FRENCH R&D PROGRAM ON SFR AND THE ASTRID PROTOTYPE

Transcription

1 FRENCH R&D PROGRAM ON SFR AND THE ASTRID PROTOTYPE FR13 Conference Christophe Béhar MARCH 4 th, 2012 CEA March 4th, 2012 French R&D program on SFR and the ASTRID prototype PAGE 1

2 WHY TO CHOOSE A FAST NEUTRON REACTOR? Three main reasons: Mastering, through recycling, the growth of Plutonium inventory Excellent use of uranium resource Unlike reactors currently in operation or construction worldwide, that use only about 1% of natural Uranium, Fast neutron Reactors are able to use more than 80% of the Uranium resource. The current stockpile of depleted Uranium available in France could feed the current needs of electricity production for several 1000 years. Ability to transmute and burn minor actinides CEA March 4th, 2012 French R&D program on SFR and the ASTRID prototype PAGE 2

3 A CONVENIENT TECHNOLOGY Two types of Fast Reactor have been selected in France: Cooled by gas The ALLEGRO Project Cooled by sodium The ASTRID Project CEA March 4th, 2012 French R&D program on SFR and the ASTRID prototype PAGE 3

4 GAS-COOLED FAST REACTOR DEVELOPMENT Gas-cooled Fast Reactors, a longer term option Good potential, but important technological obstacles Materials, Refractory Fuel, Safety CEA focus its R&D on cladding and safety GFR embodied in the ALLEGRO project, in Europe Establishment of a four Countries Consortium (Czech Republic, Hongary, Poland, Slovakia) to cover : The construction of the reactor The construction of the associated R&D capabilities (Centers of Excellence). CEA Closely associated to the consortium CEA March 4th, 2012 French R&D program on SFR and the ASTRID prototype PAGE 4

5 THE ASTRID PROJECT ASTRID design studies Integrated Technology Demonstrator 600 MWe 4 th generation reactor + R&D (Including fuel cycle) CEA March 4th, 2012 French R&D program on SFR and the ASTRID prototype PAGE 5

6 ASTRID FUEL CYCLE SCHEDULE Preliminary Options 17/12/2012 Decision to implement preliminary design phase 2 Milestone: Decision of Construction Fuel Loading and Start Up ASTRID Preliminary design Phase 1 Preliminary design Phase 2 Detailed design Construction FUEL CYCLE Feasibility Report on Minor Actinides Partitioning Position Report on Minor Actinides Partitioning & Transmutation Core Fabrication Facility (AFC) Fuel Treatment Facility (ATC) R&D on Plutonium Multi-Recycling CEA March 4th, 2012 French R&D program on SFR and the ASTRID prototype PAGE 6

7 ASTRID AND LESSONS FROM FUKUSHIMA ACCIDENT ASTRID will be designed using lessons learnt from the Fukushima-Daichi accident The design benefits of merits of pool-type Sodium-cooled fast neutron reactors Favorable intrinsic features to cool-down the reactor: Large thermal inertia; Diversified heat sinks; Natural circulation; Ability to guarantee a minimum sodium level. Safety objectives of ASTRID are derived from the WENRA* document Safety objectives for new nuclear power plants. It summarizes the highest safety standards, even for Fukushima-like initiators. Former Beyond Design Basis Accidents are included in the design. *Western European Nuclear Regulators Association Safety requirements are checked with the Generation IV International Forum Safety Design Criteria CEA March 4th, 2012 French R&D program on SFR and the ASTRID prototype PAGE 7

8 STRONG IMPROVEMENTS IN SFR DESIGN FOR ASTRID 1/2 Feedback of previous SFRs R&D directions ASTRID Orientations Core Sodium voiding reactivity Safety Optimization of core design to improve natural behavior during abnormal transients. CFV core (Patented in 2010): innovative approach, negative overall sodium voiding reactivity Sodium-Water interaction Safety - Availability Exploration of heterogeneous cores Modular Steam Generators Reverse Steam Generators (sodium into tubes) Gas Power Conversion System (nitrogen in place of steam/water) Better natural behavior of the core, for instance in case of loss of flow (e.g. due to loss of supply power) Limitation of total released energy in case of sodium-water interaction Limitation of wastage propagation Design studies conducted by ALSTOM. No show stopper. CEA March 4th, 2012 French R&D program on SFR and the ASTRID prototype PAGE 8

9 STRONG IMPROVEMENTS IN SFR DESIGN FOR ASTRID 2/2 Feedback of previous SFRs R&D directions ASTRID Orientations Sodium fire Safety Severe accidents Safety Decay heat removal Safety In-Service Inspection and Repair Safety Availability Innovative Sodium leak detection systems R&D on Sodium aerosols Core catcher Research on corium and sodium-corium interaction Reactor vessel auxiliary cooling system (scaling rules) Improving detection (Patent of detection system integrated in the heat insulator) Close containment (inert gas + restriction of available oxygen) Core catcher. Several possible locations (in vessel, ex-vessel or between the two vessels). Combination of proved Decay Heat Removal systems and Vessel Natural Air draft cooling Simplification of primary system design ISI&R taken into account from the design stage New techniques : Acoustic Detection, Laser, CRDS Signal processing Ultrasound at high temperature, High temperature fission chambers, Optical Fibers, Flow meters for subassembly Remote handling for inspection or repair Under-sodium viewing CEA March 4th, 2012 French R&D program on SFR and the ASTRID prototype PAGE 9

10 Engineering studies ASSISTANCES ASTRID management ASTRID PROJECT INDUSTRIAL ORGANISATION About 500 people GENIV strategic management CEA/DEN/DISN External assistances EDF R&D R&D Qualification of the design (CEA) Specific studies Expertises (CEA) SFRR&D N.DEVICTOR core CEA Engineering Batch 1 Paris Cad, Sac, Mar Nuclear island and Engineering I&C Batch 2 AREVA NP Saclay Project management team Global design CEA Reliability, Maintainability, Availability ASTRIUM Paris Energy conversion system ALSTOM Cadarache ASTRID team in Marcoule EDF support Innovations : robotics, EMP COMEX TOSHIBA NUCLEAIRE, ROLLS-ROYCE TOSHIBA Civil Engineering engineering Batch N-1 BOUYGUES Cad, Sac, Mar Lyon, Paris Belfort, Paris Paris Innovations COMEX NUCLEAIRE, Balance Engineering of plant Batch N JACOBS Paris Tokyo Marseille Derby

11 Europe India Japan R&D COLLABORATIONS IN SUPPORT TO ASTRID EU Framework Program : Croscutting R&D on Core Safety, Fuel Safety, Instrumentation, Seismic Studies Cooperation focused on safety Trilateral with DOE : Advanced Material, Instrumentation, Thermohydraulic, etc : Severe Accidents : Participation to Eagle Program Russia USA China Korea Material test in BOR-60; Core physics in BFS; Possible Fuel Irradiation in BN-600 Trilateral with DOE : Material, Instrumentation, Thermohydraulic, etc Core Safety Assessment Benchmarking Material Study (irradiation program in CEFR under assessment) Cooperation in the field of sodium technologies under assessment Generation IV International Forum : involvment in GIF R&D projects (fuel, material, safety and operation. IAEA : through INPRO, safety requirements, scenarios, CEA March 4th, 2012 PAGE 11

12 FROM LWRs RECYCLING TO FRs RECYCLING Pu stored in MOX Spent Fuel recycled in MOX SFR to start the SFRs deployement Scenario can be flexible Both systems can coexist during a transition phase RNR merits as regards to fuel cycle No front end steps and no enrichment technology Use depleted U; Use Pu included in MOX Spent Fuel Multi-recycling of Pu Possible recycling of Minor Actinides CEA March 4th, 2012 French R&D program on SFR and the ASTRID prototype 12 PAGE 12

13 FUEL CYCLE FACILITIES FOR ASTRID ASTRID Fuel Fabrication Facilities AFC Project (# 10 t/y), several scenarios under assessment SFR closed cycle demonstration (U and Pu multi-recycling): ATC, a Specific Engineering Scale Facility, or adaptation of the La Hague Head End (shearing and dissolution) M.A. transmutation demonstration: Extension of the AFC RECYCLING Waste Assemblies The ASTRID Fuel Cycle CEA March 4th, 2012 French R&D program on SFR and the ASTRID prototype PAGE 13

14 CONCLUSION Commercial reactor ASTRID RAPSODIE CEA March 4th, 2012 French R&D program on SFR and the ASTRID prototype PAGE 14

15 Thank you PAGE 15 French R&D program on SFR and the ASTRID prototype Commissariat à l énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives Centre de Saclay Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex T. +33 (0) Nuclear Energy Division CEA March 4th, 2012 Etablissement public à caractère industriel et commercial RCS Paris B

16 Fission/Absorpti LONG TERM SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS 1. KEEP ON RECYCLING 2. IN FAST REACTORS Because of these main merits : EFFICIENT BURNING OF PLUTONIUM NO NEED FOR NATURAL URANIUM POTENTIAL FOR IMPROVING WASTE MANAGEMENT Fission/Capture rate for various nuclides in PWRs and SFRs U235 U238 Np237 Pu238 Pu239 Pu240 Pu241 Pu242 Am241 Am243 Cm244 PWR SFR CEA March 4th, 2012 French R&D program on SFR and the ASTRID prototype PAGE 16

17 A BETTER USE OF URANIUM 238 Source : WEC, 2010 Survey of Energy. (Coal: 860 Gt, Oil: 163 Gt, Gas: 185 Tm3, Uranium : 3,5 Mt) CEA March 4th, 2012 French R&D program on SFR and the ASTRID prototype 17

18 RADIAOCTIVE WASTE OF GENERATION IV SYSTEMS CEA March 4th, 2012 French R&D program on SFR and the ASTRID prototype PAGE 18