Overview of long-term industry engagement with academia

Transcription

1 Overview of long-term industry engagement with academia Professor Paul Howarth Managing Director Sept 2013

2 NNL Overview NNL to play a central role in HMG s Nuclear Industry Strategy announced March 2013 Turnover 90m, 900 staff, 50% STEM trained Operate unique national facilities DECC Objectives: International nuclear R&D centre of excellence Safeguard nuclear expertise, facilities and skills Deliver value for customers Trusted advisor Collaborations/Partnerships/Links Socio-economic focus

3 R&S support to all nuclear programmes Continued operation of existing reactors & fuel cycle facilities (fuel fabrication, reprocessing) Legacy waste management / decommissioning New nuclear build Geological disposal Plutonium stockpile disposition Naval propulsion support Advanced reactor & fuel cycles Space propulsion systems Security, non-proliferation & safeguards

4 Wide UK experience with different systems Sodium-cooled fast reactors DFR Gas-cooled reactors Magnox HTR Water-cooled reactors SGHWR 1970 PFR AGR Sizewell B PWR Present

5 Translational research The figure below shows one way that national laboratories can build on academic skills and expertise to support industry needs. TRL1 TRL2 TRL3 TRL4 TRL5 TRL6 TRL7 TRL8 TRL9 Technology Readiness Level Research Development Deployment

6 Gen II reactor neutronics & fuel performance Current reactor fleet operations Core loading and management Coolant flow Fuel design for: AGR steel cladding for life extension PWR (MOX lead test assemblies) UO2 and MOX Fuel Licensing Spent Fuel dry storage and disposal assessments: UO2 fuel from AGR and PWR Irradiation analysis for fuels: MOX in the Halden, Petten and Beznau reactors PWR In reactor analysis Post Irradiation Examination

7 Nuclear Inventories UK Spent fuel Material in storage including: Pu and U product stores Pu residue and PCM stores Reprocessed waste evaporation and subsequent vitrification product Waste in disposal scenarios for: Vitrified waste Cementitious ILW Spent fuel including UO2 fuel Transport flask: UK MOX shipments Pu inventory returns Criticality and shielding calculations

8 New Nuclear Build Digital C&I systems for protection & control Incredibility of failure of items Probabilistic risk assessment Engineering codes and standards Computer codes Severe accident management Radiation and contamination zoning Reactor shutdown provision Passive Safety features Security

9 Gen III fuel and fuel cycle development Evolutionary fuel and cladding Test Irradiation and fuel qualification Development and validation of codes for UK fuel licensing requirements Fuel Cycle Management Fuel manufacture and storage Fuel transport Spent Fuel Storage Spent fuel disposal

10 Small Modular Reactors Nuclear physics input on SMRs: Reactor Physics Fuel Performance Engineering Simulation Small Modular Pressure Water Reactors B&W mpower NuScale Holtec Small Modular Fast Reactors GE-Hitachi PRISM (FR) Hyperion (FR) Small Modular High Temperature Reactors ANTARES (HTR)

11 Generation IV reactors Fuel Cycle Management Fuel manufacture and storage Fuel transport Spent Fuel Storage Fuel recycle options Spent fuel disposal Relevance Nuclear Physics and Data Reactor Physics Fuel Performance Engineering Simulation High High High High

12 Fuel cycle assessment tools

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14 Repository considerations

15 Pu Management Resolution of UK Policy over management of 100 tonnes stockpile

16 Geological Disposal R&D 1. Release and migration of C-14 gases 2. Non-aqueous phase liquids 3. Cement near-field systems 4. Waste package longevity under interim phased storage conditions 5. Technology watch on other technology options such as borehole disposal 6. Socio-political issues

17 CBRN, Safeguards & Nuclear Security Non-proliferation and Safeguards Nuclear forensics Nuclear Security CBRN enhancing UK resilience Hazard management Sense detection and characterisation Radioactive Source and Materials Management

18 Muon Tomography

19 Integrated modelling approaches Fuel Elements and Reactor Cores Fuel Cycle Neutronics-Power-Temperature-Stress Underpinned by data, materials modelling and exp Mine-Fabricate-Generate-Recycle-Store Reactor Components Uranium to Power two generations of reactors 75 GWe OPEN 75 GWe CLOSED Coupled Chemistry Fluid Flow Temperature Thermal Mechanical Stress Baseline

20 Multi-scale modelling Multi-physics Complexity Integral Phenomena Reactor core Reactor System Components Reactor Simulation Strategic Assessments Fuel assembly Fuel Element & Cladding Fission gas release Unit processes VASP LAMMPS ENIGMA NEXUS ANSYS-FLUENT Integration codes and SAFETY CASES ORION TOOLS CODES Microscale Mesoscale Engineering components System - M&S Capability

21 Nuclear Data Underpinning nuclear data Nuclear data feeds into all the neutronics modelling disciplines. core design, irradiated fuel inventory analysis, criticality safety assessment radiation transport. International collaboration is essential. The UK (and NNL) is mostly involved with the JEFF project which is coordinated by the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA).

22 Critical Skills Significant replenishment of skill base needed to support UK s forward nuclear programme Generation of subject matter experts essential in many disciplines Strong link between SMEs, R&D and facilities Academic through to industrial experience is required

23 Nuclear Facilities

24 Summary Challenges Legacy Waste Management Gen II reactor: fuel management, reprocessing, Pu disposition Gen III new build reactors SMR and Gen IV systems Geological disposal CBRN Application Relevance People Facilities Technologies Programmes Collaboration + + Nuclear Physics and Data Reactor Physics Fuel Performance High High High Engineering Simulation High