System can be either critical or subcritical which is kept in System can be either critical or subcritical which is kept in stationary state and whos power is driven by an external neutron stationary state and whos power is driven by an external neutron source or by driving zone surrounding the subcritical assemblysource or by driving zone surrounding the subcritical assembly

44

Project SPHINXProject SPHINX

Elementary module of the SPHINX conceptElementary module of the SPHINX concept

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Program EROSProgram EROS

EROS = Experimental zeRO power Salt reactor SR-0EROS = Experimental zeRO power Salt reactor SR-0 Program serves for experimental verification of insertion zones of MSR Program serves for experimental verification of insertion zones of MSR

type demonstration unit in reactor LR-0type demonstration unit in reactor LR-0 Within the frame of the project SPHINX 5 experiments were carried out Within the frame of the project SPHINX 5 experiments were carried out

with modules denoted EROS 1 to EROS 5 inserted into the core of reactor with modules denoted EROS 1 to EROS 5 inserted into the core of reactor LR-0LR-0

Modules differed in number and configuration of various blocks, in amount Modules differed in number and configuration of various blocks, in amount of salt and graphite contained in the core and in number and enrichment of of salt and graphite contained in the core and in number and enrichment of fuel assembliesfuel assemblies

Distribution of flux density and neutron spectrum in the driving zone and in Distribution of flux density and neutron spectrum in the driving zone and in salt channels were examined by 3 methods: neutron activation analysis, salt channels were examined by 3 methods: neutron activation analysis, gama scanning method of fuel rods and thermoluminiscence detectorsgama scanning method of fuel rods and thermoluminiscence detectors

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Simulation of salt channel in MCNPXSimulation of salt channel in MCNPX

Simulated arrangement of salt channel surrounded by 6 fuel Simulated arrangement of salt channel surrounded by 6 fuel assembliesassemblies

MCNPX simulations of the salt channelMCNPX simulations of the salt channel Salt channel 600 mm high surrounded with 6 shortened WWER-1000 fuel Salt channel 600 mm high surrounded with 6 shortened WWER-1000 fuel

assemblies enriched with 4.4 % assemblies enriched with 4.4 % 235235UU Salt channel consists of 7 sections made of aluminumSalt channel consists of 7 sections made of aluminum The sections are filled with mixture of LiF-NaF salt with the composition 60-40 The sections are filled with mixture of LiF-NaF salt with the composition 60-40

molar % and the density of 1.7 g/cmmolar % and the density of 1.7 g/cm33

LiF salt first with natural composition 92.5 % LiF salt first with natural composition 92.5 % 77Li, 7.5 % Li, 7.5 % 66LiLi, t, then changed to hen changed to enriched enriched 77LiF salt with 99.995 % LiF salt with 99.995 % 77LiLi

25 experimental channels with diameter of 10 mm25 experimental channels with diameter of 10 mm Experimental aluminium probes with diameter of 8 mm and 3 positions for Experimental aluminium probes with diameter of 8 mm and 3 positions for

activation foils (bottom, middle, top) at height of 150, 300 and 450 mm above activation foils (bottom, middle, top) at height of 150, 300 and 450 mm above the bottom of the salt channelthe bottom of the salt channel

Activation foils made of various activation materials with diameter of 6 mm Activation foils made of various activation materials with diameter of 6 mm and 50 µm thinand 50 µm thin

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88

Simulation of salt channel in MCNPXSimulation of salt channel in MCNPX

Salt channel with fuel assemblies – horizontal and vertical section of the Salt channel with fuel assemblies – horizontal and vertical section of the arrangementarrangement

MCNPX simulations of the salt channelMCNPX simulations of the salt channel The simulations were made in MCNPX version 2.6The simulations were made in MCNPX version 2.6 The source neutrons were generated by kcode routine with The source neutrons were generated by kcode routine with

4.104.1099 source particles source particles The cross-sections for kcode were taken from standard The cross-sections for kcode were taken from standard

libraries for neutrons ENDF/B-VII.0 and JEFF 3.1.1libraries for neutrons ENDF/B-VII.0 and JEFF 3.1.1 Maximum energy of neutrons was limited to 20 MeV Maximum energy of neutrons was limited to 20 MeV

(sufficient for reactor spectrum)(sufficient for reactor spectrum) The energy range 0 – 20 MeV was divided into:The energy range 0 – 20 MeV was divided into:

6 logarithmic intervals for mesh tallies in salt channel6 logarithmic intervals for mesh tallies in salt channel 50 logarithmic intervals for spectra in activation foils50 logarithmic intervals for spectra in activation foils

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1010

Simulation resultsSimulation resultsmesh talliesmesh tallies

salt channel filled with LiF-NaF – horizontal sectionsalt channel filled with LiF-NaF – horizontal section

10 keV – 100 keV 100 keV – 1 MeV 1 MeV – 20 MeV

0 – 0.5 eV 0.5 eV – 0.5 keV 0.5 keV – 10 keV

1111

Simulation resultsSimulation resultsmesh talliesmesh tallies

salt channel filled with salt channel filled with 77LiF-NaF – horizontal sectionLiF-NaF – horizontal section0 – 0.5 eV 0.5 eV – 0.5 keV 0.5 keV – 10 keV

10 keV – 100 keV 100 keV – 1 MeV 1 MeV – 20 MeV

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Simulation resultsSimulation resultsmesh talliesmesh tallies

salt channel filled with LiF-NaF – vertical sectionsalt channel filled with LiF-NaF – vertical section

10 keV – 100 keV 100 keV – 1 MeV 1 MeV – 20 MeV

0 – 0.5 eV 0.5 eV – 0.5 keV 0.5 keV – 10 keV

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Simulation resultsSimulation resultsmesh talliesmesh tallies

salt channel filled with salt channel filled with 77LiF-NaF – vertical sectionLiF-NaF – vertical section0 – 0.5 eV 0.5 eV – 0.5 keV 0.5 keV – 10 keV

10 keV – 100 keV 100 keV – 1 MeV 1 MeV – 20 MeV

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Simulation resultsSimulation results neutron spectraneutron spectra

salt channel filled with LiF-NaF – activation foils in middle positions of salt channel filled with LiF-NaF – activation foils in middle positions of aluminium probes in experimental channelsaluminium probes in experimental channels

channel 1 channel 3

channel 2 channel 4

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channel 5 channel 7

channel 6 channel 8

Simulation resultsSimulation results neutron spectraneutron spectra

salt channel filled with LiF-NaF – activation foils in middle positions of salt channel filled with LiF-NaF – activation foils in middle positions of aluminium probes in experimental channelsaluminium probes in experimental channels

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Aktivační detektoryAktivační detektoryActivation material

Reaction Relative abundance in natural mixture [%]

Half-life of

product T1/2

Energy of main gama line Eγ [keV]

Relative intensity of main gama line Iγ [%]

Reaction treshold [MeV]

197Au 197Au(n,γ)198Au 100 2,69517 d 411,8 96 –115In 115In(n,γ)116mIn 95,7 54,29 min 1293,6 84,4 –115In 115In(n,n‘)115mIn 95,7 4,486 h 336,2 45,8 0,555Mn 55Mn(n,γ)56Mn 100 2,5785 h 846,8 98,9 –58Ni 58Ni(n,p)58Co 68,1 70,86 d 810,8 99 1,027Al 27Al(n,α)24Na 100 14,9590 h 1368,6 100 5,527Al 27Al(n,p)27Mg 100 9,458 min 843,7 71,8 1,963Cu 63Cu(n,γ)64Cu 69,2 12,700 h 1345,8 0,47 –98Mo 98Mo(n,γ)99Mo 24,1 65,94 h 140,5 89,4 –186W 186W(n,γ)187W 28,6 23,72 h 685,8 27,3 –56Fe 56Fe(n,p)56Mn 91,7 2,5785 h 846,8 98,9 5,0164Dy 164Dy(n,γ)165Dy 28,2 2,334 h 94,7 3,58 –175Lu 175Lu(n,γ)176mLu 97,4 3,635 h 88,3 8,9 –139La 139La(n,γ)140La 99,9 1,6781 d 1596,2 95,4 –89Y 89Y(n,γ)90mY 100 3,19 h 202,5 97,3 –51V 51V(n,γ)52V 99,8 3,743 min 1434,1 100 –45Sc 45Sc(n,γ)46Sc 100 83,79 d 1120,5 99,99 –37Cl 37Cl(n,γ)38Cl 24,2 37,24 min 2167,4 42,4 –

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Simulation resultsSimulation resultsreaction yields of activation materials – (n,g) reactionsreaction yields of activation materials – (n,g) reactions

upper position lower position

middle position

Horní pozice

0,0E+00

2,0E-05

4,0E-05

6,0E-05

8,0E-05

1,0E-04

1,2E-04

1,4E-04

1,6E-04

1,8E-04

2,0E-04

-12 -10 -8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Pozice kanálu [cm]

Výt

ěže

k re

akc

e

197Au(n,g)198Au 55Mn(n,g)56Mn 63Cu(n,g)64Cu 98Mo(n,g)99Mo

186W(n,g)187W 115In(n,g)116In 139La(n,g)140LaDolní pozice

0,0E+00

2,0E-05

4,0E-05

6,0E-05

8,0E-05

1,0E-04

1,2E-04

1,4E-04

1,6E-04

1,8E-04

2,0E-04

-12 -10 -8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Pozice kanálu [cm]

Výt

ěže

k re

akc

e

197Au(n,g)198Au 55Mn(n,g)56Mn 63Cu(n,g)64Cu 98Mo(n,g)99Mo

186W(n,g)187W 115In(n,g)116In 139La(n,g)140La

Střední pozice

0,0E+00

2,0E-05

4,0E-05

6,0E-05

8,0E-05

1,0E-04

1,2E-04

1,4E-04

1,6E-04

1,8E-04

2,0E-04

-12 -10 -8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Pozice kanálu [cm]

Výt

ěže

k re

akc

e

197Au(n,g)198Au 55Mn(n,g)56Mn 63Cu(n,g)64Cu 98Mo(n,g)99Mo

186W(n,g)187W 115In(n,g)116In 139La(n,g)140La

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Simulation resultsSimulation resultsreaction yields of activation materials – (n,p) reactionsreaction yields of activation materials – (n,p) reactions

upper position lower position

middle position

Horní pozice

0,0E+00

1,0E-08

2,0E-08

3,0E-08

4,0E-08

5,0E-08

6,0E-08

-12 -10 -8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Pozice kanálu [cm]

Výt

ěže

k re

akc

e

58Ni(n,p)58Co 56Fe(n,p)56Mn Dolní pozice

0,0E+00

1,0E-08

2,0E-08

3,0E-08

4,0E-08

5,0E-08

6,0E-08

-12 -10 -8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Pozice kanálu [cm]

Výt

ěže

k re

akc

e

58Ni(n,p)58Co 56Fe(n,p)56Mn

Střední pozice

0,0E+00

1,0E-08

2,0E-08

3,0E-08

4,0E-08

5,0E-08

6,0E-08

-12 -10 -8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Pozice kanálu [cm]

Výt

ěže

k re

akc

e

58Ni(n,p)58Co 56Fe(n,p)56Mn

Thank you for your attentionThank you for your attention

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