THEORETICAL PROOF OF THE CONSTRUTION OF A FAST SPECTRUM REACTOR AIMING REDUCTION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS

Transcription

1 MINISTÉRIO DA DEFESA EXÉRCITO BRASILEIRO DEPARTAMENTO DE CIÊNCIA E TECNOLOGIA INSTITUTO MILITAR DE ENGENHARIA IME SEÇÃO DE ENSINO DE ENGENHARIA NUCLEAR SE/7 INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM OF NUCLEAR ENGINEERING - ISNE THEORETICAL PROOF OF THE CONSTRUTION OF A FAST SPECTRUM REACTOR AIMING REDUCTION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS STUDENTS: Paulo Henrique Pereira Silva Jefferson Neves Pereira PROFESSOR: Sergio de Oliveira Vellozo CONCENTRATION AREA : Nuclear Plants RESEARCH AREA: Nuclear Reactors

2 ABSTRACT This work will examine the feasibility of building a Fast Spectrum Reactor fueled on Pu-239 using the SCALE V computational system, aiming reduction and no proliferation of nuclear weapons.

3 MOTIVATION Minimize the proliferation; Reduction of nuclear waste; Provide electrical power; Provide know-how to design FSR and new technologies.

4 JUSTIFICATION The main justification is based on feasibility of design a Fast Spectrum Reactor without the need for handling aggressive material in building a prototype.

5 OBJECTIVE Design a Fast Spectrum Reactor Pu fueled core using the SCALE V, taking Clementine Fast Reactor, the unique Pu prototype from LA (1946) as reference design.

6 THEORETICAL BASIS Fast Spectrum Reactors Fast neutrons population; Without moderator materials; Fuel (Pu or/and U metalic, MOX, Pu or/and U dioxide); Fertile Blanket; Liquid metals, molten salt and gas coolants; Blades or rods as reactivity control elements; Negative overall coefficient of reactivity.

7 THEORETICAL BASIS Fast Spectrum Reactors CR = Average rate of fissile atom production Average rate of fissile atom consumption B = η 1 L If B < 1 converter reactor If B > 1 breeder reactor It's very hard to achieve L < 0.2 To regenerate, η should be > 2.2

8 THEORETICAL BASIS Fast Spectrum Reactors

9 THEORETICAL BASIS Clementine First Spectrum Reactor; Built in 1945, Los Alamos National Laboratory; First criticality in 1946; Decommissioned in 1952; Fueled on metallic Pu-239; Blanket with natural U; Cooled by mercury.

10 CORE DATA Volume 2.5 l; Height 0.14 m; Diameter 0.15 m; THEORETICAL BASIS Clementine Flux exp15 n/cm2.s; VESSEL DATA Height 1.2 m; Diameter 0.2 m; Thickness m.

11 THEORETICAL BASIS Clementine

12 THEORETICAL BASIS Clementine Goals of the project Clementine Determine the properties of materials for nuclear weapons; Measures to total cross-section for 41 elements; Demonstrate the reaction control via delayed neutrons; Demonstrate that mercury is not ideal coolant; Provided experience in the design and control for FBR.

13 THEORETICAL BASIS SCALE Standardized Computer Analyses for Licensing Evaluations Developed in 1969 in Oak Ridge National Laboratory; The NRC provided ORNL with some general development criteria for SCALE: 1) Focus on applications related to nuclear fuel facilities and package designs; 2) Use well established computer codes and data libraries; 3) Design an input format for the occasional or novice user; 4) Prepare standard analysis sequences that will automate the use of multiple codes and data to perform a system analysis; 5)provide complete documentation and public availability.

14 RESULTS SCALE-V SIMULATION

15 RESULTS OUTPUT FROM SCALE-V (KENO-VI)

16 CONCLUSIONS The results show that there is great possibility of using a Fast Spectrum Reactor fueled on Pu-239 in order to reduce proliferation.

17 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors thank the Nuclear Engineering Department (SE/7) of Instituto Militar de Engenharia (IME) and CAPES for the financial support.

18 REFERENCES 1) Bowman, S. M. (2008), KENO-VI Primer: A prime for criticality calculations with SCALE/KENO-VI using GeeWiz, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USA. 2) C.R. BELL. Breeder Reactor Safety. Los Alamos Science. USA 3)Duderstadt, James (1975), Nuclear Reactor Analysis, Department of Nuclear Enginnering-The University of Michigan, USA. 4)M. E. BUNKER. Early Reactors. From Fermi's Water Boilers to Novel Power Prototypes. Winter/Spring. LOS ALAMOS SCIENCE USA

19 REFERENCES 5) Ragheb,M. Analysis of Fast Reactors Systems, University of Illinois, USA. 6) Waltar, Alan E.; Reynolds, Albert B. Fast Breeder Reactors, USA. 7) W. H. HANNUM and D. C. WADE. Using the IFR to dispose of excess weapons plutonium. Progress in Nuclear Energy. VoL31. Argonne National Laboratory. Argonne, Illinois USA.1997.

20 THANK YOU!