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Experimental Verification of Thorium Breeder Based on MSR System

Explore historical roots, basic concepts, and experimental tests of a Thorium Breeder based on a Molten Salt Reactor System (MSR). Learn about scientific advancements and the practical application of fluid fuel technology.

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Experimental Verification of Thorium Breeder Based on MSR System

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  1. Experimental Verification of Thorium Breeder Based on MSR System by MiloslavHron and Miroslav Mikisek Nuclear Research Institute Rez

  2. 1 Conclusions of the SPHINX (SPent Hot fuel Incinerator by Neutron fluX) Project presented by MiloslavHron ScientificLeaderof theSPHINX project 1997-2008 and Miroslav Mikisek Scientific Secretary of the SPHINX project Liblice, April 26-30, 2011

  3. Historical roots of the first nuclear era 1939 discovery of the atomic nucleus fission reaction 1942 first nuclear reactor (solid natural uranium) started by Enrico Fermi team 1943 scientists warned to use the concept of solid fuel and U-Pu fuel cycle in global (industrial) scale, recommended to shift to concept of fluid fuel and Th-U fuel cycle 1950 Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion Program (MSR) 1954 first MSR 2,5 MW in ORNL, USA 1954 first nuclear power station 5 MW in Obninsk, Russia 1957 first commercial PWR (60 MWe) in Shippingport, USA 1960 MSRE in ORNL reached critical state 1965-9 MSRE reached 8 MW 1970 MSBR shifted to Th-U cycle 1972 project of MSR 1000 MW 1979 Three Mile Island NPS crashed, nuclear laws of president J. Carter 1989 renaissance of ADS transmuter 1992 ADS in combination with MSR(Dr Charlie Bowman in LANL) 1995 Drs Nuyi (China) and Hron (Czech Rep.) participated in Dr Ch. Bowman team

  4. Basic Concepts of MSBR Ø Autonomous Critical MSBR Ø Subcritical MSBR with External Neutron Source (Accelerator + Target) – ADS, ADTT Ø Subcritical Inserting Zone (Incinerating and/or Breeding Channel) Inserted into Driving Core (e.g. WWER or FR)

  5. The LR-0 core charged by shortened (125 сm) fuel assemblies WWER-1000

  6. Fuel assemblies inventory of the LR-0 reactor 236 mm (Grenoble 260 mm) (Berkeley 250 mm) The size of an assembly 136 mm

  7. fluorides graphite Principle properties of the BC1100 inserting zone b) c) a) • x[mol%]LiF+y [mol%] BeF2 +z [mol%]NaF +u [mol%] ZrF4 + w [mol%](HN) F4 • x=y=0; z=100; u=w=0 2. x=100; y=z=u=w=0; • 3. x=60; y=0; z=40; u=w=0 4. x=50; y=z=0; u=50;w=0

  8. А) В) С) The experiments withvariousinserting zones BC-1100 НА) = 43,70 сm НВ) = 50,00 сm НС) = 49,55 сm 3,6 % U235 enrichment 4,4 % U235

  9. The ВС 1100 inserting zone while charged into the LR-0 driving core

  10. 236 mm liquid fuel (molten fluorides of fissionable metals) molten fluorides of non-fissionable metals(fission products or thorium) graphite WWER-1000fuel assembly 80 mm Elementary module of the SR-0 experimental reactor- double purpose MSR

  11. Radial Distribution of Neutron Group Fluxes in the SR-0 Elementary Module

  12. FANTOM for the irradiation by hard spectrum of the NG 2neutron generator

  13. Radial Distribution of Neutron Group Fluxes in FANTOM

  14. 30 November 2008 AHTR Test Assembly supplied The design of the test assembly is a hexagonal block with a pitch of 23.6cm with 19 channels drilled for uranium pins surrounded by salt. Fuel pins are .753 cm diameter (without cladding) 3.6% enriched and clad with zirconium alloy. Initial design uses 60% natural LiF and 40% NaF salt. Subsequent experiments will use prototypical salt composition

  15. The BC-1900g (19 graphite assemblies with cylindrical channels filled in by graphite spheres)should be suppliedin 2009 fluorides graphite F 0.060 m (sphere) F 0.198 m 0.236 m PWR 3.6%U235 PWR 4.4%U235

  16. Long - Term R&D Program EROS E01 Static Experiments with Various Fluoride Compositions at Room Temperature 2012-13 E02 Kinetic Experiments at Room Temperature Modeling Flowing of Fluid Fuel by Movement of Blocks Containing Fluoride Compositions2013-14 E03 Static and Dynamic Experimentswith Cirсulated Molten (by Electric Heating)Salts at Temperatures up to 250oC 2014-15 E04 Static and Dynamic Experimentswith Cirсulated Molten (by Electric Heating)Salts at Temperatures up to 650oC 2015-16

  17. Oklo – Gabon 1972 Theoretical hypothesis 1956 Japanese physicist P. Kuroda

  18. Natural Nuclear Reactors in Oklo (Gabon)Supposed isotopic composition of Uranium 2.10 9 years ago Ratio of number of atoms U 5 and U 8 years years Natural Nuclear Reactor in Oklo (Gabon) 2.10 9 years ago nowadays Age of the Earth [billions of years]

  19. REEs – Ash from Ancient Stars ~Half of the elements heavier than Iron (including the Rare Earths) form gradually in Large Stars in the course of stellar lives: Slow rate of adding neutrons to a nucleus Able to build elements only up to Bismuth However a Supernova’s huge neutron bursts synthesize during the first ~15 minutes of SupernovaDetonation: ~Half of All Elements Heavier than Iron that exist Allof the Actinides and other Heavy RIs(RadioIsotopes) Once blasted deep into Space, many RIs & Actinides undergo Spontaneous Fission: Enriches planet-forming Stardust with additional Rare Earth Elements REEs comprise ~40% of all Primordial Fission Products. Kim L Johnson ChemInnovar 01 Nov 2010 The Sustainable Chemistry & Energy of Thorium 19

  20. REEs:"Chem. Magnets" for Thorium • Early Molten Earth crystallized from the base of the Mantle upward.* • Because REEs couldn’t co-crystallize along with the main silicates of the Mantle (Ca-Mg-Fe+2 -SiO3), Rare Earths were forced – while yet molten – ever closer to the thin new Crust. • During the journey upward, the migrating REEs gathered (via similar physical chemistry) and pulled along practically all of the mantle’s Thorium and much of its Uranium, heavy Alkali Metals (K/Rb/Cs) and other metals that couldn’t crystallize easily with the Mantle. • Before 30 Ma old, the Mantle began crystalliz-ing into different phases (various blue shades). Also forming just beneath the thickening new Crust was a separate, still-molten phase, highly enriched in REEs. • This REE-Rich Region is shown in Red in Figure (A). (A)* Earth <30 Millions Yrs Old • Some time after ~30 Ma however, Earth’s primordial crust cooled, lost buoyancy and began to subduct into the now-solid Mantle (nevertheless still plastic and able to flow) • The subducting Crust dragged Earth’s early REE-Rich Region, now solidified and strongly adhering, deep into the Mantle. Kim L Johnson ChemInnovar 01 Nov 2010 20

  21. REEs:“Magnets" for Thorium • Most likely location today for Earth’s early REE-Rich Region is the Core-Mantle Boundary.Labeled by geologists D”(double-prime), REE-Rich D” reportedly: • Lies ~2700 km under the Crust, resting atop the Iron Core. • Contains ~40% of Earth’s Inventory of REEs and R.I.s (RadioIsotopes). • Generates ~9 TW of Heat (~¼ of that which leaves Earth’s interior). This makes D” the most ThermogenicStructure within the Earth.Averaging ~200-km thick, each area of D” deforms in response to what the Mantle above is doing: Subducting Tectonic-Plate Mantle (cooler, sinking Green material of Fig. B) make regions of D” lying below the slabs thinner and thus cooler. (B) Earth Today • Mantle Plumes (hot, rising zones under Hawaii, etc) stretchthe height of D” beneath. This makes D” under mantle plumes generate even more heat and sustains our planet’s many hot spots with strong convection. Kim L Johnson ChemInnovar 01 Nov 2010 21

  22. AGENDA U.S.-CZECH REPUBLIC TECHNICAL WORKSHOP January 24-26, 2012 Prague, Ministry of Industry and Trade January 24, 2012 Fluoride Volatility Research and Development January 25, 2012 Molten Salt Reactivity Experiments January 26, 2012 Visit of Fluorine Chemistry labs (Fluoride volatility technology) and LR-0 experimental reactor (Molten salt reactivity experiment) U.S. Participants: Steve Butler, Senior Economic Officer, U.S. Embassy Prague Colette Brown, DOE/Office of Nuclear Energy Jim Bresee, DOE/Office of Nuclear Energy David Holcomb, Oak Ridge National Laboratory Terry Todd, Idaho National Laboratory Jess Gehin, Oak Ridge National Laboratory Ehud Greenspan, University of California-Berkeley Benoit Forget, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Randy Sheele, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Thad Adams, Savannah River National Laboratory Lee Peddicord, Nuclear Power Institute, Texas A&M University

  23. Fluoride-Salt-Cooled High-Temperature Reactors for Power and Process Heat NEUP - Integrated Research Project Charles Forsberg (MIT) Lin-wen Hu (MIT), Per F. Peterson (UCB), and Todd Allen (UW) Presenter: Benoit Forget (MIT) January 25th, 2012 US - Czech Republic Technical Workshop Prague, Czech Republic

  24. Critical experiments needs Multiple core configurations with and without Li-7 coolant Replace Li-7 by water Add different volume of graphite External row with graphite and Li-7 to evaluate reflection properties M.Hron et al, ICAPP 2009

  25. Dear foreign members of ITMSF. I visited China last month to have meetings withscientists in SINAP (Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics).As all of you know, China announced to start the constructionof experimental MSRs, starting from zero-powered MSR in 2015, 2MWt MSR, 10MWe(electric)-MSR and 100MWe-MSR.Their approach is very impressive for me, because there arenot only studying ORNL design results, but also they are investigating related areas in order to know why ORNL madefinal selection among many different designs.This approach is to acquire "Know-why", and this is moreimportant thing than to acquire "Know-how".When I heard their plan in 2010, I was not confidentof their success at first.But, after 5-times meetings with them so far, I becameconfident of their success, because of their firm process. By the way, in last week, I received an invitation letterfrom India, which says that India is starting MSR program.India has been studying solid-fuel Thorium reactorslong time, so I wasvery much surprised by this news.They might recognize that thorium utilization is bestin MSR than in solid-fuel reactor.MSR was in glacial period (ice-freezing period) for thelast 40-years.It is unbelievable that prof. Furukawa has been promotingMSR under such severe conditions.His heat and effort might break the glacial period.I think we can declare that "Long-time glacial period ended,or is ending at least".I hope I can inform a good progress in Japan too. Best regards. Ritsuo Yoshioka president of"International Thorium Molten-Salt Forum (ITMSF) 2012-April-09, Tokyo

  26. Summary-conclusions Project SPHINX is useful for Czech nuclear power program and simultaneously for the international co-operation in that field The EROS program has been the first step in a complex research of netronic characteristics with specific materials and processes being employed in MSR transmuter as well as Th breeder The program has been reported regularly to the MSR SSC of the global project of the development of the reactors of the GEN IV In the time being, there have been signed or are under preparation bilateral agreements on a collaboration in the given fields between Czech Republic and some foreign partners (US, Russia, Japan, Australia and probably will be agreed with China in May, 2012 ) On the bases of these agreements the SPHINX Project should be going on as soon as possible in the favor of the human kind April 9-12, 2012

  27. THANK YOU FOR YOURATTENTION

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