Haas.CERN.2013.Final (1).pptx

7/27/2019 Haas.CERN.2013.Final (1).pptx

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Didier Haas

[email protected]

++32 491648840

NC2

Nuclear Consulting Company

Thorium Conference, CERN
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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T. Lung: EURATOM report 1777 (1997)

THOR Energy Thorium Fuel Conference, Paris (2010)

IAEA No NF-T-2.4 (2012): The role of Thorium to supplement Fuel

Cycles of Future Nuclear Energy Systems

GIF position paper on the use of Thorium in the Nuclear FuelCycle (2010)

SNETP Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (2013) andSRA Annex on Thorium (2011)

Published EURATOM Framework Programmes results andpersonal communications



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European Research on Thorium

Thorium in HTRs

Thorium oxide fuel behaviour

Molten salt reactors fueled with Thorium

Conclusion



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Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technology Platform

117members from research,industry, academia, technical

safety organizations

Recent application ofWeinberg Foudation (UK) andThorEA (UK) both promotingThorium research

Launched in 2007

Produced a Research Agenda(2009, revised in 2013) and aDeployment Strategy (2010)


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SNETP has produced an Annex (2011) on Thorium in the StrategicResearch Area. Highlights are:

LWRs: evolutionary development favoured, with use of Pu asseed (natural U savings); breeding would need new reactortechnology

HWRs: high conversion ratio achievable HTR: past German HTR development programme aimed at

reaching a breeding cycle with Thorium Fast Reactors: breeding possible but with long doubling times;

improved void reactivity coefficient in sodium FR; advantage ofADS subcritical reactor (high neutron energies, Th 232 fission +

captures) MSR: breeding might be achieved over a wide range of neutronenergies; long-trerm development option

Pu-burning: Thorium matrices for the purpose of incinerating Puin LWRs

Challenges for solid fuels: reprocessing, remote fuel fabrication



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1960-1980: limited experimental work on Thorium use inHTRs (DRAGON, ATR, THTR, Th-U carbide and oxidefuels) and in the Lingen BWR by SIEMENS (Th-MOX)

1990-2002: Assessment studies including the Lung report and the EURATOM projects Thorium Cycle as a nuclear

waste management option and Red Impact 1998-2008: Thorium fuel experiments (Projects THORIUM

CYCLE, OMICO, LWR-DEPUTY with irradiations in KWO-Obrigheim, HFR and BR2)

FP7 (2011-13): Performance assessment of Thorium ingeological disposal (SKIN Project)

FP5-FP7 (1998-now): Thorium fuel studies andcharacterization for a Molten Salt Reactor (Projects MOST,ALISIA, EVOL)



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HTR thermal neutron spectrum is very well suited forThorium breeding

Very high burnup capability in HTRs in a once-throughcycle; very high stability in geological disposal of theThorium matrix

This explains the (successful) use of Thorium in early HTRprojects (DRAGON, AVR Jlich, Peach Bottom, Fort St-Vrain, THTR); fresh fuel kernels were mixed with Pu orU235 fissile material

Potential limitations are the high initial U235 content neededin the once-through strategy and the reprocessing difficultyin case of closed cycle strategy

Today, (V)HTR is one of the six GIF R&D systems;European interest in HTR exists, but difficulty in gettingindustry commitments



8/26Thorium Conference, CERN


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ThO2 is a very stable ceramic: in-core applications, directdisposal waste management (see leaching tests resultsfrom JRC-ITU Karlsruhe)

Th-MOX (Th,PuO2) has been contemplated to incinerateseparated Pu in LWRs in a fertile matrix, and also aspossible quasi -inert matrix for MA burning in targets

The Th matrix produce no new Pu and is fertile asrequired to keep the reactivity in LWRs

In-reactor properties are equivalent (even better if oneconsiders the thermal behaviour and the stability) to U-MOX

Thermal diffusivity measurements on unirradiated Th-MOX at JRC-ITU: higher than U-MOX



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TRANSMUTATION (6.5 MEuro)

Basic Studies:MUSE

HINDASN-TOF_ND_ADS

TRANSMUTATION (7.3 MEuro)

Technological Support:SPIRE

TECLAMEGAPIE-TEST

ASCHLIM

PARTITIONING(5 MEuro)PYROREP

PARTNEW

CALIXPART

TRANSMUTATION(3.9 MEuro)Fuels:

CONFIRM

THORIUM CYCLE

FUTURE

TRANSMUTATION (6 MEuro)

Preliminary Design Studies

for an Experimental ADS:

PDS-XADS

FP5 (1998-2002) Projects on Advanced Optionsfor Partitioning and Transmutation

FP5 ADOPT

Coordination Network

EUROTRANS FP6 Project

FP5: THORIUM Cycle for P&T and ADS


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Associated Project onAdvanced P&T Fuels:LWR-DEPUTY Projectwith Thorium fuels


Inert Matrices fuels


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Experiments

(Th,Pu)O2 fuels were irradiated in three reactors

HFR-Petten (Na-capsule)

KWO Obrigheim (non-instrumented, commercial PWR) BR-2 Mol (instrumented & non-instrumented in PWR

loop)

Post-irradiation examinations & radiochemistry by

different labs (ITU, NRG, PSI, SCKCEN)

12


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Safety assessment of Plutonium Mixed Oxide Fuel

irradiated up to 37.7 GWd/tonne (JNM 2013)

J. Somers1,*, D. Papaioannou1, J. McGinley1, D.

Sommer2

1. Joint Research Centre

Institute forTransuranium Elements, Postfach 2340, D76125

Karlsruhe, Germany

2. EnBW Kernkraft GmbH*, Postfach 1161, 74843

Obrigheim and Bhmerwaldstrae 15, 74821

Mosbach, Germany



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From:


C. Cozzo et al., J. Nucl. Mater. (2011), doi:10.10C. Cozzo et al., J. Nucl. Mater. (2011),


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600 800 1000 1200 1400 16002.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

5.5

6.0

Heterogeneous MOX9 wt. % Pu

7 wt. % Pu

MOX Duriez

UO2

ITU

UO2

Fink

Homogeneous MOX

11.1 wt. % PuO2

9.0 wt. % PuO25.6 wt. % PuO

2

4.8 wt. % PuO2

Thermalconductivity,

Wm

-1K

-1

Temperature, K D. Staicu, M. Barker, J. Nucl. Mater. (2013),

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2013.08.024

C. Cozzo et al., J. Nucl. Mater. (2011),doi:10.10C. Cozzo et al.,

J. Nucl. Mater. (2011),

Th-MOX Thermal Conductivityas compared to U-MOX

At 1000K TC of U-MOX: 3.0-3.5of Th-MOX: >4.0

!! Importance of thefabrication process


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600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

0 2000 4000 6000 8000

measurement

MACROS (post-test)

Transuranus (post-test)(mod. fuel deformation)

Transuranus (blind)Copernic

power calibrationfrom Dec 2006

Time (h)

FuelCentreTemperature(oC)

OMICO Rod Gi

16Personal communicationBy courtesy of SCK-CEN


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Source: Rondinella & Al (JRC-ITU)Paris Thorium technical meeting 2010


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Reference case: SKB spent fuel repository

Bx, Gx: compartments of Bentonite, Granite


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No showstoppers identified for Thorium-based MOX(Th,Pu)O2 to its implementation as a possible LWR-fuel.

(Th,Pu)O2 has several advantages over Uranium-basedMOX (U,Pu)O2

Better thermal conductivity (unirradiated data only) Improved chemical stability Indications for improved reactivity margins for full-core PWR

(Th,Pu)O2 compared to (U,Pu)O2

Next steps: Improving the fuel manufacturing technology, since the scoping

studies used non-industrial (& non-industrialisable)manufacturing routes; tests on representative fabrications needed

Larger-scale demonstration programs with lead-rod and lead-assembly irradiations are needed before licensing

19

Personal communication

By courtesy of SCK-CEN


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In MSRs thorium cycle can achieve a higher conversion ratio than theuranium/plutonium cycle.

MSR avoids some of the loss of conversion efficiency that occurs due toneutron capture events in Pa-233 (Pa-233 has a relatively long half-life of 27days). The nuclear fuel in MSR is unique in that it circulates through theentire primary circuit and spends only a fraction of its time in the activecore. This reduces the time-averaged neutron flux that the Pa-233 sees andsignificantly reduces the proportion of Pa-233 atoms that are lost to neutroncaptures

MSR continually reprocesses the nuclear fuel as it re-circulates in the

primary circuit, removing fission products as they are generated. MSRtherefore completely avoids the difficulties in conventional reactors withfabricating U-233 fuels (which have high gamma activities from U-232daughters).

Since the nuclear fuel is a molten salt, there are no fuel mechanicalperformance issues to consider.


MSR R&D in Europe and elsewhere


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From MOST to EVOL

A continuous and coordinated activity (European network) since 2001

ALISIA

2001-2003Confirmation of MSR potential

Identification of key issues (vs MSBR)

2004-2006

Strenghthening of European network

Follow-up of R&D progress

2007-2008

Review of liquid salts for various applications

Preparation of European MSR roadmap

2009

Feasibility demonstration of MSFR

6 countries +Euratom

7 countries +Euratom

+ Russia

7 countries +Euratom+ Russia

MSR R&D in Europe and elsewhere

SUMO

LICORN

MOST

EVOL7 countries +

Euratom(+ Russia)

2009-2012

Optimization of MSFR

(remaining weakpoints)

8 countries +Euratom+ Russia

from

MSBR

to

MSFR


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Strategic impact of EVOL

A common European Molten Salt Reactor concept for GENIV(major European contribution to the MSR GENIV initiative)

Thorium as a nuclear fuel(closed MSR fuel cycle, sustainable energy system)

Partitioning & Transmutation(alternative route for P&T compared to solid fuel)

Improved understanding of liquid salt properties(MSR technology, but also other industrial processes)



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MSFR reactor concept (French concept)(Molten Salt Fast Reactor)

Initial MSFR fuel composition:

X(LiF) = 77.45 mol%

X(ThF4) = 20 mol% (LiF-ThF4 eutectic)

X(UF4) = 2.55 mol%

Operating temperature: Tinlet = 620 C

MSFR concept

MSFR pre-conceptual design,

GIF Annual Report 2009: (MSR)


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JRC ITU Molten Salts Database

Molten Salt Database developed at JRC (ITU)

(2002-2010): 38 assessed binary systems



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Several EC Projects on Th-MOX fuels mainlyfor LWRs as Quasi -Inert matrix to burn Puand MAs

Thorium salts as fuel for the MSR The SRIA published in 2013 recognises the

significant long-term potentialities and thesignificant challenges to make industrialimplementation of Thorium systems



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With particular thank to Michel Hugon and Roger Garbil (EC DGRTD, Brussels), Vincenzo Rondinella, Dragos Staicu, Joe Somers (ECJRC, ITU, Karlsruhe) and Marc Verwerft (SCK-CEN) for theirassistance in providing all relevant information and comments.

Thorium Conference CERN

Haas.CERN.2013.Final (1).pptx

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