Present Status in the Netherlands of Research Relevant to High - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

• J. C. Kuijper, A.I. van Heek, J.B.M. de Haas (NRG)
• R. Conrad, M. Burghartz (JRC-IE)

J.L. Kloosterman (IRI/TU Delft)

OECD NEA NSC Meeting Second Information Exchange Meeting on Survey of Basic Studies in the Field of High Temperature Engineering 10-12 October 2001, Paris

Present Status in the Netherlands of Research Relevant to High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor Design

Introduction

• Update on HTR-related HFR irradiation experiments since

1st IEM (1999)

• Extension to auxiliary experiments, model calculations and

software development, auxiliary studies

• Overview/highlights only!
• Organisations:

– JRC-IE (previously JRC-IAM) – NRG (merger of nuclear units of KEMA Arnhem and ECN Petten) – IRI, Delft University of Technology – others...

Outline

• Introduction
• Characteristics of HFR Petten
• HFR irradiation experiments and (calculational) support

– Irradiations of HTR fuel – Irradiations of HTR structural materials (graphite/RPV steel)

• Auxiliary experiments
• Model calculations and software development
• Auxiliary studies

Characteristics of HFR Petten

• Multipurpose materials testing reactor
• Light-water cooled & moderated, tank-in-vessel type
• 45 MW nominal power
• 19 in-vessel core positions for material testing
• Pool side facility for out-of-vessel testing
• Utilization for fission, waste and fusion related R&D
• Radioisotope production and medical application as BNCT
• Neutron-radiography, activation analysis
• 12 beam tubes

HFR Programme

• HFR belonging to the JRC-IE of the EC
• Four years Supplementary Programme, 2000 - 2003, supported by

European Council decision of 6.12.1999

• Since 1996, HFR managed and operated by joint and single
• rganizational structure between JRC-IE and NRG, the HFR Unit
• Aim: market oriented approach and concentration of long-

standing competences in exploiting nuclear facilities

HFR irradiation experiments and (calculational) support (1)

• Annual programme:

–11 cycles per year –~ 25 full power days per cycle –annual availability more than 270 full power days –outstanding record since initial start in 1961

• Operating strategy:

–operation at preset and reproducible conditions –preset time schedule –regular update of plant –new reactor vessel in operation since 1985

HFR irradiation experiments and (calculational) support (2)

• Infrastructure and on-site services:

– Computational studies provided by NRG (neutronics, thermal hydraulics, mechanics); pre-irradiation and follow-up – Design of irradiation facilities by JRC-IE and NRG – Fabrication and quality control by ECN (ISO 9001) – NDE (neutron radiography) and X-ray available at JRC-IE and NRG – PIE at NRG hot cell labs – Waste disposal by NRG

HFR irradiation experiments and (calculational) support (3)

• Past experiences with HTR fuel and graphite irradiation

experiments: see paper and IEM1

• Present activities in HTR fuel irradiation experiments:

– HFR-EU1 (irradiation of fuel pebbles; EU 5FP “HTR-F”) – HFR-EU2 (irradiation of GA fuel compacts)

• Present activities regarding irradiation of HTR structural

materials:

– RPV material irradiation in LYRA facility (EU 5FP “HTR-M”) – Graphite irradiation planned for 2001-2005 (EU 5FP “HTR-M1”)

HFR-EU1 test

• EU1 test
• HFR-EU1 is the first irradiation within the HTR-F project

under the umbrella of HTR-TN

• Three spherical fuel elements with LEU reference coated

particle fuel, type GLE-4

• Irradiation starts in 2002
• Extreme high burn-up test up to 20 % FIMA within 2 years
• Fuel has been designed for 8.9 % FIMA, but was qualified up

to 15 % in capsule tests and up to 20 % in AVR mass test without irradiation induced failure of particle coatings

HFR-EU1 HFR-EU1

Irradiation parameters

• Required and maximum allowable parameters

– Temperature:

• 800°C at surface of FE, average of poles & equator
• 1100°C is the max. allowable central temperature (theoretical

value) – Fission power:

• Max. allowable power is 2400 W, considering 9600 CPs per FE

– Burn-up:

• Required is 200 GWd/tHM for the highest loaded
• The lowest loaded fuel element will receive ~170 GWd/tHM

– Fast neutron fluence:

• The max. allowable fast fluence is: 8 x 1025 m-2 (E >0.1 MeV)

Design of Facility Design of Facility

• Design of in-pile facility:

– Sample holder with 2 independent capsules in REFA-172 thimble – Fuel elements are doubly contained – Instrumentation consists of thermocouples, dosimeters and purge gas lines – Fuel elements are hold in place by graphite half-shells – Capsules are purged with high-purity He for surveillance of fission gas release – Adjustable gas mixture in REFA containment serves for temperature control – Option for vertical displacement of sample holder to optimize fluence profile – Option to use built-in fission gas filters in case of high release of fission gases – Options to tailor neutron spectrum

Design scheme HFR-EU1 rig Spherical 60 mm FE

Auxiliary experiments

• HTR-PROTEUS reactivity effects (IRI)

– several reactivity measurement methodes (pulsed neutron source, inverse kinetics, noise analysis) – analysis by Monte Carlo and deterministic codes

• HTTR start-up core physics (NRG, IRI)

– IAEA CRP “Evaluation of HTGR Performance” – calculational benchmark: intercomparison of SCALE/KENO/BOLD-VENTURE (IRI) and WIMS/PANTHERMIX (NRG) – calculations in agreement with reactivity measurements

• Long-term behaviour of disposed spent HTR fuel (NRG)

– EU 5FP “HTR-N” and “HTR-N1” Work Package 5 – leaching experiments on SiC and fuel kernels (both unirradiated and irradiated)

Model calculations and software development

• South African PBMR: typical pebble bed nuclear power

plant for utilities:

– Core physics (NRG) – Shielding (NRG) – CFD analysis of primary pipe rupture (NRG)

• ACACIA (INCOGEN): small (40 MWth) combined heat

and power unit:

– Safety analysis – Fission product transport

• Other:

– Pu-incineration in HTR (EU 5FP “HTR-N” and “HTR-N1”) (NRG, IRI) – HTR with burnable poison (IRI, NRG) – HTR system dynamics (IRI, NRG)

PBMR core phyics (NRG) (1)

• Extension of the PANTHERMIX code system (3-D

neutronics; 2-D R-Z HTR thermal hydraulics) for the modelling of pebble bed reactors with continuous fuel circulation

• Investigation of equilibrium condition
• Investigation of burn-in scenario
• To attain real equilibrium at least 10 passes required

PBMR core physics (2)

HTR with burnable poison (IRI, NRG) (1)

• Fundamental study on cell level by IRI
• Aim: minimize reactivity swing as function of the

irradiation time

• NRG recently started an investigation on the use of

burnable poison in a “cartridge core” ACACIA

Computational model

Burnable Particle Fuel zone

(The radius of the fuel zone determines the effective number of fuel particles per burnable particles in a pebble)

Macro cell Micro cell

The k∞

∞ ∞ ∞ as a function of the irradiation time for the reference case without

BP and for spherical "hollow" burnable particles with different radii.

0.9 0.95 1 1.05 1.1 1.15 1.2 1.25 1.3 200 400 600 800 1000 1200

EFPD Kinfinitive

Reference Hollow BP R=0.46mm - Vfuel / V BP = 10300 Hollow BP R=0.3mm - Vfuel / V BP = 10300

The k∞

∞ ∞ ∞ as a function of the irradiation time for the reference case

without BP and for spherical burnable particles with different radii.

0.9 0.95 1 1.05 1.1 1.15 1.2 1.25 1.3 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 EFPD Kinfinite R=0.3 mm - Vfuel / VBP = 7 500 R=0.46 mm - Vfuel / VBP = 7 500 Reference

Auxiliary studies

• Since beginning of the 90’s organisations in the Netherlands

are involved in auxiliary studies concerning HTR design

• INCOGEN programme (Innovative Nuclear COGENeration):

– plant layout – ECS design – control philosophy – inspection and maintenance – licensing – economics and market potential

• Present activities include:

– RPV materials database (JRC-IE with CEA) – Gas Cooled Fast Reactor (NRG) – Revised cost assessment for ACACIA direct nuclear cogeneration plant (NRG)

Summary

• JRC’s HFR Petten still very important: numerous test

irradiations of fuels and other materials relevant to HTR design

• Since beginning of 90’s growing involvement and

expertise of Dutch organisations in other HTR-related investigations

• International framework