OVERVIEW OF CEA STUDIES ON FUTURE NUCLEAR ENERGY SYSTEMS

Transcription

1 OVERVIEW OF CEA STUDIES ON FUTURE NUCLEAR ENERGY SYSTEMS Frank CARRE Future Nuclear Systems Project Manager 1

2 Overview of CEA studies on Future Nuclear Energy Systems Outline Advanced LWRs with improved fuel cycles Sodium Cooled Fast Reactors Assets of high temperature gas cooled systems Significance of international cooperation 2

3 Future Nuclear Energy Systems 5 fundamental criteria ECONOMICS SAFETY Save natural resources Extract most of the fuel energy Reduce proliferation risks Pu burning, integration of fuel cycle Minimize Waste production Integral recycling of actinides 3

4 Advanced LWRs with improved fuel cycles A new generation of PWR : EPR Containment designed to withstand hydrogen deflagration Containment Heat Removal System Prevention of high pressure core melt by depressurisation means Save natural resources Extract most of the fuel energy Spreading Area Protection of the Basemat In Containment Refueling Water Storage Tank (IRWST) Advanced subassemblies for Pu recycling CORAIL Assembly APA (Advanced Pu Assembly) Spent fuel U Minimize waste radiotoxicity by partitioning minor actinides Pu PUREX PF+AM Np Np I DIAMEX An + Ln Am Cm SESAME SANEX Am + Cm Ln {F.P.}. Glass MOX rods (with depleted U) UO2 standard rods Guide tubes Pu rods UO2 standard rods Guide tubes 4

5 Potential improvement of LWR high radioactive waste management Radio toxicity of wastes 1,00E+09 1,00E+08 Open cycle 1,00E+07 Plutonium multi recycling Sv/TWh 1,00E+06 1,00E+05 Initial Natural Uranium 1,00E+04 Pu multi recycling & MA separation 1,00E log(years) 5

6 A vision of advanced LWR systems in the 21st century ECONOMICS SAFETY IMPROVED REPROCESSING Save natural resources Extract more energy from the fuel Minimize Waste production Recycling, transmutation of MA Minimize proliferation risk Pu burning, 6

7 CEA Program on Sodium Cooled Fast Reactors (1) Preservation of past experience on Phenix and Superphenix Data base on reactors + Operation of Superphenix + RCC - MR Some effort on sodium technology to support Superphenix dismantling Irradiations programs in Phenix ( , 720 EFPD at 350 MWth) Basic data + material testing + MA & LLFP transmutation + Pu burning + Innovative fuels Studies and code validations (SIMMER III) for recriticality risk analysis Ball-trap experiments for molten and boiling mixed pool behavior analysis Analysis of CABRI/Raft TPA2 test Application on gas cooled reactors (+ Rapsodie & EFR) 7

8 CEA Program on Sodium Cooled Fast Reactors (2) International collaborations (JNC, MINATOM, Generation IV) OECD/IAEA : Nuclear data IAEA : Preservation of knowledges + CRPs Japan : Support to restart Monju Russia : Irradiations program BORA-BORA in BOR 60 Support to BN600 life extension project China & Korea : Support to CEFR and KALIMER project Generation IV 8

9 Future Nuclear Energy Systems 5 fundamental criteria Missions and additional criteria ECONOMICS Competitiveness Investment cost Save natural resources (U, Th) Reuse (U, Pu) from existing reactors SAFETY Operation/Accidents Severe conditions Minimize Waste production Integral recycling of actinides Electricity generation Hydrogen production /HT process heat Long-lived radioactive waste burning High sustainability Enhance proliferation resistance Pu burning, Integration of fuel cycle Symbiosis with existing LWRs Flexible adaptation to diverse fuel cycles 9

10 Future Nuclear Energy Systems CEA technology roadmap LWR Light Water Reactors Supercritical Water, Vapor GCR Gas Cooled Reactors GCADS # GCFR + spallation neutrons 2050 PWR BWR +advanced fuel «HTR»technology +recycling + harder spectrum ~ 2035 HTR ~ 2025 Na? Basic R&D + Evaluations LMC-ADS LMFR Liquid Metal Fast Reactors Improvements (ISIR) & Alternative : *Pb(Russia) *Pb-Bi: EU ADS Salts Materials Pyrochemistry MSR Molten Salts Reactors 10

11 Sequenced development of high temperature Gas cooled nuclear energy systems R & D Fuel particles Materials He systems technology (850 C) Computer codes Fuel cycle PMR VHTR > 950 C for VHT heat process GFR Fast neutrons Integral fuel cycle for high sustainability R & D Fast neutron fuel Fuel cycle processes Safety systems R & D VHT materials IHX for heat process ZrC coated fuel I-S cycle H2 production 11

12 Gas cooled reactors (GCR) : an evolutive range of nuclear systems For the short term : first configuration direct cycle HTR Concept of the 1970 s-1980 s Direct conversion with gas turbine For the medium term : specialized GCR Very high temperatures and high efficiency Robust «export» versions Optimized configurations for waste transmutation For the long term : sustainable energy development Fast spectrum Complete uranium consumption Integrated cycle transmuting all the actinides 12

13 300 MWe Modular High Temperature Reactor Economics Simple concept : a simple, direct-cycle system High conversion efficiency : 48 % for 850 C Modular design : in factory manufactured standard modules Moderate overnight cost (300 MWe) and fast construction (36 months) Safety and reliability Robust particle fuel (1600 C and beyond) Passive decay heat removal, even in damaged plant conditions Favorable fuel form for proliferation resistance 13

14 Restoration of CEA R&D capabilities on updated HTR technologies Manufacturing and quality control of TRISO fuel particles (2004) ZrO 2 Porous PyC (72 µm) Dense PyC (53 µm) 14

15 Development of structural materials Reactor component Direct cycle Vessel ( C, irradiation) Primary system ( C, stress) Fast RCG AFM 9 12% Cr HTR Ni based super-alloys 32Ni-25Cr-20Fe-12.5W-0.05C (German HTR) Ni-23Cr-18 W-0.2C (Japanese HTTR) AFM + Thermal barriers Fuel element Inner core structures ( C, irradiation, stress) AFM ODS Refractory metals and alloys Ceramics Graphites PyC, SiC, ZrC Turbine (850 C, stress) Ni based alloys or ODS 15

16 High Temperature Gas-Cooled System Technology TECHNOLOGY TEST LOOP ~ 1 MW Components Circuits Instrumentation Operation training Accumulating feedback PHe > 70 bar QHe = 0,4 kg/s 950 C 450 C Heater 900 C Test Sections H.T. Cooler Turbine 550 C L.T. Cooler Heat Exchanger recuperator 100 C 200 C 50 C Circulator 16

17 Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor (GFR) Example of candidate design options Composite ceramics fuel element Core layout Core vessel 17

18 Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor (GFR) Candidate fuel technologies particles Composite ceramics Solid solutions Advanced particles fuel Dispersed fuels % of Actinides compound in the core 18

19 GFR candidate fuel technologies Composite ceramics fuel with coated actinides elements and high actinides contents Achieve comparable performances with coated fuel particles in terms of high temperature resistance and FP confinement Preserve inert matrix coatings from generalized damage by fast neutrons and FP Neutrons >1cm, collision Fission products 10µm, ionisation Particles α, He 20µm, ionisation Recoil nuclei <<1µm, collision 19

20 Exemple of processes for the treatment and refabrication of AnC/SiC composite fuel Gas treatment NaOH/O 2 Dissolution HNO 3 - H 2 O 2 Dissolution Powder metallurgy SiC Si HLW Confinement FP An group separation PVD Coating AnC Solgel Process An U adjustment 20

21 GFR conceptual design studies Candidate decay heat removal strategies Tour de réfrigération sèche 250 C6 MPa 1400 C 200 C 70 C 40 C 25% rendement 4 x 25 kw 200 C 250 C 200 C 1100 C à 1400 C 80 C 150 C 4 boucles de 25 kwe chacune DIESEL 30 C Rayonnement 250 C 250 C RESEAU FORCED CONVECTION NATURAL CONVECTION 21

22 Key technology fields for a sequenced Development of gas cooled nuclear systems PMR VHTR GFR Fuels Standard and improved TRISO particles + Treatment Composite ceramics fuel technologies for fast neutron systems Integrated treatment and refabrication of the spent fuel Simple, compact and symbiotic processes Aqueous, pyrometallurgical or other dry processes Materials resisting to high temperatures and fast neutrons Technology of high temperature helium systems Tribology, impurity control, thermal barriers, components Recuperator, VHT IHX Systems studies, calculation tools 22

23 Development plan for future nuclear energy systems 23

24 3 major experimental demonstrations for the development of gas cooled nuclear systems An experimental Fuel Testing Reactor by 2012 at Cadarache 20 to 40 MW To qualify fuel technologies for VHTR, Actinides-Burner, GFR An integral test loop of gas systems Test of GCR components and systems Investigation of normal and abnormal operating transients An integrated fuel cycle test facility Demonstration of processes scientific feasibility in ATALANTE Demonstration of related technologies in a small scale inactive integrated pilot plant A prototype of GFR ( MWe) could be built around 2020, as an international project 24

25 Candidate scenario for the possible deployment of gas cooled nuclear systems in France U 63 GWe operating LWRs Pu U Pu EPR 1450 MWe Pu (+ Am? Np?) AM Pu PMR 300 MWe Pu + AM Pu +AM GFR 300 MWe U U, Pu + AM TRANSMUTATION DEDICATED SYSTEMS 25

26 Iodine-sulfur process for the thermochemical production Of H 2 (Source : ORNL) 26

27 Principle of current desalination processes Distillation processes Membrane processes Multiple effect Multistage flash MSF Vertical tube evaporator VTE Horizont. tube evaporator HTE Vapor compression VC Reverse osmosis RO Electrodialysis ED Heat consuming processes Power consuming processes 27

28 Generation IV overall mission Development of one or more nuclear energy systems Deployable by 2030 With significant advances in : Sustainability Safety and reliability Proliferation and physical protection Economics Competitive in various markets Designed for different applications : Electricity, Hydrogen, Clean water, Heat 28

29 Interests for GEN IV Concepts GIF SELECTION N N X H H* H X X M M N N X L L L X H* X M N N X H* H M M M H M N N X H M L M H H H* N N H* M M H X H L H N N X L X L X X L L N X L M H H* Neutral No Low Medium High High, Anim 29

30 Active international collaboration on Future Nuclear Energy Systems Generation IV International Forum European network HTR-TN Network with some 20 organizations Bilateral French/USA agreements 2 bilateral agreements signed on GEN IV research in 2000 & 2001 Common projects (International NERI) Bilateral French/Japanese agreements JNC: Agreement extended to Gas cooled fast reactors JAERI : Agreement extended on HTTR and Hydrogen production Bilateral French/Russian agreements Minatom : Agreement based on LMFRs and Gas cooled reactors 30

31 Overview of CEA studies on Future Nuclear Energy Systems Summary Minimising long-lived waste and saving natural resources are key issues for 21 st century nuclear energy systems Major R&D focus for sustainable energy policies : - Optimisation of LWR fuel cycle back-end - Phased development of gas cooled nuclear systems (PMR, VHTR, GFR ) - Preserve expertise on sodium cooled fast reactors Active and innovative R&D work on key technologies for the reactors, fuels, and fuel cycle : - High performance materials - Input from non nuclear technologies and basic research for breakthoughs Active international cooperation on goals and roadmaping of promising technologies for future nuclear energy systems : - Generation IV International Forum - Bilateral cooperation : DOE, JNC, JAERI, Minatom - European networks and R&D Framework Programmes 31

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