FUTURE NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLES: GUIDELINES

Transcription

1 ATOMS FOR FUTURE PARIS, 8-9 november, 2011 FUTURE NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLES: GUIDELINES Bernard BOULLIS, CEA, Nuclear Energy Division Program Director, Nuclear Fuel Cycle Back-end ATOMS FOR FUTURE PARIS, 8-9 november, 2011 FUTURE NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLES: GUIDELINES 1- The current french nuclear fuel cycle 2 - Towards sustainable nuclear systems 3 - Drivers for R&D 1

2 (UOX 1000t) (REU 150t) (MOX 100t) Fuel fabrication LWRs used MOX #100t RECYCLING used REU #150t used UOX 1000 t depleted uranium 7000t depleted RU 800t Uranium enrichment Uranium Conversion Plutonium #10t WASTE FPs and MAs 40 t Uranium (RU) #950 t Mining and milling natural U 8000 t THE PRINCIPLE OF THE FRENCH CLOSED FUEL CYCLE (approximative amounts/year) FINAL WASTE VITRIFICATION #15% FPs 180 liters # glass canisters /reactor /per year 2

3 GLASS CANISTERS DISPOSAL (ANDRA, «CLAY REPORT», 2005) 1mSv/y 1μSv/y #1 µm/50d, early stages #1 µm/1000 years, steady state y 1 M y DOSE AT FINAL OUTLET CURRENT RECYCLING STRATEGY : THE RATIONALE - saving uranium resources (#10% of French nuclear electricity from MOX fuels); - mastering the growth of plutonium inventory (Pu flux adequacy : Pu from processing= Pu refueled) - safe & secure ultimate waste without plutonium; - the plutonium available for future use is concentrated in MOX spent fuels (7 UOX -> 1 MOX) - an already large industrial experience, operated under international safeguards ( # tons reprocessed, # 2000 tons MOX) - suitable option for Generation III reactors 3

4 LONG TERM SUSTAINABLE NUCLEAR SYSTEMS (1) RECYCLE, (2) IN FAST REACTORS - efficient burning of plutonium, - full use of uranium, - potentialities for improving waste management, - no enrichment needs 1.00 A progressive deployment? Fission/Absorpt initially fueled with plutonium coming from spent MOX breeding gain could be adjusted in the future 0.20 (according to energy needs) able to recycle more -in a later step - (transmutation of minor actinides ) U235 U238 Np237 Pu238 Pu239 Pu240 Pu241 Pu242 Robert N. Hill Argonne National Laboratory 233 rd ACS National Meeting Chicago,, 2007 Am241 Am243 Cm244 PWR SFR FOSSILE FUELS POTENTIAL RESERVES Uranium 40 Gtoe Gas 150 Gtoe oil 165 Gtoe coal, 400Gtoe Uranium, 4000 Gtoe Uranium use in thermal neutrons reactors Uranium use in fast neutrons reactors Identified conventionnal resources, Gtoe (mémento sur l énergie,cea, 2010) (Pétrole 165 Gt, charbon 826Gt, gaz 180 Tm 3,uranium 3,3Mt) 4

5 SPENT FUEL TOXICITY Main contributors to intrinsic toxicity 1E E Inventaire radiotoxique (Sv/TWh e) 1E E E E E E E Total combustible Plutonium Uranium Actinides mineurs Produits de fission 1E Temps (années) Estimated dose, Saulx, spent fuel (Andra, rapport argile, 2005) Pu>MAs>>>FPs MOX-FR 450t FRs used MOX-FR 450t FUEL FABRICATION RECYCLING depleted uranium (40t) Plutonium (#20%) Uranium (#80%) (minor actinides (# 5t)) WASTE FPs (MAs) (40t) ACTINIDE MULTI-RECYCLE IN A FR FLEET ( principle values, self-balanced fleet, 400 TWh/y) 5

6 LONG TERM SUSTAINABLE NUCLEAR SYSTEMS RECYCLE, FAST REACTORS, IN FAST NEUTRON THE BEST REACTORS ANSWER - efficient burning of plutonium, - full use of uranium, - potentialities for improving waste management, - no enrichment needs A progressive deployment? - initially fueled with plutonium coming from spent MOX - FR/LWR deployment could be adjusted in the future (according to energy needs) - able to recycle more -in a later step - (transmutation of minor actinides ) FROM LWRs TO FRs A SCHEMATIC PATHWAY Fast reactor Prototype? Installed capacity (MWe) Existing fleet 40-year plant life Plant life extension beyond 40 years? Generation 3+ Generation Average plant life : 48 years 6

7 TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE NUCLEAR SYSTEMS -reactors? - fuel cycle technologies? - deployment dynamics (strategy)? FAST REACTORS DEVELOPMENT : FRENCH STRATEGY - Sodium Fast Reactor, the reference option : ASTRID, the prototype - maturity, possible further improvments (safety, operability, economics) - commercial level developped with industrial and international partners - Gas-cooled Fast Reactor, a long-term option: ( ALLEGRO, experimental-scale project) - attractive potentialities but heavy challenges (materials, fuel, safety) - in Europe? 7

8 THE ASTRID FAST REACTOR PROTOTYPE sodium-cooled pool type oxide fuel #600 Mwe «Advanced Sodium-cooled Technological Reactor for Industrial Demonstration» TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE NUCLEAR SYSTEMS -reactors? - fuel cycle technologies? - deployment dynamics (strategy)? 8

9 (U,Pu)O 2 rebuts RECYCLING TECHNOLOGIES FUEL: (MIXED) OXIDE ( far future: carbide, metal?) PROCESSING SNF: HYDRO-PROCESSES [reliability, high yields, low waste amount] FUEL MANUFACTURING: POWDERS BLENDING Procédé COCA* UO 2 PuO 2 Dosage lubrifiant Broyage et tamisage Pastillage ( étape granulation éventuelle) Broyage rebuts Rebuts Frittage RECYCLING TECHNOLOGIES : DECADES R&D! high yields SPENT FUEL HNO 3 TBP U Pu DISSOLUTION U, Pu, FPs,MAs solution EXTRACTION HULLS technological waste low amounts FPs, MAs 9

10 SPENT FUEL RECYCLING IN FRANCE La Hague plant (tons/year) (thm) MOX fuel fabrication (cumulative tons) MELOX CADARACHE RECYCLING: GUIDELINES FOR R&D 1-ADAPTATION (HBU, MOX fuels, FR fuels! ) 10

11 FAST REACTOR OXIDE FUELS many differences FR fuels / LWR fuels Fuel sub-assembly, structure elements Higher Pu content Higher In-core temperature Higher burn-up Fission products resp. yields FAST REACTORS OXIDE FUELS FABRICATION AtPu (Cadarache) Procédé COCA* UO 2 PuO 2 (U,Pu)O 2 rebuts Dosage Broyage et tamisage Phénix lubrifiant Pastillage ( étape granulation éventuelle) Frittage SuperPhénix 11

12 PROCESSING FR FUELS Process adaptation needed Fuel dissolution (dismantling, dissolving) U-Pu (AM)- /PF separations (performance required?) liquid to solid conversion (high Pu flux) Structure elements management (nature, amount, radioactivity FPs vitrification (platinoids) Criticality risk management (specific design) Pu RECYCLE IN PHÉNIX 1973 : start of operation 1980 : 1 er sub-assembly loaded with recycled Pu 520 sub-assemblies processed, 4,4 t Pu recycled Fabriqués Chargés en cœur Déchargés du cœur Démantelés Retraités à Marcoule Total retraités 1200 Nombre 1100 d'assemblages Année 12

13 RECYCLING: GUIDELINES FOR R&D 1-ADAPTATION (innovative fuels) 2-IMPROVEMENTS (a «sustainable goal» ) COEX THE COEX CONCEPT U R T PF U- Pu U no pure plutonium a solid solution (U,Pu)O2 COCA fuel COCA-COEX fuel 13

14 VITRIFICATION: THE COLD CRUCIBLE TECHNOLOGY hot wall vitrification process CCIM vitrification process Glass frit Waste stream Calciner Glass frit Waste stream Calciner Hot wall crucible CCIM Glass canister Glass canister Cooled wall, direct induction heating Corrosion issues drastically decreased Higher temperature, higher reactivity in operation at La Hague, 2010 RECYCLING: GUIDELINES FOR R&D 1-ADAPTATION (innovative fuels) 2-IMPROVEMENTS (a «sustainable goal» ) 3-EXPLORATION P&T (minor actinide recycle) 14

15 MINOR ACTINIDE IN SPENT FUEL UOX MOX- REP [en kg/twhe] MOX- RNR 237 Np Am Am Cm Cm MINOR ACTINIDE RECYCLING : WHAT ARE THE DRIVERS? Minor actinide transmutatation may provide : -a drastic decrease of long term radiotoxicity of final waste -a significant decrease of the repository footprint MA : Am, Cm, Np 1000 Radiotoxicité relative U ore 0,1 SNF direct disposal Current glasses MA transmutation Temps (années) MA transmutation-120y Without transmutation-120y FINAL WASTE RADIOTOXICITY REPOSITORY «FOOTPRINT» 15

16 THE 2006 FRENCH ACT (RW & nuclear materials management) PRINCIPLES : RECYCLE (reprocess) to decrease waste amount & toxicity 28, june, 2006 RETRIEVABLE GEOLOGICAL REPOSITORY, for ultimate waste A «ROADMAP» : 2012 : assess the industrial potentialities of advanced recycling options (prototype 2020) 2015 : repository defined (operation by 2025) MA PARTITIONING SNF PUREX /COEX DIAMEX /SANEX FPs. U UPu Am (and Cm) innovative partitioning processes developped by CEA based on the design of new extractants O H 3 C N C 8 H 17 DMDOHEMA H C O C 2 H 4 O N C 6 H 13 C 8 H 17 C H 3 HDEHP O O P O OH HO O HEDTA O N OH N HO OH O MA recovery processes have been successfully experimented, (kgs -sale, genuine spent fuel ) 16

17 MA RECYCLING OPTIONS HOMOGENEOUS (diluted in the fuel) (#1% MA) The GACID experiment in MONJU! HETEROGENEOUS: «once through targets» (inert matrix) multi-recycled «MA-bearing blankets» (# 10-20% MA on UO2) «DEDICATED STRATA» (ADS) Am TRANSMUTATION 238 Np 238 Pu 239 Np - 2,36j 239 Pu 240 Pu ECRIX H in PHENIX 241 Pu 241 Am 90% transmuted 30% fissionned 242 Pu 243 Pu + 16,02h 17,3% - 4,96h 242 Am 243 Am 244 Am - 16,02h 82,7 % - 10,1h 242 Cm 243 Cm 244 Cm Initial AmO 2 Metallic FPs 17

18 AN OPTION FOR MA TRANSMUTATION: Am-bearing blankets CORE : UPuO2 BLANKETS : UAmO2 Pu U-Pu AM FP U-AM (Reprocessing Unit) DIAMINO experiment (Am-loaded UO2 pellets in MTR) FUEL CYCLE TECHNOLOGIES : GUIDELINES FOR R&D 1-ADAPTATION (innovative fuels) 2-IMPROVEMENTS (a «sustainable goal» ) 3-EXPLORATION P&T (minor actinide recycle) 4- ALTERNATIVE PROCESSES??? («dry» processes ) 18

19 THE ATALANTE FACILITY Demonstration hot runs basic chemistry Fuel dissolution Waste Conditioning, New extractants Actinide compounds Conversion processes Partitioning processes TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE NUCLEAR SYSTEMS -reactors? - fuel cycle technologies? - deployment dynamics (strategy)? 19

20 ASTRID PROTOTYPE Schedule Preliminary choice of options Decision to continue Decision to build Fuel loading ASTRID Conceptual design -1 Conceptual design -2 Basic design Detailed design & Construction Facilities Feasibility Report on minor actinides partitioning Position Report on minor actinides partitioning and transmutation Core manufacturing workshop (AFC) MA bearing fuels fabrication facility (ALFA) ASTRID FUEL CYCLE ASTRID Initial feed Fuel Fabrication Spent fuel processing 1st goal : Pu & U multirecycle 20

21 ASTRID FUEL CYCLE ASTRID Initial feed Fuel Fabrication MA Spent fuel processing 1st goal : Pu & U multirecycle 2 nd : Minor Actinide (Am) recycle FR DEPLOYMENT : MANY DIVERSE OPTIONS Puissance installée (GW e ) REP actuels EPR RNR 10 Année Progressive substitution FRs/LWRs from 2040??? 21

22 FR DEPLOYMENT : MANY DIVERSE OPTIONS Puissance installée (GW e ) REP actuels EPR 10 0 Année Puissance installée (GWe) EPR RNR REP actuel TOTAL Année Scénario F30 : déploiement de RNR assisté par un parc REP de 60 GWé 140 Puissance installée (GWé) REP actuels EPR RNR TOTAL Années FRs complementing LWRs for Pu management and fleet evolving later according to energy needs FLEET AND FUELS WILL EVOLVE LWRs FRs TODAY (HBU, MOX) THEN? (?) THEN? (?) THEN? (feeding FRs) (multi-recycle FRs) (minor actinide recycle? ) processes & technologies : flexible, efficient, cost-effective, clean, proliferation-resistant 22