100211 nuclear power

8/2/2019 100211 Nuclear Power

1/25

Instrumentation seminar, KTH 20100211

The future of nuclear power in Sweden & Europe

Janne Wallenius

Professor

Reactor Physics, KTH


2/25


Whats going on?

New policy on nuclear power in Sweden

Deployment of Generation III reactors

Research on Generation IV reactors

The Swedish GENIUS project

European Sustainable Nuclear Industrial Initiative


3/25


Out of the dungeon

February 2009: Swedish Government announces changeof nuclear policy: New nuclear plants may be built if

1. they replace old power plants

2. they are located at the site of existing plants

Text of law circulated for comments in December 2009

Increased liability for accidents: 700 M -> 1200 m

Minimum liability for nuclear facility: 80 M

Decision to be taken by Riksdagen in June 2010.


4/25


When do we need new nuclear power?

Technical lifetime of a power plant highly individual

Most parts can be replaced except for primary vessel

Vessel life time depends on radiation induced embrittlement of welds.

Ductile to brittle transition temperature increased from -100C to >100C for some reactors in operation

Ringhals 3 &4 have serious issues with nickel precipitation in welds.

O1 and Ringhals reactors to be replaced in 2020s

F3 and O3 may stay in good condition beyond 2045, possibly to 2065


5/25

What we might build now

Generation III +: Water cooled reactors withpassive safety systems dramatically decreasing the probability for core melt

Examples

Westinghouse AP1000 (1100 MWe)

Under construction in China

GE-Hitachis ESBWR (1500 MWe)

Pump free design ->

Core melt frequency < 1 in 10 million years

AP1000

ESBWR


6/25

What is being built

Finland and France are building EPRs

China: Two AP1000 reactors under construction

USA: Non-nuclear work to prepare site for AP1000build has started (License yet to be granted)

> 50 power reactors presently under construction.

~ 420 projects announced, including UK, Italy,

Switzerland, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland,Belarus, The Czech republic, Slovakia, Slovenia,Romania & The Netherlands

EoN investigating the potential for replacement of O1


7/25


Generation IV objectives

Generation IV reactors ought to:

Increase fuel resources (breed ssile nuclides from 238 U or 232 Th)

Reduce long term radio-toxic inventory in waste streams (Recycle of

americium and curium).

Operate at higher temperature,

to improve electricity conversion factors

and/or allow commercial utility of heat production

The economical feasibility of Gen-IV reactors is directly related to the life-time of structural materials.


8/25


Implications of sustainability criteria

Breeding requirement implies: > 2.0

Fast spectrum system operating on U-

Pu cycle

(239 Pu) ~ 2.4 2.6

True thermal spectrum systemoperating on Th-U cycle:

(233 U) ~ 2.300

1

2

3

4

10 1 10 3 10 5 10 710 -3 10 -1

neutron yield/absorption

En[eV]

239 Pu

233 U


9/25


Thermal spectrum system: High temperaturereactor with coated particle fuel (HTR).

HTR operation on Th based fuel technically feasible

Reprocessing of coated particle fuel cumbersomeand expensive, involving burning of activated

graphite.

Thermal spectrum: excessive production of Cf-252.

VHTR concept (T 900C to permit H 2 production)lacks suitable materials for primary heat exchangers.

Composite SiC-SiC materials potential solution.

Arevas proposed ANTARES reactor for industrialapplication: Process heat @ 600 700C, with oncethrough fuel cycle. Arevas ANTARES


10/25


Fast versus thermal spectrum

In order to reduced radio-toxic inventory of spentnuclear fuel, both Pu, Am & Cm must be recycled!

In a thermal spectrum, ssion probability of evenneutron number nuclides ~ 0

Build-up of the strong neutron emitter Cf-252 in athermal spectrum is 23 orders of magnitude higher!

0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1

247 Cm

246 Cm

245 Cm

244 Cm

243 Am

241 Am

242 Pu

241 Pu

240 Pu

239 Pu

238 Pu

Fissionprobability

10 2 10 3 10 4 10 5 10 6

0.01

0.1

1

10

100

10 1

Radiotoxic inventory [Sv/g]

243 Am

242 Pu

239 Pu238 Pu

240 Pu

237 Np

241 Am

TRU

t [y]

Unat

0.001

0.01

0.1

1

10

100Radiotoxic inventory [Sv/g]

10 2 10 3 10 4 10 5 10 610 1

TRU

FP

Uranium in nature

t[y]


11/25


Fast spectrum systems: common issues

All fast spectrum systems permit breeding ratio 1 and fullrecycling of Am & Cm from own spent fuel.

Cf-252 production 23 orders of magnitude lower than in a

thermal spectrum.

Ability to accept legacy Am from LWRs depend on design.

Fast neutron recoils lead to radiation damage

Swelling of austenitic (fcc) steels

Embrittlement of ferritic (bcc) steels


12/25


Sodium cooled fast reactor


13/25


Fast spectrum systems:Sodium cooled fast reactor

+ Based on coolant technology proven on industrial scale

+ Large demonstration facility may be ready by 2020

+ Good breeding performance

Costs for prevention of sodium-water interaction

Safety issues related to coolant boiling

Phnix MarcouleFrance


14/25


Lead cooled fast reactor


15/25


Lead cooled fast reactor

+ No chemical interaction with water (no intermediateheat exchanger)

+ High boiling temperature low probability for coolant voiding

+ High fraction of natural circulation passive heatremoval

Coolant technology proven only in military sub-marines

Costs for corrosion control & surface protection

Erosion of pump blade surfaces

K745Sovietsubmarine


16/25


Swelling

SS316 cladding tubes irradiated to

80 dpa at 510C.

33% increase in volume

Swelling due to formation of voidsunder irradiation

Leads to void induced embrittlement

Beforeirradiation

Afterirradiation


17/25


Dose limits for austenitic steels

Best available austeniticsteel applicable for doses upto about 120 dpa

Corresponds to three yearlifetime of fuel cladding atdose rate of 40 dpa/year

Dose rate dependencesignicant lower dose rate

reduces swelling threshold!

Ferritic-Martensitic steelsswells considerably less


18/25


Choice of steels for fast neutron reactors

Austenitic steels (1515Ti) qualiedfor application in Gen-IV reactorsup to doses of ~120 dpa at T < 900 K.

Ferritic-Martensitic steels are more

radiation resistant, but have poorcreep strength at high temperature.

Oxide dispersion strengthened(ODS) steels may perform better,but welding is difcult:

Example of ODS steel

Fe-14Cr-1Ti-0.3Mo-0.25Y 2O3before irradiation

oxides

480C - 80 dpa (Phnix)

Oxides

! particleHalo!

halo of fine oxides around thebiggest oxides


19/25


GENIUS project

Generation IV research in Swedish Universities (KTH, Chalmers & UU)

36 MSEK funding from VR for three years. 10 PhD students, 18 seniorscientists involved

Major activities

Fuel development: fabrication and characterisation of (U,Pu)N & (Pu,Zr)Nfuels

Materials research: Radiation damage modelling & characterisation,experimental investigation of corrosion kinetics in lead-alloys

Safety: Fuel-coolant interaction, nuclear data, thermal-hydraulics of lead,transient analysis, fast neutron detector development, safe-guards.


20/25


Nitride fuel fabrication laboratory at KTH

Glove boxes, furnace and milloperative in January 2009

Nitride powders produced by hydriding/nitriding of metallicsource materials

Pressing of green UN and ZrNpellets to 70% density

Spark plasma sintering of ZrNperformed

Coolant compatibility tests to beconducted within GENIUS.


21/25


TALL loop

TALL lead-bismuth loop constructed atKTH in 2004.

Used for test of heat removal by naturalcirculation

Unique facility in Europe

Data now used for code validation

Extensive use within EU projects


22/25


European Sustainable NuclearIndustrial Initiative (ESNII)

Research, Development and Demonstration of sustainable nuclearpower generation. Priority given to

Sodium cooled fast reactor with power of 250600 MWe, to start

operation in 2022.

Experimental lead or gas cooled fast reactor with power of 50100MWe, to gain experience with an alternative coolant, startingoperation in 2025.

Meeting in Brussels tomorrow to establish Concept Plan of ESNII.

Indicative cost (including fuel fabrication plants and researchinfrastructure): ~10 G .


23/25


ASTRID

ASTRID: Advance Sodium Test Reactor for Industrial Demonstration

EU-project ESFR: Funded with 6 M

MOX driver fuel

Test assemblies with Am containing MOX fuel, Am originating from decay of 241 Pu.

Major design item: Application of ODS steels or not. These could permithigher burn-up, thus compensating for high costs of sodium management.

Location: Next to Phnix

2010: Choice of power

2012: Decision to build


24/25


Lead Cooled Advanced Experimental Reactor:LEADER

EU-project approved in August 2009.

EC-contribution: 3 M

Objective: Design of 100 MW e Experimental Technology Demonstration Plant

Major material issues:

Validation of GESA technique for surface alloying (FeCrAlY)

Material for pumps: MAXTAL?

KTH participates in safety work package

KTH leads work package on education


25/25


Concluding remarks

Nuclear renaissance now in full progress.

Future reactors based on fast neutron spectrum will increase fuelresources by a factor of 100 & reduce time for storage by a factor of 100!

Sodium Fast Reactor (SFR) demo likely to by built (ASTRID)

Decision on alternative technology (lead or gas) to be taken in 2012.

Development of ODS steels presently major effort

Feasibility of LFR depends on validation of corrosion and erosion resistantmaterials

Swedish Gen-IV research conducted within GENIUS project

100211 nuclear power

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