European Vision in P&T. Advances in Transmutation Technology

Transcription

1 European Vision in P&T Advances in Transmutation Technology Prof. Dr. Hamid Aït Abderrahim SCK CEN, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium or Copyright 2010 SCK CEN 1

2 After a very good year : Inauguration of GUINEVERE, a zero power mock-up of MYRRHA; : Decision of the Belgian federal government to support the MYRRHA project (40% of 960 M total investment); : Launch of the ESNII (European Sustainable Nuclear Industrial Initiative) of SNETP including MYRRHA & ASTRID; : Promotion of MYRRHA to the high priority list of ESFRI (European Strategic Forum for Research Infrastructures); : Selection of ISOL@MYRRHA by NuPPEC in their long range plan 2010 for nuclear physics facilities; 3

3 MYRRHA- Accelerator Driven System Accelerator (600 MeV - 4 ma proton) Reactor Subcritical mode ( MWth) Critical mode (~100 MWth) Spallation Source Multipurpose Flexible Irradiation Facility Fast Neutron Source Lead-Bismuth coolant 4

4 Fast spectrum irradiation facility Spallation window IPS Fuel Assemblies k eff 0.95 (ADS mode) 5

5 High-intensity RIB facilities worldwide TRIUMF FRIB GANIL SPIRAL EURISOL RIKEN ORNL GSI FAIR LANZHOU HIE-ISOLDE 6

6 in NuPPEC Plan Nuclear Physics Astrophysics Atomic Physics Fundamental Interactions Condensed Matter HIE-ISOLDE, GANIL, TRIUMF, ORNL, EURISOL, MSU, GSI, RIKEN, FRIB,... Decay: 1% Reactions: 10% Reactions: 10%, 100 μb Masses μ, Q Prototype Pilot studies Prototypes ISOL@MYRRHA Rare decays with high precision: cluster decay, SHE Bohr-Weisskopf, isotope dependence (88<Z<92) Correlation measurements, EDM, ββ Systematic sample measurements Other Applications Radiopharmacy Radiotherapy (prototype) Life science Exploitation SHE chemistry Time scale Day Week Month Year 7

7 At the crossroads of ESFRI and SET Plan Knowledge Economy Energy Independence The only ESFRI project for Belgium 8

8 Facing the Energy Challenge Energy production shares in EU-25 (2005) 9

9 Sustainable Nuclear Fission nuclear waste ressource utilisation safety proliferation risk 10

10 High Level Nuclear Waste Fuel U 235 n Neutron U 235 Uranium U 238 Fission n n n Actinides Minor Actinides Pu Np Am Cm U 238 Plutonium Neptunium Americium Curium Minor Actinides high radiotoxicity long lived waste that are difficult to store due to: Long lived (>1,000 years) Highly radiotoxic Heat emitting 11

11 Motivation for Transmutation Relative radiotoxicity Uranium naturel transmutation of spent fuel spent fuel reprocessing no reprocessing Time (years) Duration Reduction 1.000x Volume Reduction 100x 12

12 Better ressource utilisation 13

13 European Vision for Implementation of P&T Strategy Implementation of P&T of a large part of the high level nuclear wastes in Europe needs demonstration of the feasibility of several installations at an engineering level leading to arrangement of R&D activities in four building blocks, so as: 1. To process a sizable amount of spent fuel from commercial power plants (i.e. LWR) in order to separate Pu and MA, 2. To fabricate at semi-industrial level the dedicated fuel needed to load a dedicated transmuter, 3. To make available one or more dedicated transmuters, 4. To process the dedicated fuel unloaded from the transmuter and fabrication of new dedicated fuel. 14

14 Reduction of Radiotoxicity Direct disposal of the overall nuclear wastes Radiotoxicity (Sv / t HM) Gesamt Total Nat. Natural Uran Uranium ya Years Jahre nach after unloading Entladung from aus Reaktor reactor 15

15 Reduction of Radiotoxicity Partitioning and transmutation of 99.9% of Pu and U Radiotoxicity (Sv / t HM) Natural Nat. UranUranium Gesamt Total 99,9 % Pu, UU ay y a Jahre Years nach after unloading Entladung from aus Reaktor reactor 16

16 Reduction of Radiotoxicity Partitioning and transmutation of 99.9% of Pu, U and MA Achievement Disposal times are shifted from geological to historical time scales in nuclear waste disposal. Radiotoxicity (Sv / t HM) 10 9 Total Gesamt 99,9% Pu, U 99,9 % Pu, U 99,9% % Pu, Pu, U, U, MA Natural Nat. Uran Uranium ay a y ay Jahre Years nach after unloading Entladung from aus Reaktor reactor 17

17 Benefits of Transmutation Transmutation allows to minimize radiotoxicity, heat load and volume of high level wastes which have to go to a final repository. Anticipated volume reduction of HLW: factor 100 Anticipated radiotoxicity reduction of HLW: factor 1000 Transmutation does not replace a final repository. Introduction of transmutation systems closes the nuclear fuel cycle. 18

18 How does P&T work in a Closed Fuel Cycle? 19

19 Simple Recycling of Fuel 20

20 Closed Fuel Cycle with P&T 21

21 Closed Fuel Cycle with P&T 22

22 Closed Fuel Cycle with P&T Losses Final Repository Losses 23

23 What is a Transmutation Machine? 24

24 What is a Transmutation Machine? (1/2) Fast Power Reactors of Generation IV Type: Sodium Fast Reactor Lead Fast Reactor Gas Fast Reactor Stabilisation of highly radioactive inventory! Sodium Fast Reactor Lead Fast Reactor Gas Fast Reactor 25

25 What is a Transmutation Machine? (2/2) Accelerator Driven subcritical System (ADS) Proton beam Accelerator Spallation target Subcritical core Improved safety characteristics. Reduction of highly radioactive inventory (radiotoxicity)! 26

26 8 Scientific Challenges, being (1) partitioning (2) accelerator components (3) fuel development (4) structural materials (5) thermal-hydraulics (6) heavy liquid metal technology (7) nuclear data, and (8) finally the coupling of the major ADS components. to Demonstrator From Fundamental Research Prototypic Experiment 27

27 Conclusion (1) International Collaboration is a must in P&T National motivated initiatives are paramount triggers Belgium is contributing through MYRRHA to the 3 rd Building Block of the European Vision on P&T 28

28 Global Dimension for Nuclear Energy Burning legacy of the past Common needs Reducing cost of ultimate waste Providing new resources 29

29 MYRRHA: EXPERIMENTAL ACCELERATOR DRIVEN SYSTEM A pan-european, innovative and unique facility Time horizon: full operation ~ 2023 Costs: ~ EUR 960 million 30

30 Copyright notice Copyright SCK CEN All property rights and copyright are reserved. Any communication or reproduction of this document, and any communication or use of its content without explicit authorization is prohibited. Any infringement to this rule is illegal and entitles to claim damages from the infringer, without prejudice to any other right in case of granting a patent or registration in the field of intellectual property. SCK CEN Studiecentrum voor Kernenergie Centre d'etude de l'energie Nucléaire Stichting van Openbaar Nut Fondation d'utilité Publique Foundation of Public Utility Registered Office: Avenue Herrmann-Debrouxlaan 40 BE-1160 BRUSSEL Operational Office: Boeretang 200 BE-2400 MOL 31