The ALFRED Project: Opportunities for Romania

The ALFRED Project:
Opportunities for Romania
P.Agostini; G.Grasso; A.Alemberti; M.Ciotti; I.Turcu;
M.Constantin; M.Tarantino
Mioveni, May 2014
1
 Generalities on ALFRED
 Safety features
 Sustainability
 Research and development related to ALFRED
 Opportunities in Education and Training
 Center of excellence
2
2020
2013
2025
2030
Design, Construction, Commissioning and Put into Operation
SFR Prototype ASTRID
Design, Construction, Commissioning and Put into Operation
Multi-purpose research facility MYRRHA
Design, Construction, Commissioning and Put into Operation
LFR Demonstrator ALFRED
conceptual design
GFR Demonstrator ALLEGRO
2014 – Design, Construction
Supporting infrastructures, research facilities - loops, testing and qualification benches,...
and fuel manufacturing facilities
ALFRED ‐ Reactor Configuration
FUEL ASSEMBLIES
MAIN
COOLANT
PUMP
Power:
300 MWth (125 MWe)
Primary cycle (molten lead): 400‐480 °C
Secondary cycle (water/superheated steam:
335‐450 °C
Cycle Net Efficiency
41%
STEAM
GENERATOR
MAIN
COOLANT
PUMP
ANSALDO is
the general
architect.
REACTOR
CORE
STEAM
GENERATOR
ENEA designs the core and performs the R&D
REACTOR
VESSEL
SAFETY VESSEL
ALFRED in the European strategy
•The proposal of a European Lead Cooled Fast Reactor started with the ELSY Project since 2006
•The ALFRED demonstrator was first conceived in 2009 in the European context of LEADER Project
•The technologies were developed as well with several European partners in the frame of EU projects: TECLA, DEMETRA, GETMAT, HELIMNET, MATTER •Some technological attention‐points came out but no showstoppers appeared
•The recent pursuit for an increased safety of NPP is an additional element in favour of LFR
•The long enduring use of HLM experimental facilities ( since 1990 in Italy) allowed a deep knowledge of their properties and of the effects on materials.
Extended-stem
Fuel Assemblies
The Lead Cooled Fast
Reactor is a robust and highly reliable reactor
concept which was
developed in Russia in the fifties and in Western Europe since the nineties.
Spiral-tube SG
Primary Pump
Core
ALFRED is really a European Project
•The «state of the art» design of ALFRED has been diffused at European and International levels by ANSALDO
•The main engineering solutions have been illustrated at any level and the related documents are public
•The studies of core configuration /design and fuel composition to achieve the goal of adiabatic core have been published by ENEA
•The advancements in material technologies are performed in the frame of the European Energy Research Alliance.
•The results of the Experimental campaigns in ENEA are all reported in public documents
•ALFRED is not «controlled» and preferentially financed by a single European government
•ALFRED is completely open to all other European Scientific and Industrial organizations •The ALFRED partners are willing to share with others the advantages of Lead technology
The knowledge that will be generated in the ALFRED Project will be accessed and owned by all the partners
ALFRED has the attitude to truly become a European Project
 Generalities on ALFRED
 Safety features
 Sustainability
 Research and development related to ALFRED
 Opportunities in Education and Training
 Center of excellence
7
Lead properties at a glance
Properties
values
Natural Abundance
High: highly recyclable
Melting point
327°
Boiling point
1749°
Exothermic reactions
No
Stored potential energy 500°C
Very low: 1.09 GJ/m3 (1/10 of sodium)
Thermal sink capability
High: 2.5 GJ/m3 (5 times that of Na)
Density (@ 400°C)
High: 10508 Kg/m3 Thermal conductivity
High: 17 W /(m*C)
Kinematic Viscosity ()
Low: 2.14 E‐7 m2/s
Capability of natural convection: Grashof
number
High: Gr= 2.47 E14 (10 times that of Na)
(d=1 m and T=1 K) Radio‐activation
204Pb (only
Neutron moderating power (s)
Very Low:0.00284 barns (1/10 of Na)
Wetting capability (ISI)
Good (above 400°C)
Compatibility with steels
Low (above 450 °C) 1.4%) is alfa emitter
Activated Po from Bi impurities
Stored potential energy Toshinsky ICAPP 2011
The total potential energy (chemical, thermal and mechanical) that is stored per cubic meter of coolant is a major indicator to assess the risk to spread the radionuclides out of the reactor in case of accident. Coolant
Water
Sodium
Lead,
Lead-bismuth
Parameters
P = 16 MPa
Т = 300 ºС
Т = 500 ºС
Т = 500 ºС
~ 21,9
~ 10
~ 1,09
Maximal potential
energy, GJ/m3,
including:
Thermal
energy
~ 0,90
including
compression
potential
energy
Potential chemical
energy of interaction
Potential chemical
energy of interaction
of released hydrogen
with air
~ 0,6
~ 0,15
With zirconium
~ 11,4
~ 9,6
~ 1,09
None
None
With water 5,1
With air 9,3
None
~ 4,3
None
Grashof number
The Grashoff number is an indicator of the capability of the fluid to circulate under the regime of thermal (or natural) convection.
It is the ratio between buoyancy force and friction force Gr = (g  d3 ())/()2 = (g d3 T)/2
g

d



acceleration of gravity
Density
characteristic dimension
dynamic viscosity
cinematic viscosity
thermal expansion coefficient
When d =1m and DT = 1 K, then :
Grashof for sodium is 1.93 E13 and for lead is 2.47 E14
Very low neutron moderating power
Average Lethargy change per elastic collision () is low due to the high atomic mass number of Pb. A= 207.2
Elastic scattering cross section (s) for Lead Average lethargy (logarithmic energy loss) change per elastic collision and moderating power for some typical
coolants/moderators
Typical neutron spectrum in Fast Reactor core
The limited neutron moderating power by
Lead allows a hard energy spectrum in the
core. As a consequence the distance
among fuel pins increases with respect to
sodium.
This implies:
• Large flow‐rate at low velocity
• Low pressure drop
• Low core outlet temperature
• Effective natural convection
• Power density of 110 MW/m3
(comparable with PWR and lower than
SFR)
Capability of HLM to retain fission gases
Fraction of volatilization of lead‐soluble components. Tritium and noble gases are released to 100% .
I, Cs, Po and Sr are retained in Pb
Comparison between sodium and LBE cases for release of Cs and Te
Po release is negligible
Safety features of ALFRED
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The reactor never pressurize since the boiling temperature is extremely high (1760°)
Lead, unlike water, cannot produce explosive
gases (such as hydrogen)
Assures cooling by natural circulation even
without pumps.
Assures the function of “thermal sink” due to high heat capacity
Radioactive materials are mainly retained
inside the reactor.
Due to their buoyancy the leaking fuel, in case of accident, cannot accumulate and cannot reach re‐criticality
Lead, once solidified represent an ideal
coffin for radioactive products
ALFRED
13
 Generalities on ALFRED
 Safety features
 Sustainability
 Research and development related to ALFRED
 Opportunities in Education and Training
 Center of excellence
14
Adiabatic reactor concept
15
Closed cycle
The Lead fast reactor allows the closure of the fuel cycle. This means:
• Multiple Recycling of the long life and high radiotoxicity wastes
• Discharge of the sole Fission products (500 kg/year) for a simplified
Storage (400 years decay)
• Fabrication of fresh fuel only by addition of natural Uranium‐ consuming
1 /100 of present resources consumption‐ or addition of depleted
Uranium‐ without affecting the present resources
16
 Generalities on ALFRED
 Safety features
 Sustainability
 Research and development related to ALFRED
 Opportunities in Education and Training
 Center of excellence
17
Main lines of LFR technological development
HLM opacity: ISI&R and Refuelling Tests.
In LBE vision (Myrrha); Components removal (Alfred)
Cooling of fuel elements (Alfred)
2,5E+08
2,0E+08
4
2
S tress (P a)
Acceleration (m/s 2)
6
Seismic loads: size limitation
Seismic insulators
1,5E+08
0
1,0E+08
-2
-4
5,0E+07
-6
0
4
Ax
8
12
16
Time (s)
Az
20
24
Avert
0,0E+00
0
2
4
6
Time (s)
8
10
Lead‐Bismuth
Safety testing
:
coolant
SG tube rupture, flow blockage, freezing
Severe core accident testing (core melt
propagation)
Main lines of LFR technological development
400
-200
450
500
550
600
Pure oxidation
316L dissolution
316L oxidation
No corrosion
-250
RTln(Po2) (kJ.mol-1)
-300
Pb/PbO
RTlnPo2=-262000/T(K)+14
Mixed Dissolution/Oxidation
n
-350
Dissolution
-400
-450
Fe/Fe3O4
-500
-550
-600
TOTAL ELONGATION (%)
-650
26
24
22
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
Fe/FeCr2O4
Cr/Cr2O3
1.383
1.294
in A r
in L BE
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
o
450
TEST TEMPERATURE ( C)
500
550
1.215
1.145
HLM Material compatibility
issues:
Corrosion, LME embrittlement, creep
lifetime reduction.
R&D:
‐ Chemistry control,
‐ New materials, ‐Corrosion barriers
‐ Fuel – coolant interaction
Necessary experimental infrastructures
1. TELEMAT . Corrosion testing of materials in lead environment at high temperature: as high as 700/800°C. Foreseen at KIT. Under construction (?)
2. ATHENA. Experimental facility for Steam Generator tube rupture having an interaction volume meaningful for “direct” extrapolation to reactor vessel dimensions. Foreseen at ENEA. No information on financing since two years. 3. CIRCE, NACIE. Facility for heat exchange components (SG, DHR,…) to test in a safe way having a heat exchange scaled down 1 to 20. Refurbishment needed
4. ESCAPE (SCK), CIRCE. Facility for investigating pool thermal hydraulics of HLM. SCK‐CEN facility under construction
5. ATHENA II (ENEA); INTRIGE (SCK). One or more facilities to perform experimental qualification, in full scale, of the fuel elements, manipulation and core manipulation in normal and accidental conditions: • to support the designer with full scale basic tests (e.g. (i) operability of the handling machine, (ii) operability and insertion speed of the control rods, (iii) capability to cool fuel elements during refuelling) • to test relevant mechanical components before installation in the system. Concept
6. Severe Accident For MYRRHA ‐ LFR. A facility for studying the sources of core damage events (core melt propagation) and investigating severe accident assessment. Concept
Facilities in red are presently missing
Necessary experimental infrastructures
7.MCP (ICN) Test. Facility to perform complete qualification tests of the main coolant pump. Qualification instruments for thermal hydraulics, vibration dynamics, mechanical forces, overall performances. Foreseen at ICN. Concept
8. LECOR, HELENA (ENEA)/CRAFT (SCK). Facilities for corrosion tests, having larger test section (larger diameter) than those currently available. As for MYRRHA it should be able to test the performances of a specific number of pin simultaneously with the coolant flowing up to 2m/s. Under refurbishment/operational
9. HELIOS 3, CRAFT, MEXICO, LILLIPUTTER (SCK). Facilities dedicated to chemistry control experiments, and coolant impurities mass transport, means of capturing the impurities. Future facilities shall deal with radioactive impurities. Facilities for MYRRHA are operational. Facility for ALFRED is conceptual phase. Facility for radioactive impurities is not yet foreseen. Experiments at PSI and ITU in the frame of FP7 Search and Maxsima
10. FCI Test for MYRRHA ‐ LFR. Test facilities aimed at investigating the fuel coolant interaction (basic chemistry) and the fuel dispersion in primary system. Concept but not foreseen. Presently experiments at Chalmers ITU in the frame of FP7 Search and Maxsima.
11. Seismic platform for MYRRHA ‐ LFR. Test facilities aimed at seismic testing. Concept but not foreseen 12. The access to material irradiation facility (such as BOR 60) has to be allowed
Facilities in red are presently missing
Roadmap of ALFRED experimental infrastructures
1. High temperature corrosion testing
TELEMAT, static
2013
2014
3. Subassembly thermal hydraulics
NACIE, HELENA
2015
Preliminary design, Preliminary testing
2. SGTR issue
(large scale)
ATHENA I
10. Fuel coolant interaction
New facility
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
Detailed design, Experiments in support of design and of Licensing
9. Coolant chemistry New loop
8. Corrosion and rods testing in flowing Lead LECOR, HELENA
2. SGTR issue (small scale) LIFUS 5
3. Scaled down testing of DHR and SG CIRCE
11. Seismic platform
New facility
4. Pool T.H.
CIRCE
12. Clad Material irradiation/
qualification 7. Pump testing
CIRCE /MCP loop
7. Full scale pump qualification
MCP loop
5. Full scale components qualification
ATHENA II
3. Integral tests
CIRCE, ATHENA II
2022
6. Severe accident for LFR
New facility (?)
2023
2024
2025
2026
Construction
ELECTRA
Low power reactor for validation of neutronic codes
Existing facilities
Funded but not existing
facilities
Not yet funded facilities
[U
Costs of infrastructures for LFR
Facilities
COMPLOT
NACIE
CIRCE
E‐SCAPE
DEMOCRITOS
ATHENA I
ATHENA II
HLM Pump Test POIROT (test unit is INTRIGE)
RHAPTER
Seismic core damage facility
Facility for fuel coolability in refueling
Lilliputter‐2 Availability date
End 2012
End 2012
End 2012
End 2013
End 2012
End 2012
Not respected
Not respected
TBD
End 2014
End 2011
Beyond 2014
Beyond 2014
Investment
0.7 M€
1 M€
0.5 M€
3 M€
1.5 M€
0.75 M€
8 M€
10 M€
4 M€
0.55 M€
0.5 M€
2 M€
Costs
Operation
0.3 M€/yr
0.5 M€/yr
0.2 M€/yr
1 M€/yr
0.3 M€/yr
0.2 M€/yr
2 M€/yr
2 M€/yr
1 M€/yr
0.25 M€/yr
0.25 M€/yr
1 M€/yr
Test section
1.4 M€
0.5 M€
0.3 M€
2 M€
0.25 M€
0.25 M€
6 M€
6 M€
2 M€
1.2 M€
0.04 M€
2 M€
1 M€
0.25 M€
1 M€/yr
0.25 M€/yr
0.5 M€
0.25 M€
Costs of infrastructures for LFR
TELEMAT
Electra
CRAFT
LIMITS 3
LIMITS 4&5
Facility for creep fatigue
End 2014
(?)
End 2012
End 2012
End 2012
End 2012
0.5 M€
6 M€
0.5 M€
0.25 M€
0.5 M€
0.5 M€
Access to Russian BOR60 reactor
Facility for chemistry of cover gas Beyond 2014
(HLM )
HELIOS III
End 2011
Mass transport loop SCK (MEXICO)
End 2013
MYCENE
End 2013
Mass transport loop (formerly KIT, End 2014
now ENEA)
Hotcell + furnace with O2 control (ITU, End 2013
NRG, Chalmers)
Facility for core melt propagation
Beyond 2014
TOTAL
Total for ALFRED
0.5 M€/yr
1 M€/yr
0.25 M€/yr
0.3 M€/yr
0.3 M€/yr
0.3 M€/yr
0.5 M€/yr (× 10 test campaigns)
0.5 M€
1 M€
0.5 M€
0.05 M€
0.1 M€
2 M€
1.8 M€
1 M€/yr
0.5 M€
0.35 M€
0.6 M€
0.4 M€/yr
0.25 M€/yr
0.3 M€/yr
0.5 M€
0.5 M€
1 M€
1 M€/yr
0.5 M€
1 M€/yr
0.25 M€
20 M€
3 M€/yr
6 M€
76.25 M€
20.35 M€/yr
34.59 M€
52 M€
5M€ (irr)
Cost for fuel and nuclear data production
Costs
Facilities for fuel irradiation
MYRRHA
Upgrades/refurbishments of existing irradiation facilities and hot cells(2)
MOX fuel fabrication workshop(3)
Prototype fuel fabrication workshop
TOTALS
2013
2014
2015
Preliminary design, Preliminary testing
2016
2017
2018
Investments
Operation
(960M€)
47 M€/y
60 M€
16 M€/y
600 M€
250 – 450 M€
20 M€/y
20 M€/y
910– (2070 )M€
103 M€/y
2019
2020
Detailed design, Experiments in support of design and of Licensing
2021
2022
2023
Construction
Fuel rod power transients
Fission gas retention
Upgrades/refurbishment of existing irradiation facilities and hot cells
Fuel rod irradiation tests
Prototype fuel fabrication
Fuel fabrication
2024
Mock‐ups(4)
58 M€
2025
2026
 Generalities on ALFRED
 Safety features
 Sustainability
 Research and development related to ALFRED
 Opportunities in Education and Training
 Center of excellence
26
H2020: Spreading Excellence and Widening Participation
Call for WIDESPREAD
H2020‐WIDESPREAD‐2014
WIDESPREAD 1‐2014: Teaming Specific challenge: Despite its strengths, the European Research and Innovation landscape presents a lot of structural disparities, with research and innovation excellence concentrated in a few geographical zones. These disparities are due to, among other reasons, the insufficient critical mass of science and centres having sufficient competence to engage countries and regions strategically in a path of innovative growth, building on newly developed capabilities. This could help countries and regions that are lagging behind in terms of research and innovation performance reclaim their competitive position in the global value chains. Teaming will address this challenge by creating or upgrading such centres of excellence, building on partnerships between leading scientific institutions and low performing partners that display the willingness to engage together on this purpose. Scope: Teaming, will involve in principle, two (2) parties: an institution of research and innovation excellence (public or private) or a consortium of such institutions and the participant organisation from a low performing Member State (typically a research agency at national or regional level, or a regional authority; the presence of a local partner research institution is encouraged as it could provide additional relevance to the teaming process). ENEA and ICN intend to apply to the Call in order to build up in Mioveni a Center of Excellence for the Lead Fast Reactor Technologies 27
 Generalities on ALFRED
 Safety features
 Sustainability
 Research and development related to ALFRED
 Opportunities in Education and Training
 Center of excellence
28
Present excellences of ICN in Mioveni
 Institute for Nuclear Research ‐ founded in 1971 – Mioveni site
 Support for National Nuclear Power Program:  technical support institute for the safe operation of the NPP;  fuel technology and testing;  equipment production and testing;  development of new technologies, methods, computer codes
directed towards end‐products or services with applications in NPP;  Operation and development of experimental infrastructure;
 Basic and applied research;  Education and training.
Present excellences of ICN in Mioveni





Research Reactors
Post‐irradiation Examination Laboratory
Material Testing and Nuclear Fuel Fabrication
Radioactive Waste Treatment Laboratories
Out‐of‐Pile Testing Laboratories
ICN - Research Reactors
UNDERWATER
NEUTRONOGRAPHY
SSR 14MW
REACTOR
ROD
CONTROL
(8)
ACPR REACTOR
DRY CAVITY
FUEL
EXPERIMENTAL
LOCATIONS FOR
LOOPS AND
CAPSULES
BERILIUM
REFLECTOR
PLUG
LOADING
TUBE
THERMAL COLUMN
STANDARD FOR
NEUTRON FLUX
CALIBRATION
SILICON DOPING
CAVITIES
EXPERIMENTAL
LOCATIONS IN
REFLECTOR
RADIAL
CHANNEL
REACTOR TANK
TANGENTIAL
CHANNEL
REACTOR ENVELOPE
TANGENTIAL
CHANNEL
PGNAA
FACILITY
DRY NEUTRONOGRAPHY
RADIAL
CHANNEL
NEUTRON
DIFFRACTOMETER
Samples of ICN excellences
WORKING STATION IN HEAVY CONCRETE HOT CELLS
50 KN TENSILE TESTING MACHINE
FUEL ROD PUNCTURE TOOL
TIG WELDING MACHINE FOR 192Ir SEALED SOURCE MANUFACTURING
Center of Excellence for LFR technologies
The Mioveni CoE will employ about 60 researchers able to operate in at least three of the following main working areas:
•Materials testing of new steel alloys and coatings developed for LFR using the irradiation capabilities of ICN TRIGA Reactor and of the hot cells associated with it. •Full scale pump qualification loop.
•Large scale SGTR (Steam Generator Tube Rupture) issue in a new dedicated test vessel (Athena)
•Full scale qualification of components in the same test vessel (Athena)
•Fuel coolant interaction in a new dedicated facility
•Tests of sloshing and earthquake effects in a seismic platform
Moreover the activities of nuclear fuel fabrication should be extended to include also capabilities on MOX
33
Conclusions
•ALFRED is the demonstrator of the Lead Cooled Fast Reactor.
•ALFRED has a robust and reliable design based on 16 years of R&D in western Europe and 60 years of R&D in Russia.
•ALFRED has the attitude to disseminate the generated knowledge to all European institutions and to attract support from different EU governments.
• ALFRED has the ambition to become a truly European Project, through a common development and ownership of the knowledge.
•The LFR concept presents enhanced safety features with respect to all other concepts
•The Sustainability of LFR consists in a better use of resouces (use of natural Uranium) and storage of fission products only
•Since ALFRED needs several R&D infrastructures in view of the engineering design and of the licensing, a sharing among European centres for their installation has to be pursued
•Horizon 2020 offers the valuable opportunity to fund ICN‐Mioveni through the set up of a nuclear Center of Excellence for ALFRED technologies and host several R&D infrastructures
•The ICN Mioveni Centre has the background and the potentiality to address an important share of the R&D infrastructures to be set for ALFRED development.
34