Core Design Characteristics of the Hyper System (original) (raw)
Related papers
2010
In regard to intensive development of accelerator driven system (ADS) in the past 20 years and a promising possibility of radioactive waste transmutation in such systems, we have proposed the physical project of a sub-critical research reactor driven by an external neutron source. The basis of such a research reactor is a good optimized two zone sub-critical assembly. The results of calculations of the simple homogeneous models of such assemblies are presented in the paper, and the two zone (fast and thermal) heterogeneous model has been designed on the base of these calculations. The main details of design and physical characteristics of such a model are also presented. Special attention is paid to the choice of effective external neutron source. The disadvantages and advantages of different types of accelerators and power neutron generators are considered.
System for Nuclear Waste Transmutation Driven by Target-Distributed Accelerators
2004
A radioactive waste transmutation system based extensively on existing nuclear power technology is presented. By replacing the control rods with neutron sources, we could maintain good power distribution and perform long-lived waste burning in high flux subcritical reactors (HFSR). To increase neutron source intensity the HFSR is divided into two zones: a booster and a blanket. A neutron gate (absorber and moderator) imposed between two zones permits fast neutrons from the booster to flow to the blanket. Neutrons moving in the reverse direction are moderated and absorbed. The design is based on a small pressurized water reactor (PWR), fission electric cell (FEC), target-distributed accelerator (TDA) and power monitoring system with in-core gamma-ray detectors, now under development in several countries. The FEC is essentially a high-voltage power source that directly converts the kinetic energy of the fission fragments into electrical potential of about 2MV. The TDA, in which an FEC electric field compensates for lost beam energy in the target, offers a new approach to obtain large neutron fluxes.
The Integrated Project EUROTRANS (EURopean Research Programme for the TRANSmutation of High Level Nuclear Waste in an Accelerator Driven System) within the ongoing EURATOM 6th European Commission Framework Programme (FP6) is devoted to the study of transmutation of high-level waste from nuclear power plants. The work is focused on transmutation in an Accelerator Driven System (ADS). The objective of EUROTRANS is the assessment of the design and the feasibility of an industrial ADS prototype dedicated to transmutation. The necessary R&D results in the areas of fuel development, structural materials, thermal-hydraulics, heavy liquid metal technology and nuclear data will be made available, together with the experimental demonstration of the ADS component coupling. The outcome of this work will allow to provide a reasonably reliable assessment of technological feasibility and a cost estimate for ADS based transmutation, and to possibly decide on the detailed design of an experimental A...
ACCELERATOR DRIVEN SYSTEMS FOR ENERGY PRODUCTION AND WASTE TRANSMUTATION
Due to their inherent safety features and waste trans-mutation potential, accelerator driven subcritical reactors (ADSRs) are the subject of research and development in almost all countries around the world. The neutrons needed to sustain fission are generated by the spallation process resulting from high energy protons impacting a target element installed at the centre of the core. In the present paper the possible benefits of FFAGs as accelerator drivers for ADSR systems are analysed. FFAGs afford fast acceleration as there is no need of synchronization between RF and magnets, high average current with large repetition rate and large acceptance. The present study also focuses on the Monte Carlo studies of the reactor core design. The impact of the subcriticallity, target material and proton beam energy on the ADSR performance was also examined. Entirely novel ADSR configurations involving multiple accelerator drivers and associated spallation targets within the reactor core have also been considered. Calculations were carried out using the GEANT4 simulation code.
From conventional nuclear power reactors to accelerator-driven systems
Annals of Nuclear Energy, 2010
Due to many factors, there is again increase in trend to use the nuclear power for energy production. But spent fuel from nuclear power plants has become one of the crucial problems of nuclear energy exploitation. Some problems attributed to the conventional nuclear power reactors along with their solutions and a historical transition from nuclear power reactors to accelerator-driven systems are briefly reviewed in the present work. It is argued that accelerator-driven systems (ADS), for transmutation of nuclear waste and energy production, are good alternatives to the conventional nuclear power plants. Important differences between the conventional nuclear reactors and the ADS along with the ADS physics are discussed. The ADS is considered to be relatively safe as compared to the other nuclear power reactors commonly in use.
Computational Neutronics Methods and Transmutation Performance Analyses for Fast Reactors
2007
The once-through fuel cycle strategy in the United States for the past six decades has resulted in an accumulation of Light Water Reactor (LWR) Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF). This SNF contains considerable amounts of transuranic (TRU) elements that limit the heat and dose capacity of the current planned repository strategy. A possible way of maximizing the utilization of the repository is to separate the TRU from the LWR SNF through a process such as UREX+1a, and convert it into fuel for a fast-spectrum Advanced Burner Reactor (ABR). The key advantage in this scenario is the assumption that recycling of TRU in the ABR (through pyroprocessing or some other approach), along with a low capture-to-fission probability in the fast reactor's high-energy neutron spectrum, can effectively decrease the decay heat and toxicity of the waste being sent to the repository. The decay heat and toxicity reduction can thus minimize the need for multiple repositories. This report summarizes the work performed by the fuel cycle analysis group at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to establish the specific technical capability for performing fast reactor fuel cycle analysis and its application to a high-priority ABR concept. The high-priority ABR conceptual design selected is a metallic-fueled, 1000 MWth SuperPRISM (S-PRISM)-based ABR with a conversion ratio of 0.5. Results from the analysis showed excellent agreement with reference values. The independent model was subsequently used to study the effects of excluding curium from the transuranic (TRU) external feed coming from the LWR SNF and recycling the curium produced by the fast reactor itself through pyroprocessing. Current studies to be published this year focus on analyzing the effects of different separation strategies as well as heterogeneous TRU target systems.
Status and trend of core design activities for heavy metal cooled accelerator driven system
Energy conversion and …, 2006
During the 5 th Framework Program (FP5) the European Commission (EC) funded the PDS-XADS project (Preliminary Design Studies on an eXperimental Accelerator Driven System) mainly devoted to the demonstration of the feasibility of the coupling among an accelerator, a spallation target and a sub-critical core, and to preliminarily investigate the possibility of enhancing the transmutation rates for achieving values suitable for an Industrial Scale Transmuter.
Nuclear Engineering and Design, 2011
The conceptual design of a pebble bed gas-cooled transmutation device is shown with the aim to evaluate its potential for its deployment in the context of the sustainable nuclear energy development, which considers high temperature reactors for their operation in cogeneration mode, producing electricity, heat and Hydrogen. As differential characteristics our device operates in subcritical mode, driven by a neutron source activated by an accelerator that adds clear safety advantages and fuel flexibility opening the possibility to reduce the nuclear stockpile producing energy from actual LWR irradiated fuel with an efficiency of 45–46%, either in the form of Hydrogen, electricity, or both.► Utilization of Accelerator Driven System (ADS) for Hydrogen production. ► Evaluation of the potential use of gas-cooled ADS for a sustainable use of Uranium resources by transmutation of nuclear wastes, electricity and Hydrogen production. ► Application of the Sulfur-Iodine thermochemical process to subcritical systems. ► Application of CINDER90 to calculate burn-up in subcritical systems.