Advancing Proliferation-Resistant Fuel Cycle Technology in Korea

1. Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute Prospect of the Proliferation Resistant Fuel Cycle Technology Development in Korea 2004. 6. M.S. YANG, S.W. PARK, H.S. PARK Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute

2. Fuel fabrication facility PWR in operation PWR under construction CANDU in operation PWR(KSNP) under preparation NPP under planning * * * * * Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute Korean Nuclear Power Program SOUTH KOREA SEOUL Ulchin Daejeon Wolsung Yonggwang Gori BUSAN GWANGJU

3. Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute Status of AR Spent Fuel Storage (As of Dec. 2002)

4. Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute Proliferation Resistant Fuel Cycle Technology DUPIC Fuel Cycle

5. Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute DUPIC Concept LWR Uranium Saving Natural Uranium Spent LWR Fuel DUPIC Fuel Fab Proliferation Resistance On-site Storage CANDU Spent CANDU/DUPIC Fuel AFR Storage DUPIC On-site Storage PWR once-through CANDU once-through Permanent Disposal Permanent Disposal No Disposal Less Disposal * DUPIC : Direct use of spent PWR fuel in CANDU reactors termed in 1991 joint research meeting among KAERI, AECL & US DOS • Getting rid of spent LWR fuel • Reducing the amount of spent fuel generation from CANDU by a factor of 2 • Significant (~25%) reduction in natural uranium requirement Benefits • Development of remote fuel fabrication technology • Development of remote fuel handling method in CANDU plant • Verification of performance and safety of DUPIC fuel TechnicalChallenges

6. Fuel Rods Spent PWR Fuel Cut to Size Skeleton Volatiles Decladding Cladding Hulls Oxidation/Reduction (OREOX) Pelletizing/Sintering Welding DUPIC Fuel Rods DUPIC Fuel Bundle Volatiles & Semi-volatiles Structural Parts Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute DUPIC Fuel Fabrication Process • Inherent Proliferation-resistant process owing to no separation of sensitive nuclear material • Minimization of process waste through a dry thermal/mechanical process Benefits • Development of remote fuel fabrication and QA/QC technology TechnicalChallenges

7. 27 27 27 28 28 26 2 29 17 2 10 4 11 8 7 5 9 23 3 1 29 13 20 19 24 21 12 26 18 22 25 6 15 25 29 29 29 29 19 16 Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute Layout of DUPIC Equipment in Hot Cell 1. MILL 2. OFF-GAS TREATMENT SYSTEM 3. OREOX FURNACE (Oxidation & Dewaxing) 4. MIXER 5. SLITTING MACHINE6. POWDER QC EQUIPMENT 7. COMPACTION PRESS 8. CENTERLESS GRINDER 9. CUTTER 10. SINTERING FURNACE 11. QC - FURNACE 12. PELLET CLEANER/DRYER 13. PELLET LOADING MACHINE 14. PELLET QC EQUIPMENT 15. PELLET STACK ADJUSTER 16. ROD QC EQUIPMENT 17. S/G-DSNC 18. END CAP WELDER 19. HELIUM LEAK TESTER 20. MINI-ELEMENT ASSEMBLY MACHINE 21. END PLATE WELDER 22. BUNDLE QC EQUIPMENT 23. BUNDLE CLEANER 24. DECON. CHAMBER 25. BALANCE 26. VACUUM CLEANER 27. MATERIAL STORAGE 28. WASTE STORAGE 29. VENTILATION FILTER

8. Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute DUPIC Fuel Development Facility (DFDF) Inside Hot Cell Outside Operation Area

9. Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute Fabrication of DUPIC Fuel at KAERI DUPIC Powder after OREOX Process Sintered DUPIC Pellets DUPIC Element Welding Inspection of DUPIC Pellets

10. Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute Proliferation Resistant Fuel Cycle Technology Advanced Spent Fuel Conditioning Process (ACP)

11. Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute Concept of the Advanced Spent Fuel Conditioning Process Off-gas Trapping Waste Treatment (LiCl+Cs+Sr) I2, Kr, Xe Electrolytic Reduction Casting into Storage Form Smelting of SF Metal Powder Disassembling & Cutting Voloxidation PWR SF Benefits Recycle to Transmuter Disposal • Reduction of spent fuel heat power, volume and radioactivity to a quarter • Saving of a disposal vault area and number of disposal packages to a half • Significant reduction of accumulated doses from a disposal system Technical Goals • Technical and economic verification of the process concept • Development of innovative technologies to simplify process systems and to reduce costs

12. Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute Development of Electrolytic Reduction Process Concept of ER Technology Anode Cathode - + Oxygen Evolution O2- → O2 + e- Reduction of Oxide UxOy + 2ye- → xU + yO2- Spent oxide fuel O2- O2 Magnesia Membrane LiCl-Li2O Molten Salt PWR SF Powder AM, AEM (Cs, Sr etc) Integrated Cathode Assembly

13. Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute Performance Test of Electrolytic Reduction System 5 kgU/batch ER Reactor Metal Product (Reduction Yield : > 99%)

14. kcps Binding Energy (Ev) Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute Behavior of Rare Earth Elements • Electrolytic Reduction of Rare Earth Elements XPS Spectrogram of Products LiCl-Li2O LiCl-Li2O-Nd2O3

15. KAERI Joint Research with ANL 5 kgHM/batch Test Joint Research with RIAR Material Development Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute Milestone Schedule Milestone of ACP 2001 2004 2007 1997 Phase I Phase II Phase III Technology Evaluation Proof of Principle Proof of Performance Change of Ref. Concept Li reduction → ER Hot Test 20 kgHM/batch

16. Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute INPRO Case Study Assessment of Proliferation Resistance of DUPIC Fuel Cycle

17. Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute Background • The DUPIC team has participated in the national case study of International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO) since August 2003. • The objective of the national case study is to assessif INPRO methodology for the areas of economics, proliferation resistance, safety and environment is useful. • The DUPIC case study is limited to Proliferation Resistance (PR) assessment of the DUPIC fuel cycle. • The interim result was presented in INPRO Steering Committee held in Vienna in January 2004. Now the final report of the case study is just completed.

18. Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute Evaluation Frame of INPRO PR Five Basic Principles User Requirements UR1 UR2 UR3 UR4 UR5 Criterion (Indicator and Acceptance Limit) 1st Level Indicator 2nd Level Indicator 3rd Level Indicator 1st level indicator 2nd level indicator 1st level indicator 1st level indicator 1st level indicator • The result of UR1 (red color) will be presented here. • Integration to higher level assessment is performed by DELPHI, which is a expert group discussion technique.

19. Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute Basic Principles Basic Principles for proliferation resistance assessment recommended by INPRO

20. Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute User Requirements User Requirements for proliferation resistance assessment recommended by INPRO

21. Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute Indicators (Barriers) of UR1 3rd level indicator 1st level indicator 2nd level indicator • Isotope content • Chemical form • Radiation field • Bulk and mass • Heat generation • Spontaneous neutron generation rate • Detectable radiation • Attractiveness of nuclear material for a nuclear weapons programme • Prevention or inhibition of the diversion of nuclear material • Diversion detectability • Effectiveness of prevention of diversion of nuclear material Confidence • Prevention or inhibition of the undeclared production of direct-use material • Difficulty to modify fuel cycle facilities and process • Non-proliferation related treaties and convention • Export control • Commercial, legal or institutional arrangements that control access to NM and NES • Safeguards agreements, verification and response • States’ commitments, obligations and policies regarding non-proliferation and disarmament Intrinsic Barriers Extrinsic Barriers

22. Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute Assessment Frame of Intrinsic Barriers of UR1 * U: Unacceptable, W: Weak, M: Moderate, S: Strong, V: Very strong

23. Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute Assessment Frame of Extrinsic Barrier of UR1

24. Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute Examples of Qualitative Evaluation of UR 1 • Isotope content • The 239Pu content of the process material in the DUPIC fuel fabrication facility is ~40%. Therefore the isotope content gets the score “Very Strong”. • Chemical form • The process materials in the DUPIC fuel fabrication facility have oxide forms with various physical types. They include the oxide powder, oxide pellet/rod and the fresh DUPIC fuel bundle. Therefore the chemical form gets the score “Strong” because it continues to maintain oxide form just like the spent fuel itself. • Radiation field • The radiation field of the DUPIC bundle is estimated to be 15 rem/hr, which corresponds to the score “Moderate”. • Bulk and mass • The fresh DUPIC bundle is 50 cm long and 10 cm in diameter. It can be judged that “Moderate” score for the fresh DUPIC fuel bundle may be got.

25. Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute Examples of Qualitative Evaluation of UR 1 • Heat generation • The DUPIC process material has 4.9% of 238Pu/Pu, which is “Moderate”. • Spontaneous neutron generation rate • The (240Pu+242Pu)/Pu of the DUPIC process material is ~50%, which corresponds to the score “Strong”. • Detectable radiation • The DUPIC fuel material can be passively detected because it contains high 244Cm. • The DUPIC Safeguards Neutron Monitor (DSNM) employs 3He detectors, which are effectively used for the surveillance of DFDF. Therefore this barrier gets the score “Very Strong”.

26. Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute Example of Scoring for 3rd level Indicators of UR 1

27. Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute Final Score for 1st level Indicators of UR 1

28. Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute Conclusions • Development of proliferation resistant fuel cycle technology is an important issue for the sustainable growth of the nuclear energy. • The DUPIC and ACP are being developed as the main research initiatives for the proliferation resistant fuel cycle technology in Korea, and their achievements so far are promising to meet the goals. • Assessment of the proliferation resistance of the DUPIC fuel cycle is being performed as an INPRO case study according to the INPRO Methodology, and the results have proven the excellent proliferation resistant characteristics of the DUPIC technology.