FUTURE NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLES : PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES D. WARIN, B. - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

▶
future nuclear fuel cycles prospects and challenges
SMART_READER_LITE
LIVE PREVIEW

FUTURE NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLES : PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES D. WARIN, B. - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Mar 18, 2024 116 likes •361 views

The Tenth OECD Nuclear Energy Agency Information Exchange Meeting on Actinide and Fission Product Partitioning and Transmutation FUTURE NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLES : PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES D. WARIN, B. BOULLIS CEA, Nuclear Energy Division 1 Main

slide-1
SLIDE 1

IEMPT-10, Mito, Japan, October 8, 2008

1/22

Radiochemistry and Processes Department

FUTURE NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLES : PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES

  • D. WARIN, B. BOULLIS

CEA, Nuclear Energy Division

1 – Main achievement in the frame of 1991 Act 2 – P and T in the 2006 Act 3 – Fuel cycle possible options 4 – On going R and D programs

The Tenth OECD Nuclear Energy Agency Information Exchange Meeting

  • n Actinide and Fission Product Partitioning and Transmutation
slide-2
SLIDE 2

IEMPT-10, Mito, Japan, October 8, 2008

2/22

Radiochemistry and Processes Department

The 1991 French Act: frame of the Program

3 Research thematics:

  • partitioning and transmutation of LLRNs
  • deep repository
  • confinement and interim storage

Deadline : final report in 2006

December 30, 1991

slide-3
SLIDE 3

IEMPT-10, Mito, Japan, October 8, 2008

3/22

Radiochemistry and Processes Department

Minor Actinide Partitioning strategy

Two step strategy

Spent Fuel U, Pu Np Ln

PUREX SANEX

Fission Products

DIAMEX CO-EXTRACTION

  • f MAs and Ln

SEPARATION

  • f Mas from Ln

Am, Cm

slide-4
SLIDE 4

IEMPT-10, Mito, Japan, October 8, 2008

4/22

Radiochemistry and Processes Department

DIAMEX demonstrative hot run, Nov. 2005

Am ~ 0.015 % Cm < 0.002 %

extraction (CP) (CP)

  • HEDTA

HNO3 H2C2O4 HEDTA HNO3

FP Raffinate

extraction An+ Ln (CP) Scrubbing FP (CP)

Am, Cm, Ln > 99.9%

Back-extraction An-Ln (MS)

NaOH HEDTA

Solvent Treatment

(ECRAN) 0.65 M DMDOHEMA/TPH

PUREX raffinate 15 kg genuine fuel

Ln ~ 2.5 g/L Am ~ 150 mg/L Cm ~ 15 mg/L V ~ 1 L/h

4 m high Pulsed columns

HNO3 H2C2O4 HEDTA HNO3 extraction (CP) extraction An+ Ln (CP)

DIAMEX Production Am, Cm, Ln

slide-5
SLIDE 5

IEMPT-10, Mito, Japan, October 8, 2008

5/22

Radiochemistry and Processes Department An

Solvent DMDOHEMA 0.5 M + HDEHP 0.3 M TPH

Ln scrubbing

HNO3

extraction-scrubbing

HEDTA Citric ac.

Ln stripping

Ln

HNO3

DIAMEX Production Am, Cm, Ln ~ 45 mL/h

NaOH HEDTA HNO3

An stripping

Am, Cm < 0.01% Am, Cm > 99.9% F.D.Ln ~ 80 Am < 0.06 % Cm < 0.03 %

Raffinate

SANEX demonstrative hot run, December 2005

slide-6
SLIDE 6

IEMPT-10, Mito, Japan, October 8, 2008

6/22

Radiochemistry and Processes Department

The 2006 French Act PRINCIPLES :

  • Recycle (reprocess)

to decrease waste amount and toxicity

  • Retrievable Geological Repository,

the reference option for ultimate waste management

A « ROADMAP » :

  • 2012 : industrial potentialities of the diverse P&T
  • ptions, and prototype by 2020
  • 2015 : repository defined, and operation by 2025

June 28, 2006

slide-7
SLIDE 7

IEMPT-10, Mito, Japan, October 8, 2008

7/22

Radiochemistry and Processes Department

(Article 3) PARTITIONING and TRANSMUTATION OF LLRNs

« The research in this field will be connected to research concerning the new generation of nuclear reactors, as well as accelerator driven systems devoted to waste transmutation, in order to have, by 2012, an evaluation of the industrial potentialities of these concepts, and in order to start operating a prototype before December 31st, 2020… »

The 2006 French Act

slide-8
SLIDE 8

IEMPT-10, Mito, Japan, October 8, 2008

8/22

Radiochemistry and Processes Department

Minor Actinide Partitioning : what processes ?

Solvent extraction, first !

  • Already developed at commercial plant scale

(Industrial potentiality)

  • high separation yields !
  • low amount of secondary waste !

The main alternative:

Pyro_processes

slide-9
SLIDE 9

IEMPT-10, Mito, Japan, October 8, 2008

9/22

Radiochemistry and Processes Department

Define the several options of interest, which could

be successively deployed (all-actinide, Americium

  • nly, heterogeneous, homogeneous,…)

Assess benefits /costs ratio

for the several recycling options, considering diverse criteria and “densification” of the final storage

Design / Optimize separation processes,

transmutation fuels and their fabrication processes

and gather technical elements for industrial

  • peration evaluation

Future fuel cycle options : the 2012 milestone

slide-10
SLIDE 10

IEMPT-10, Mito, Japan, October 8, 2008

10/22

Radiochemistry and Processes Department

R T U U Pu U and Pu recycled, COEX MA homogeneous recycling R T U FP U Pu AM R T U MA U Pu FP FP&MA MA heterogeneous recycling R T U U U and Pu recycled, PUREX

Pu

FP&MA R T U U Pu FP T ADS « double strata »

MA

Future fuel cycle options, Reactor and Treatment

slide-11
SLIDE 11

IEMPT-10, Mito, Japan, October 8, 2008

11/22

Radiochemistry and Processes Department

Fuel cycle, the « COEXTM » concept

  • U and Pu recycling, extraction-fabrication
  • without anywhere, anytime « pure » plutonium
  • suitable for Gen3 and MOX-LWRs
  • a first step before more advanced options ?

REACTOR

TREATMENT

URANIUM FPs & MAs Pu and U U

slide-12
SLIDE 12

IEMPT-10, Mito, Japan, October 8, 2008

12/22

Radiochemistry and Processes Department

Fuel cycle, the MA heterogeneous recycling option FPs

  • U, Pu, Np by COEXTM (or PUREX)
  • Am (and Cm) separation : DIAMEX, SANEX,…
  • Am (and Cm) recycled on dedicated « targets-blankets »

REACTOR TREATMENT

URANIUM

MAs Pu,U,(Np)

U

slide-13
SLIDE 13

IEMPT-10, Mito, Japan, October 8, 2008

13/22

Radiochemistry and Processes Department

DIAMEX-SANEX with extractant separation

DTPA or HEDTA Glycolic acid pH 3 PUREX raffinate

EXTRACTION / SCRUB. (DIAMEX process)

F.P. (except Ln+ Y)

Ln + Y

Ln STRIPPING

Am + Cm

An STRIPPING

HNO3 DMDOHEMA

HTP

Acidic extractant

HTP HNO3 HEDTA.

  • xalic

acid HNO3

DMDOHEMA

HTP

DMDOHEMA Solvent treatment

pH > 5

Extractant separation

Fuel cycle, the MA heterogeneous recycling option

(hot test scheduled in 2009)

slide-14
SLIDE 14

IEMPT-10, Mito, Japan, October 8, 2008

14/22

Radiochemistry and Processes Department

  • U, Pu, Np by COEXTM + Am (and Cm) by DIAMEX-SANEX
  • or all-actinide grouped management (GANEX), the most

advanced option, but drawbacks for fuel cycle operation

FPs

REACTOR TREATMENT URANIUM Pu, U, MAs

U

Fuel cycle, the MA homogeneous recycling option

slide-15
SLIDE 15

IEMPT-10, Mito, Japan, October 8, 2008

15/22

Radiochemistry and Processes Department

F.P.

DISSOLUTION

Spent fuel

1st step U Extraction Ln Stripping

Ln

WASTE UPuNpAmCm Conversion

DISSOLUTION

U

Pu+MA

2nd step An Stripping

Ln

RECYCLE

Fuel cycle, the GANEX concept

slide-16
SLIDE 16

IEMPT-10, Mito, Japan, October 8, 2008

16/22

Radiochemistry and Processes Department

1st step : U selective extraction 2nd step : Pu-Np-Am-Cm co-recovery (diamide-based process)

(scheduled in November 2008)

Fuel cycle, the GANEX hot runs in Atalante

(performed successfully in June 2008)

Solvent clean-up Mono Amide Extraction Scrubbing U stripping

Feed

Np, Pu, Am, Cm + FPs

HNO3 Diluted HNO3

U

U > 99.9%

slide-17
SLIDE 17

IEMPT-10, Mito, Japan, October 8, 2008

17/22

Radiochemistry and Processes Department

Atalante/L15

U 70 % - Pu 30 % U, Pu, Np, Am

U 78 % - Pu 20 % - Np 1% - Am 1 %

Continuous operation

ATALANTE – L15

U, Pu,Np

Fuel cycle, from MA solutions to fuels

Actinide oxalic co-conversion (precipitation, filtration, calcination)

COPIX (UPu)O2 irradiation test in Phénix, 2008-2009

slide-18
SLIDE 18

IEMPT-10, Mito, Japan, October 8, 2008

18/22

Radiochemistry and Processes Department

Fluoride Salt Metal Solvent AnF3 An AlF3 An Al

Actinide distribution coefficients >100 An/Ln separation factors > 1000

CEA Pyro reference route: reductive extraction

Salt before extraction Salt after extraction

  • Attractive potentialities:
  • Compactness
  • No radiolytical effects
  • Suitable for advanced fuels, hot fuels
  • …
  • but still heavy work, still questions:
  • Operating pyro-processes at industrial scale ?
  • Technological waste amount ?

Al

slide-19
SLIDE 19

IEMPT-10, Mito, Japan, October 8, 2008

19/22

Radiochemistry and Processes Department

Separation process : CEA on going R and D

COEXTM: « Demo runs » (separation, conversion, COPIX) DIAMEX, SANEX :

  • Single cycle flowsheets
  • « Am only » recovery concepts

GANEX :

  • 1st and 2nd cycles
  • New flowsheets considered…

Atalante new hot runs : from 2008 to 2012 PYRO: Stripping in molten salts (after extraction)

slide-20
SLIDE 20

IEMPT-10, Mito, Japan, October 8, 2008

20/22

Radiochemistry and Processes Department

Separation process : consolidation towards industrialization

N C H3 C8H17 N CH3 C8H17 O O C2H4 O C6H13

Extractant synthesis Modeling

(flowsheet, sensitivity, operation)

DMDOHEMA + HDEHP

Raffinat PUREX

Ln stripping

Ln

Extr-scrub.

PF

An(III) + Ln(III)

DTPA pH 3-4

An stripping

Ln(III)

An

Core of the process demonstrated at small scale

Long term effects

(solvent treatment)

Equipments

(Implementation, extrapolation)

In situ analysis

(cations, pH...)

Interface Co-conversion FP solution adapted to vitrification

(Concent. Calcination)

slide-21
SLIDE 21

IEMPT-10, Mito, Japan, October 8, 2008

21/22

Radiochemistry and Processes Department

New workshops at La Hague Areva plant ? SFR MOX FUEL FABRICATION MINOR ACTINIDE PILOT (remote fabrication)

(the core of SFR proto ASTRID, tons) (experimental pins, MONJU demo, kg)

slide-22
SLIDE 22

IEMPT-10, Mito, Japan, October 8, 2008

22/22

Radiochemistry and Processes Department

En résumé… towards 2012 milestone

Recycling options, for sustainable systems

  • Many options still open (what, and how)

A progressive step by step approach,

(from U and Pu first, to MA recovery?)

A need for flexible processes? On-going research in the Atalante facility

(many process options already explored)

A consolidation program for industrial potentiality Prototype(s) fuels (driver fuel, and MA-bearing experimental fuel):

new facilities under design, and open to international collaboration