Recent Research Activities on Thorium and MSR in Japan

Transcription

1 Recent Research Activities on Thorium and MSR in Japan Takashi Kamei Research Institute for Applied Sciences, Researcher 49, Tanaka-Oi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, , JAPAN

2 Introduction Safety becomes the most important issue after FUKUSHIMA Safety of existing LWRs are enforced (Hamaoka) Is there any safe nuclear power? Spent Nuclear Fuel is also recognized as remaining issue even though Japan stops using nuclear power Incinerate existing SNF Reduce occurrence of SNF (or radioactive waste) Thorium MSR are discussed in these contexts Activities in Japan will be presented shortly

3 Social Interests on thorium MSR 11/Sep/2010 トリウム is thorium 11/Oct/ /Mar/2012

4 Social Interests on thorium MSR

5 Social Interests on thorium MSR Finding lots of un-counted storage of thorium (NNN news every Nov 30)

6 Social Interests on thorium MSR 2012 Mar 26, Invited lecture at Shizuoka Prefecture 2012 Mar 16, Invited lecture at Hyogo Prefecture Mr. Kawakatsu, the governor of Shizuoka is the most earnest supporter of thorium MSR research.

7 Social Interests on thorium MSR Mr. Kadokawa, the Mayor of Kyoto 2012 May 17, Plenary session of Kyoto city assembly Questions on thorium MSR from Mr. Akiro Kobayashi

8 Social Interests on thorium MSR 2012 June, as soon as go back to Japan, I am invited to explain at private committee of Japanese democratic party about MSR for backend issue. (There was a phone call on 18 th May, few weeks ago.)

9 Countermeasures for Tsunami in JAPAN (Hamaoka NPP) Visit Hamaoka NPP on 15 th May, 2012 Construction of tsunami prevention wall Diesel generator inside reactor building Diesel generators on roof Tsunami prevention panel around sea water pump

10 Countermeasures for Tsunami in JAPAN (Hamaoka NPP) Visit Hamaoka NPP on 15 th May, 2012 Heavy industrial machines Level indicator on reactor building /enuc_earthquakemeasures/countermeasures/index.html Mobile gas turbine generator

11 Social Interests on thorium MSR トリウム is thorium 2012 May 31st, Chubu-electric-power-company announced establishing a new safety research center at Hamaoka plant on July 1 st. Advanced reactor using thorium is also raised as a research theme.

12 Power reactor (transportable) Proposed by Kamei Capacity will be around 1 MWe (up to 10 MWe) Thermal reactor using Graphite moderator Problem on positive reactivity coefficient will be avoided by applying small size core CR is smaller than 1.0 (not the main R&D target because fissile is available externally by ADS) Details are still under development

13 Why, transportable? Huge natural disasters often happen Road or railway are destroyed for months Pre-fabricated at factory Transport directly from factory even by air Short period for starting up (no construction) No need of fuel transportation for several years No need of cooling water (ocean or large river) Avoid risk of total loss of huge capacity at once

14 Developmental Schedule 1st stage Establishment of Thorium Research Group (Advisor: Masao Horiba) Study of thorium utilization including MSR 2011 Discussion of requirements for transportable thorium MSR Conceptual design, picking up issues of new development Nuclear database, molten-salt, thermal-hydraulics analysis Core design, material, instrumentation, unit development 2nd stage rd stage th stage Fix specification of proto-type reactor 2014 Fabrication of proto-type reactor Safety analysis Brush up of design, production line design, management and maintenance design, human resource training Commercial Reactor

15 Problem of thorium There is no fissile isotope in thorium

16 Collaboration with uranium Uranium Fuel Cycle Electricity Thorium Fuel Cycle Electricity Mining Fertile Power Plant Spent Fuel Mining Fertile Power Plant Spent Fuel LWR, HWR Producer LWR, HWR, MSR U U, Pu Mining Fissile Mining Fissile Re-Process Re-Process Uraninite Radioactive Waste Monazite Radioactive Waste WIN Pu Conversion WIN The 3rd International Symposium on Innovative Nuclear Energy Systems, INES-3, 1-3 November, 2010, Tokyo

17 How many? 1, LWR: IAEA, Energy, Electricity and Nuclear Power Estimates for the Period up to 2030, (2009) The 3rd International Symposium on Innovative Nuclear Energy Systems, INES-3, 1-3 November, 2010, Tokyo

18 If growth of uranium cycle is small Implementation of thorium MSR for the constant LWR scenario. (Considering effect of Fukushima Daiichi accident: 370 GWe of LWR till 2030) Third Thorium Energy Alliance Future of Energy Conference, Washington, DC, USA, May 12 th, 2011

19 External supply of neutron Neutron is used from chain reaction of fission Neutron is available from fusion reaction Neutron is available from spallation reaction Neutron is also available from D-Be reaction Key is accelerator Reliable, stable, efficient and available one

20 Mitrailleuse Accelerator Deutron ion as charged particle Just 3.24 MeV (Not GeV ) Using D-Be reaction MeV order neutron Multiple driven accelerator Beam repetition frequency is max 1.82 MHz Neutron yield of n/s by multiple driven 160 accelerator tubes Flat neutron source (spallation is point source) Controllable spatial distribution of neutron flux 2012 Advances in Reactor Physics Linking Research, Industry, and Education (PHYSOR 2012), Knoxville, Tennessee, USA April 15-20, 2012

21 Mitrailleuse ADS Ion source Be target Core Acc. Tubes Switching unit 2012 Advances in Reactor Physics Linking Research, Industry, and Education (PHYSOR 2012), Knoxville, Tennessee, USA April 15-20, 2012

22 Present action Constructing factory for manufacturing Mitrailleuse accelerator in Fukushima 35 kilometers away from Fukushima Dai-ichi NPP Factory will be completed in October, st n-beam will be available by March, 2014 Mo-99 production Iwaki-Yotsukura Industrial Park Non-destructive inspection of roadway BNCT cancer treatment ADS etc.

23 Office area Present action Workshop Mo-99 Production

24 Present action Accelerator

25 Accommodation Present action

26 Installing ADS to existing NPP Nuclear Power Plant LWR Spent nuclear fuel pellets Burned spent nuclear fuel pellets by ADS Thorium Igniter Mitrailleuse ADS (Match-Head Core) Can burn the minor actinoids Thorium fuel pellets Contains 5%-U233 Natural thorium pellets Thorium Fuel Factory Thorium Residue Thorium fuel for molten salt reactors Rare-earth Refining Plant ex. Molycorp, Rhodia. Nuclear fuel reprocessing facility High-level radioactive waste storage facility ex. Lightbridge, AREVA. if necessary Molten Salt Reactor Factory Products Transportable 1MWe MSR Enabling a major reduction in the storage term (from 100,000 years to 300 years)

27 Ensuring Safety Countermeasures for Tsunami in JAPAN (Hamaoka NPP) Prevent Flooding Inside The Power Station Site Block tsunami intrusion by Installing the sea wall with T.P. +18m etc. Prevent Flooding 1 Prevent Flooding Inside The Building Prevent Flooding by Tsunami that exceeds over the sea wall Prevent Flooding 2 Ensure Cooling Function Ensure Cooling Function Ensure cooling system to achieve cold shutdown, assuming the event occurred at Fukushima such as SBO and Loss of Sea Water Cooling Function,

28 Presented at PHYSOR2012

29 Conclusion R&D of MSR including thorium utilization is still seed or bud We have to be careful to unfold it However its importance especially safety is becoming to be widely recognized For both purposes of incineration and power generation, thorium MSR and ADS play important roles.