A PERSPECTIVE ON THE INDIAN PROGRAMME ON FAST REACTORS AND

ASSOCIATED FUEL CYCLES

Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research,

Kalpakkam 603102, India

P.R.Vasudeva Rao, P.Chellapandi,

G.Srinivasan, K.K.Rajan,

R.Natarajan, P.V.Kumar and

T.Jayakumar

Fast Breeder and Fuel Cycle Facilities

FRFCF

FBTR

PFBR(500 MWe)

CFBR (2 x500 MWe)

MFTR (120 MWe) MFBR (1000 MWe)

DFRP

CORAL

Fast Reactor Fuel Cycle Facility

Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor

Fast Breeder Test Reactor

Metal Fuel Test Reactor Metal Fuel Breeder Reactor

The performance of sodium systems for the past 27 years has been

excellent. Sodium pumps have crossed 7, 39,000 hours of cumulative,

continuous operation. Steam generators have performed without a single

leak incident

PFBR test fuel irradiated in FBTR to a burn-up of 112 GWd/t and

discharged for Post-irradiation Examination

FBTR: operation summary

FBTR, in operation since 1985, is the flag-ship of

IGCAR and is the test bed for fast reactor fuels

and materials.

It has completed 20 irradiation campaigns .

During the campaigns, the reactor has been

operated to a power level of 20.3 MW, and sodium

outlet temperature of 540 deg C.

Its unique carbide fuel has set an international record in burn-up (165

GWd/t). One fuel pin failure event was observed and the failed fuel

subassembly was quickly detected and removed for PIE

Irradiation of six sodium bonded metallic fuel test pins

(Natural Uranium + 6% Zr) (continuing)

Irradiation of D9 structural materials.

Irradiation of Impact specimens of SS304LN and SS316LN

for low dose irradiation studies

Irradiation of Yttria capsule in a special subassembly for trial

production of Sr89

Irradiation of ferro-boron shielding material

Testing of high temperature fission chamber (HTFC) for

PFBR, up to a maximum power of 10 MWt

Testing of industrial version of Kalman filter based

instrument, meant for drop time measurement of DSRDM for

PFBR.

Campaign Missions of FBTR

Life Extension and Safety Evaluation

Several refurbishments and modifications have been carried out towards life extension of FBTR, eg. Replacement of steam generator rupture discs, Main boiler feed pumps, etc.

Creep-fatigue damage assessment has been calculated and long residual life is available.

Life of the reactor is governed by dose on the Grid Plate. Irradiation of specimens indicated that the allowable residual ductility of 10% for core structures is reached at 4.37 dpa. The effective residual life is estimated as ~ 7 Effective Full Power Years.

Post Fukushima, safety studies were taken up and the plant was seen to be safe against even extended blackout.

Retrofits planned for protection against flooding

Carbide Fuel Cycle of FBTR

100 GWd/t

Fuel Fabricated at BARC

Over 1200 Mark-I fuel pins have

reached 155 GWd/t burn-up in

FBTR; maximum burn-up reached

165 GWd/t

Fuel discharged at burn-up upto

150 GWd/t reprocessed in CORAL

facility

The plutonium recovered from

reprocessing has been used to

fabricate fresh fuel for FBTR, thus

closing the fuel cycle

FBTR Fuel Reprocessing

16 Stage Centrifugal Extractor Bank

CORAL facility: Over the

years, the decontamination

factors have been

improved, and the waste

volumes have been

reduced

DFRP: View of Cell Piping

Current Status of PFBR (500 MWe)

Dummy core in core LRP/SRP on Roof Slab

Sodium Filling by

End of 2013

Hot commissioning

during first quarter

of 2014

Reactor criticality

by Sep.2014

All SGs erected Erection of sodium piping Turbo Generator

Vault Top View

Component Testing for PFBR

Primary Ramp & Primary Tilting Mechanism of PFBR in LCTR

Transfer Arm testing in air and sodium in LCTR

Performance testing of

Critical PFBR

Components Shut down Mechanisms

CSRDM, DSRDM

Tested, qualified and

delivered to BHAVINI

Fuel Handling machines

IFTM: PR &PTM

tested, qualified &

erected in PFBR

Transfer Arm : Sodium

testing is in progress

Electromagnetic pumps;

Tested in sodium

Annular linear induction pump (ALIP) CSRDM DSRDM

Mutual Inductance Level probes for PFBR and its calibration in LCTR

In-sodium Sensors Mutual Inductance level Probes

Ultrasonic transducers for Under Ultrasonic sodium

scanner

Eddy Current Flow meters for primary pump and core

flow measurement

Sodium aerosol detector

Under sodium ultrasonic transducer

Under sodium ultra sonic scanner of PFBR Eddy Current Flow meter for primary pump and core flow monitoring

sodium aerosol detector

PFBR TRAINING SIMULATOR AT BHAVINI

Simulated Sub Systems include Neutronics, Primary and Secondary Sodium, Safety Grade Decay Heat Removal, Core Temperature Monitoring, Steam Water, Electrical and Fuel Handling System.

PIE of PFBR MOX Test FSA in FBTR up to 112 GWd/t

MOX fuel composition (U0.29 Pu0.71) O2

53.5% U233

O/M 1.98 to 2.00

No. of fuel pins & Fuel stack length 37 pin, 240 mm

Linear mass 2.18 g/cm

Fuel Density 91 1 % TD

Pellet diameter OD & ID 5.55 & 1.75 (mm)

Fuel pin OD & ID 6.6 & 5.7 (mm)

Clad & Wrapper material 20 % CW D9

Peak linear power 450 W/cm

Neutron dose 62 dpa

12kW 22min In (Epithermal neutrons)

• Stress-Strain curve of clad & wrapper • Diametral strain on D9 cladding has both void swelling & irradiation creep • Retention of adequate strength and ductility in D9 clad & wrapper • Fission gas release and fission product distribution by gamma scanning

X-ray & Neutron- radiographs of MOX fuel pin

Dimensional changes in wrapper & clad

Fuel stack length increase measured by different NDE techniques is in the range of 0.8 – 1.25 %

Inter pellet gap & radial cracks Central hole in the pellets

Post Irradiation Examination established that the MOX fuel and D9 clad/wrapper of PFBR test SA have performed well in FBTR up to a burnup of 112 GWd/t.

Pins being assembled

PFBR Fuel Subassembly Fabrication

Welding in progress

REACTOR

REPROCESSING

PLANT

FUEL & BLANKET PIN PLANT

FUEL

ASSEMBLY

PLANT WMP

CLOSED FUEL CYCLE

Fast Reactor Fuel Cycle

Facility (FRFCF) is being

planned to close the fuel

cycle of PFBR

Design of the facility has

been completed and MoEF

clearance has been

obtained. Consent for

construction expected.

Fast Reactor Fuel Cycle Facility

Challenges in Future FBR Development

Cost

Capital Cost

Design Improvement

Construction time

Fuel Cycle Cost Burn-up

Improved materials

Safety

Shutdown System with Passive Features

Passive Decay Heat Removal

Sodium Fire Protection

High Breeding Ratio Faster Growth Metallic Fuels

Reactor Assembly of PFBR & FBR-1

FBR 1 PFBR

Dome shaped roof slab

Support under

compression

Welded grid plate

Inner vessel with

Doubled curved torus

Thick plate

rotatable plugs

Embedded

safety vessel

Eight primary pipes

FBR 1 PFBR

Box to Dome shaped

Roof slab

Support under

Tension to compression

Four Primary

pipes to Eight

Conical to Toroidal

Inner vessel

Box to Thick plate

Rotatable plugs

Separate Safety

vessel to

Embedded vessel

Bolted to Welded

Grid plate

Motivation to introduce innovations

PFBR construction experience, significant saving in capital cost & reduced

construction time, enhanced safety…the features adoptable for future SFR series

Technology Demonstration of Key Innovative

Components FBR – 1 & 2

Tri-Junction Forging

Inner Vessel Welded Grid Plate

Thick Plate Welding

Large Diameter Bearing

Metallic Fuel Development

Substantial Core Metallic Fuel in FBTR

Pin Irradiation in FBTR

Subassembly Irradiation in FBTR

120 MWe Experimental Fast Reactor

Metallic Fuel Design

1000 MWe Units

Doubling time:

30years for oxide, 12 years for metal and 8 years

for improved metallic fuel without Zr)

Reference compositions:

U-19%Pu-6%Zr (sodium bonded)

U-19% Pu (mechanically bonded / sodium

bonded)

EU-6%Zr sodium bonded fuel pins under

irradiation in FBTR

U-Pu-Zr sodium bonded pins fabricated for

irradiation in FBTR

Physicochemical property measurements and

clad compatibility studies under way

SOLID SOLIDUS SOLID + LIQUID LIQUIDUS

Unique “Spot” technique for measurement of solidus liquidus temperatures of fuel materials

Precise (+ 5 K) measurement of transition temperatures;

Provides a view of the transition and also data

The Experimental set-up for Nuclear Fuel Materials

Long distance Microscope IR tow color pyrometer Vacuum Chamber

K Cell

Ta susceptor

High vacuum system

Lids Sample cell & RF coil

Sample mount

K-Cell Assembly

Mo Table

SS support

W-legs

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

1400

1450

1500

1550

1600

1650

1700

1750

1800

1850

1900

1950

2000

2050

2100

2150

TS Leibowitz [5]

TL Leibowitz [5]

ASM diagram [7]

TS Kanno [2]

TL Kanno [2]

TL Ohimichi [3]

TL Maeda [4]

T /

K

X Zr

TS - Present study

TL - Present study

TS Summers-Smith [1]

TL Summers-Smith [1]

Solidus-Liquidus data on U-Zr system

First measurements on solidus temperature of Mark I Fuel of FBTR (MC + M2C3) (Pu/(U+Pu) =0.7

Spots indicating fuel melting at solidus

Ref 1

1. Sengupta et al. J. Nucl. Mater. 2009 (385) 161-164.

2. Sengupta et al. in Fast Reactor Fuel Cycle Symposium Ed. C.K. Mathews

10-12, Feb 1986, Kalpakkam, India.

Solidus Temp. / K Technique

This

work

2161

2161

2167

Spot

technique

Ref 2

2148 25

Incipient

melting

(metallogra

phy)

1 mm K-Cell orifice

Fuel after melting &

solidification

Solidus Tempereature of Mark I fuel

Sodium Bonded Metallic Test Fuel Pin Fabrication

Sodium extruder Pin welding Sodium handling glove box with

argon recirculation system

Glove box train facility for sodium bonded

metallic fuel pin fabrication

Sodium bonded U-19Pu-6Zr test

fuel pin

Metal Fuel Test Reactor: Objectives

Full-scale testing of metal fuel subassemblies

To validate reactor physics parameters of metal fuel

Demonstrating safe operation in closed cycle mode

Mastering the industrial scale manufacture and reprocessing of metal fuel subassemblies

Material irradiation for developing advanced fuels and structural materials

Facility for isotope production for medical applications

A forerunner of a large size metallic fuelled reactors planned in future

Metal Fuel Test Reactor: Main Features

Fuel type : U-Pu-6%Zr

Bonding : Na/Mech.

Fuel smear density : 75% of TD

Clad material : Ferritic steel

Core inlet/outlet temp. : 360/510 °C

Average fuel temp. : 750 °C

Pyroprocess

activities at

IGCAR

Ceramic and Metal Waste Form Development

Studies on Direct Oxide Reduction of Actinide Oxides

Development of Materials, Coatings

Modelling and Basic Electrochemical Studies

Engineering Scale Development of Process and Equipment

Lab. scale Studies on Electrorefining and Consolidation of Cathode Deposit

Lab. scale studies on electrorefining and consolidation of cathode deposit

Lab. scale facility

Pu deposit on cathode

Pu metal

PuCl3-LiCl-KCl salt

Electrorefining of U & U bearing alloys as

anode and solid cathode studied

Electrorefining of Pu in LiCl-KCl-PuCl3

using Pu as anode (20 g) and solid cathode in

LiCl-KCl-PuCl3 electrolyte; T= 773 K

Electrorefining of Pu-Ce-La at 20 g scale

with solid cathode & Consolidation of Pu metal

deposit by melting the deposit at 1073 K

Studies on Pu alloys with other

lanthanides being continued

Engineering Scale Facility for Electrorefining Studies

Argon atmosphere Containment Box

Inner view of box U deposit on solid cathode

U metal ingot

Engineering Scale Facility for studies using

1-3 kg of U alloys set up & commissioned

Equipments housed in the containment box

- Fuel pin Chopper

- Electrorefining vessel, salt receiving vessel

- Distillation cum melting furnace

- Power manipulator for remotisation

Experiments on electrorefining conducted with U-Zr alloys

on 1 kg scale

30

Scaling up: Ambient Temperature ElectroRefiner (ATER)

• Ambient Temperature ElectroRefiner set up

and commissioned

• Copper electrorefining to be carried out

• Automation and remote handling aspects

to be validated and used for HTER design

ATER and sub-systems

Electrode assembly

stations

Top view of ATER

Yttria powder

Milled

particle

Cr 8.8-9.2

C 0.11-0.13

W 1.9-2.1

Ti 0.19-0.22

Y2O3 0.32-0.35

Mn < 0.04

N < 0.01

O 0.12

2.5-4.5 4.5-6.5 6.5-8.5 8.5-10.5 10.5-12.5 12.5-15

0

100

200

300

400

fre

qu

en

cy

of

the

dis

pe

rs

oid

s

Size (nm)2.5 4.5 6.5 8.5 10.5 12.5 15

9%Cr ODS Steel Fuel Cladding Tubes

Pre-alloyed

powder

Pressure Resistance Weld

6.6 mm OD/0.45mm WT/4.2 m long cladding tube

Devices developed for ISI of Main Vessel / Safety Vessel

ROBOTICS AND IN-SERVICE INSPECTION DEVICES FOR PFBR

COMPONENTS AND REPROCESSING FACILITIES

Robot system

developed for ISI of DFRP

waste vault

Power manipulator

developed for pyro

processing facility

Sample handling

robot for fuel

reprocessing plant

R&D on Safety related to Sodium

Performance Evaluation of Sodium Leak Collection Tray

SOCAFacility to simulate Na fire scenario on top shield

platform

20 ms 24 ms 32 ms 7200 ms 7600 ms 8600 ms

Sodium fire followed by cable fire

Fundamental Tests in MINA:

Sodium spray fire scenarios,

sodium fire followed by cable fire,

sodium concrete interactions,

sodium water/steam reactions,

qualification innovative sodium

sensors and sodium fire

extinguishes, etc

Medium & Large Scale

Experiments (SOCA, SFEF):

Qualification of sodium leak

collection trays, sodium fire

scenarios to investiagte the

integrity of safety related

components on the top sheild

platform

LabView Sodium School:

IGCAR-CEA Cooperation

Molten Fuel Coolant Interaction Studies

Estimation of work potential

Characterisation of debris: (constitution, size & heat trasfer)

Dispersion on core catcher

Post accident heat transfer modes

Woods metal in

water

Uranium in sodium SOFI Facility

Potential of main vessel: 1200 MJ

Grid plate melt-through scenario

Simulation of Severe Accident Scenario

• Mechanical consequence: Vessel deformations, integrity of SGDHR,

sodium release to Reactor Containment

Building

• Post Accident Heat Removal Scenario:

• Molten fuel coolant interactions

• Core catcher performance

Conclusion

• Indian fast reactor programme being developed

with comprehensive attention to all aspects

• High emphasis on safety and economics

• Fuel cycle development undertaken

simultaneous with reactor development

• Emphasis on breeding: metal fuel development

for long term

• High confidence level in manufacturing industry

• R & D in various domains, as well as human

resource development given emphasis

Thank You

Welcome

To

India