2014 IGORR 2014 / IAEA Technical Meeting

Enhanced utilization of Zero Power Reactors

and Subcritical Assemblies

Bariloche, Argentina

17 - 21 November 2014

Centrum výzkumu Řež s.r.o.

Radek Řezáč

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Education and training

based at zero power

reactor as a support for

GEN IV reactors

Content

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Introduction

LR-0 reactor

Activity in the project SUSEN

Education & Training

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Introduction

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Czech Republic on world map

Location in Czech Republic

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Husinec–Řež

20 km from Prague

Research Centre Rez in brief

Established 2002, daughter company of ÚJV, R&D organization

Member of ÚJV Group

Particularly focused at nuclear power generation

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LR-0 reactor

LR-0 research reactor

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REACTOR

Reactor type Light-water, zero-power,

pool-type

Maximal thermal output (kW) Up to 1

Fuel type VVER-1000, VVER-440

Moderator Light water

Core

Assembly grid triangular

Diameter of the fuel pellet UO2 (mm) 7,15

Height of fuel column in pins (mm) 1250

Pitch of the fuel cells (mm) 12,7

Cladding material Zr + 1% Nb

Dimension of pin cladding (mm) diameter 9,15x0,72

Number of fuel assemblies 7 – 55

Number of fuel pins in VVER-1000 assembly 312

Assembly pitch for VVER-1000 236 mm

Number of fuel pins in VVER-440 assembly 126

Assembly pitch for VVER- 440 147 mm

Moderator

Chemical composition Demineralized water

with H3BO3

Concentration of H3BO3 (g/kg) 0 – 12

Change of concentration during operation n/a

Safety and experimental clusters

Number of absorbing elements in cluster up to 18

Layout in fuel assembly Standard circle

Regular triangular

Absorbing material B4C

Dimension of absorbing tube (mm) diameter 8,2x0,6

LR-0 reactor variability

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Concrete biological

shielding

Reactor Pressure

Vessel Model

LR-0 Al tank

Displacer

Barrel

Baffle

Measurement

dry channels

Fuel Assemblies

with different 235U

enrichment

Moderator

(demi-water, H3BO3)

MCNP model in scale 1:1 to study

of VVER-1000 physical parameters

Driving core with 7 Fuel Assemblies

Activity on LR-0 reactor

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Activity Description

Research Space-time kinetic for assembly of benchmarks

Measurement of neutron flux distribution

Experiments with new fuel assembly

Capacity for ideas Offering access to reactor LR-0

Providing 6 weeks of operating time in year (free of charge)

Aassessment of the applicant’s project

Student’s thesis Offering diploma and PhD thesis

Cooperation with Czech Universities

Providing facility for bachelor’s and master’s theses

Education &

Training

Technical visits

Courses and summer schools

Long term fellowships

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LR-0 as Gen IV support

Generation IV Forum: 6 systems

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Sodium cooled Fast Reactor

Molten Salt Reactor

Gas cooled Fast Reactor Lead cooled Fast Reactor

Supercritical Water cooled Reactor Very High Temperature Reactor

Parameters and use

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Reactor Neutrons Fuel cycle Dimension Application R&D

GFR fast closed middle

electricity,

actinide

recycling, H2

fuel, materials,

safety

LFR fast closed

small

middle

large

electricity,

actinide

recycling, H2

fuel, structural

materials

compatibility

MSR thermal closed large actinide

recycling, H2

fuel, materials,

safety, reliability

SFR fast closed middle

large

electricity,

actinide

recycling

Improvement of

recycling,

passive safety,

limit states

SCWR thermal

fast

open

closed large electricity

High-

temperature

materials,

composites,

ceramics

VHTR thermal open middle

electricity,

H2, waste

heat

fuel, materials,

hydrogen

production

Main parameters of GIV reactors

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Parameter SFR GFR LFR VHTR SCWR MSR

Coolant

liquid Na He, 7 MPa Pb alloys He, 7 MPa

water

24 MPa Molten salts

Core structure

F/M steels

Cladding

AFMA

F/M ODS

SiCf-SiC

composite

F/M steels

Austenitics

316, 15-15Ti

ODS

core

Graphite

Control rods

C/C SiC/SiC

Ni based

Alloys &

F/M steels

Graphite

Hastelloy

Temperature

(°C) 390-700 600-1,200 350-480 600-1,600 350-620 700-800

Dose Cladding

200 dpa 60/90 dpa

Cladding

~100 dpa 7/25 dpa

Other

components

IHX, turbine

Ni alloys

IHX, turbine

Ni alloys

Driving reactor cores assembled at LR-0

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A) Core arrangement for well-defined reactor neutron spectra.

B) Core arrangement for thermal neutron spectra modified by

graphite.

C) Core arrangement for modified – fast neutron spectra,

CC - Central Channel = hexagonal assembly

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Activity in the project SUSEN

CVR activities in Gen-IV - SUSEN

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Technology Projects Status

SFR Possible

involvement Currently none

GFR

SUSEN

GoFastR

ALLEGRO

TEO, MAT,

SSD

LFR

SUSEN

MATTER,

MATISSE,

GAČR,

ARCADIA

TEO, MAT,

SSD

VHTR SUSEN

ARCHER TEO, MAT

SCWR SUSEN

CWR-FQT

Coordination

of EU – China

TEO, MAT,

SSD

MSR SUSEN TEO, NFC

TEO - Technological Experimental Loops

SSD - Structural and System Diagnostics

NFC - Nuclear Fuel Cycle

MAT - Material Research

SUSEN – SUStainable ENergy

To create a robust infrastructure for

sustainable R&D activities to support

Czech participation on European effort

for safe and efficient energy generation

in Europe in the 21st century,

particularly in terms of preparation of

Gen IV and fusion and

for safe operation of Gen III and Gen II

SUSEN – program list 1

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Program Description

Experimental SCWR

Loop

Experimental circuit with fluid – water at supercritical parameters (pressure 25 MPa, temperature

550 ° C), for testing of cladding materials and other components and materials subjected to very

high temperature steam.

Experimental Helium

Loop

Experimental circuit with high helium for material testing of reactor components exposed to

helium at temperatures up to 1000 °C. The experimental circuit will also exposure to radiation and

mechanical stress.

Experimental CO2

Loop

Experimental loop with supercritical carbon dioxide. The main aim of this facility is to verify the

conversion cycle and identify correlations for heat transfer and supercritical CO2.

ITER Facility Infrastructure for experimental verification and development of the new procedures for remote

handling for installation, repair and maintenance of systems.

14MeV Neutron

Source

Source will be used to study the interaction of neutrons (with energies of 14MeV) with materials

especially for fusion applications.

Laboratory of

Electron Microscopy

Modern fully equipped laboratory for transmission (TEM) and scanning (SEM) electron

microscopy. The microscopes will be equipped EDX, WDX and EBSD detectors.

NDE Laboratory

Comprehensively equipped laboratory for the development of new methods of non-destructive

testing of ferritic, austenitic and heterogeneous welded joints. The laboratory offers the possibility

to create a body with artificial discontinuities in order to study the degradation process.

SUSEN – program list 2

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Program Description

LOCA Chamber Device for simulation of an accident LOCA (loss of coolant accident). LOCA type device will be

mainly used for testing cables.

Hot Cells Complex

New complex of 10 hot cells. Cells will be equipped with a set of equipments for carrying out

mechanical tests (sample preparation area, stress testing machine, impact tester, etc.) as well as

to study material microstructure (optical microscope, SEM, etc.).

FERDA 2

Technological Line The experimental equipment for testing the fractional distillation of fluoride.

Cold Crucible Devices Equipment for thermal treatment of materials that are very difficult to treat be standard

procedures or non-standard radioactive materials.

SIMS Laboratory Laboratory equipped with high-end secondary ion mass spectrometer will be used primarily for

accurate detection of ultralow concentrations of substances.

Mechanical Testing

Laboratory

Comprehensively equipped laboratory for a wide range of material testing. The laboratory will be

equipped with a sample preparatory devices, testing machine for low and high-cycle fatigue,

stress testing machines, spectrometers, SEM etc.

Welding Laboratory

(in Pilsen)

Laboratory for studying of procedures for welding of advanced materials for use in the energy

industry. The laboratory infrastructure will be part of the SUSE project partner – University of

West Bohemia in Pilsen.

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Education & Training

Education & training concept

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Gamma

Spectroscopy

Reactor

Physics

Neutron

Spectroscopy

Nuclear

Safety

Nuclear

Physics

Basic

Courses

Advanced

Courses

Tailor-made

Courses

Educational modules

Local

Training

e-learning

Distance

Teaching

Training types

Training forms

Th

eo

ry

Pra

cti

ce

Education & training process

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Experiments related to education on LR-0

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A. Reactor Basic critical experiment

The determination of the exact critical moderator level

Calibration of the cluster by water level of the moderator

Measurement of the influence of dynamic cluster changes to

reactivity

B. Gamma spectrometry Energy and efficiency calibration of spectrometric equipment for

activation foils measurements

Measurement of the residual activity of radionuclides in several

axial positions of the fuel pin by means of gamma-scanning device

C. Reactor power monitors Measurement of neutron flux

Measurement of differential and counting characteristics of

neutron detectors

Training’s topics of advanced courses

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Reactor Physics on LR-0

Nuclear Reactor and safety operation

The Pin Power Distribution Measurement on the LR-0 Research Reactor

The Neutron Fluence Determination in LR-0 Reactor by Activation Detectors

Semiconductor Gamma-Ray Spectrometry and Its Experimental Reactor Physics Application

Environmental Radioactivity

Experimental Verification of Nuclear Safety During NPP Temelín Commissioning

Course schedule in 2014

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January

Reactor Physics Reactor Physics Reactor Physics Summer school

in Reactor Physics

Gamma

Spectrometry

Gamma

Spectrometry

Environmental

Radioactivity

Environmental

Radioactivity

NPP Commissioning Nuclear reactor

safety

December 2014

Summer school and courses

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