次临界能源堆物理设计进展

聚变-裂变混合能源堆包括聚变中子源和次临界能源堆,主要目标是生产电能。回顾了国内外混合堆的发展历史,给出混合能源堆设计的边界条件和约束条件,说明次临界能源堆以铀锆合金为燃料、水为冷却剂的设计思想。利用输运燃耗耦合程序 MCORGS 计算了混合能源的燃耗,给出了中子有效增殖因数、能量放大倍数和氚增殖比等物理量随时间的变化。通过分析能谱和重要核素随燃耗时间的变化,说明混合能源堆与核燃料增殖、核废料嬗变混合堆的不同特点。论述了混合堆的热工设计并进行了安全分析。对于燃耗数值模拟程序,通过多家对算,保证其计算结果的可信性。针对次临界能源堆的特点,利用贫铀球壳建立了贫铀聚乙烯装置和贫铀LiH装置,并且专门设计加工了天然铀装置,开展铀裂变率、造钚率、产氚率等中子学积分实验,验证了数值模拟的可靠性。     

Fuel cycle for a fusion neutron source

The concept of a tokamak-based stationary fusion neutron source (FNS) for scientific research (neutron diffraction, etc.), tests of structural materials for future fusion reactors, nuclear waste transmutation, fission reactor fuel production, and control of subcritical nuclear systems (fusion–fission hybrid reactor) is being developed in Russia. The fuel cycle system is one of the most important systems of FNS that provides circulation and reprocessing of the deuterium–tritium fuel mixture in all fusion reactor systems: the vacuum chamber, neutral injection system, cryogenic pumps, tritium purification system, separation system, storage system, and tritium-breeding blanket. The existing technologies need to be significantly upgraded since the engineering solutions adopted in the ITER project can be only partially used in the FNS (considering the capacity factor higher than 0.3, tritium flow up to 200 m³Pa/s, and temperature of reactor elements up to 650°C). The deuterium–tritium fuel cycle of the stationary FNS is considered. The TC-FNS computer code developed for estimating the tritium distribution in the systems of FNS is described. The code calculates tritium flows and inventory in tokamak systems (vacuum chamber, cryogenic pumps, neutral injection system, fuel mixture purification system, isotope separation system, tritium storage system) and takes into account tritium loss in the fuel cycle due to thermonuclear burnup and β decay. For the two facility versions considered, FNS-ST and DEMO-FNS, the amount of fuel mixture needed for uninterrupted operation of all fuel cycle systems is 0.9 and 1.4 kg, consequently, and the tritium consumption is 0.3 and 1.8 kg per year, including 35 and 55 g/yr, respectively, due to tritium decay.     

大型先进压水堆中次锕系核素嬗变特性

随着核电事业的快速发展,核电厂卸载的乏燃料越来越多。如何处置核电站乏燃料中的次锕系核素（MA）既是核燃料再利用的重要过程,又是闭式循环中的关键步骤。如果处置得当,不仅可以提高燃料的利用率,而且可以将MA变成同位素燃料电池、中子源等有用的核素。国际上认可的处置方法是分离-嬗变,但是嬗变MA的难点是嬗变堆型的选取和如何提高嬗变率。压水堆(PWR)是国内外最成熟的堆型和商业运行的主要堆型,也是现阶段最具有可能进行MA嬗变的堆型。于是,本文利用MCNP程序研究了压水堆嬗变MA的特性,通过研究MA嬗变棒的设计、添加位置和添加量等对压水堆堆芯有效增殖因子的影响,初步探索出最佳的压水堆嬗变MA的设计方案,为我国现阶段进行压水堆嬗变MA奠定了理论基础。     

大型先进压水堆中次锕系核素嬗变特性

随着核电事业的快速发展,核电厂卸载的乏燃料越来越多。如何处置核电站乏燃料中的次锕系核素（MA）既是核燃料再利用的重要过程,又是闭式循环中的关键步骤。如果处置得当,不仅可以提高燃料的利用率,而且可以将MA变成同位素燃料电池、中子源等有用的核素。国际上认可的处置方法是分离-嬗变,但是嬗变MA的难点是嬗变堆型的选取和如何提高嬗变率。压水堆(PWR)是国内外最成熟的堆型和商业运行的主要堆型,也是现阶段最具有可能进行MA嬗变的堆型。于是,本文利用MCNP程序研究了压水堆嬗变MA的特性,通过研究MA嬗变棒的设计、添加位置和添加量等对压水堆堆芯有效增殖因子的影响,初步探索出最佳的压水堆嬗变MA的设计方案,为我国现阶段进行压水堆嬗变MA奠定了理论基础。     

聚变-裂变混合堆系统在能源战略中的地位及其设计中若干问题的分析

简要描述聚变-裂变混合堆在长期能源发展战略中的地位,着重计算分析具有不同类型的聚变堆芯和包层的混合堆生产电能和可裂变核燃料的能力,研究不同类型聚变-裂变混合堆与其支持的卫星堆(如压水堆)组合燃料循环系统生产电能的能力.指出以天然铀或贫化铀为燃料,水冷却的包层设计是一种经济可行、技术风险较小的设计方案.     

基于数据库进行乏燃料鉴别的多元统计分析研究

近年来,随着国际核军控形势的变化,包含防扩散、防核恐及核安保的多边国际军控合作越来越受到重视.核取证技术作为防扩散、防核恐及核安保的一项核心技术,在对涉核非法活动的威慑、阻止以及响应方面具有重要作用,值得深入研究.目前针对核取证技术的研究较多,主要集中于材料的表征和数据的解读.其中解读作为核取证研究技术中最重要的一环,所面对的对象是多种多样的,包括铀矿石、黄饼、核燃料、乏燃料等,而其中乏燃料由于其潜在的威胁越来越受到重视.本文聚焦于在核取证场景中利用多元统计分析方法进行乏燃料鉴别的研究,主要是利用因子分析、判别分析和回归分析方法对乏燃料组分进行分析,研究各方法的适用范围,并为未来可能的利用数据库进行乏燃料鉴别的工作提供理论依据与可行方案,为相关核取证溯源工作的顺利开展提供支撑.     

Activation Characteristics of Fuel Breeding Blanket Module in Fusion Driven Subcritical System

Shortage of energy resources and production of long-lived radioactivity wastes from fission reactors are among the main problems which will be faced in the world in the near future. The conceptual design of a fusion driven subcritical system (FDS) is underway in Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. There are alternative designs for multi-functional blanket modules of the FDS, such as fuel breeding blanket module (FBB) to produce fuels for fission reactors, tritium breeding blanket module to produce the fuel, i.e. tritium, for fusion reactor and waste transmutation blanket module to try to permanently dispose of long-lived radioactivity wastes from fission reactors, etc. Activation of the fuel breeding blanket of the fusion driven subcritical system (FDSFBB) by D-T fusion neutrons from the plasma and fission neutrons from the hybrid blanket are calculated and analysed under the neutron wall loading 0.5 MW/m2 and neutron fluence 15 MW.yr/m2. The neutron spectrum is calculated with the worldwide-used transport code MCNP/4C and activation calculations are carried out with the well known European inventory code FISPACT/99 with the latest released IAEA Fusion Evaluated Nuclear Data Library FENDL-2.0 and the ENDF/B-V uranium evaluated data. Induced radioactivities, dose rates and afterheats, etc, for different components of the FDS-FBB are compared and analysed.     

A study of antineutrino spectra from spent nuclear fuel at Daya Bay

The Daya Bay Reactor Antineutrino Experiment is designed to determine the as yet unknown neutrino mixing angle, θ₁₃, by measuring the disappearance of electron antineutrinos from several nuclear reactor cores. The projected sensitivity in sin²(2θ₁₃) of better than 0.01 at a 90% CL should be achieved after three years of data-taking. Antineutrinos emitted from spent nuclear fuel (SNF) distort the soft part of the energy spectrum. In this article, a calculation of the antineutrino spectra from the long-life isotopes in SNF is performed. A non-equilibrium generation of long half-life isotopes during the running time of the reactor is also analyzed. Finally, we show that the antineutrino event rate contribution from SNF, which has been stored in the SNF pool for several years, may be non-negligible.     

乏燃料中Pu同位素含量数值模拟

利用燃耗计算程序MCORGS模拟反应堆燃耗与乏燃料中Pu同位素含量之间的关系,通过对轴向上分为20段的重复栅元模型和组件模型进行的燃耗计算,得到压水堆中乏燃料中轴向不同位置燃耗的分布和Pu-239同位素含量的变化,模拟发现Pu-239同位素含量随着燃料棒在堆芯中的位置不同变化很大。同时,对VVER1000组件和压水堆1717组件也进行了燃耗计算,计算发现组件径向不同位置的燃耗有一定差别。轴向上和径向上不同位置的燃耗差别会导致同一批卸载的乏燃料中含有很多低燃耗的燃料区间,这种乏燃料给国际核不扩散带来了巨大的风险,应该加强监管。     

乏燃料中Pu同位素含量数值模拟

利用燃耗计算程序MCORGS模拟反应堆燃耗与乏燃料中Pu同位素含量之间的关系,通过对轴向上分为20段的重复栅元模型和组件模型进行的燃耗计算,得到压水堆中乏燃料中轴向不同位置燃耗的分布和Pu-239同位素含量的变化,模拟发现Pu-239同位素含量随着燃料棒在堆芯中的位置不同变化很大。同时,对VVER1000组件和压水堆1717组件也进行了燃耗计算,计算发现组件径向不同位置的燃耗有一定差别。轴向上和径向上不同位置的燃耗差别会导致同一批卸载的乏燃料中含有很多低燃耗的燃料区间,这种乏燃料给国际核不扩散带来了巨大的风险,应该加强监管。     

Fuel breeding in a hybrid muon catalyzed fusion reactor

We discuss the processes of nuclear fuel burnup and plutonium breeding in the uranium blanket of a hybrid mesocatalytic reactor. The time dependence of the nuclear fuel isotopic concentrations was calculated by the BURNFL code. Using a three-dimensional Monte Carlo MORSE-H code the plutonium and tritium breeding coefficients, the fission rates of uranium and plutonium and a specific power distribution in the blanket were computed. The total fusion energy multiplication factor was obtained as a function of the fuel residence time using results of a detailed calculation of the mesocatalytic channel and estimations of the electronuclear channel.     

D-3He先进燃料靶惯性约束聚变的燃耗和增益

计算了球形均匀D-3He先进燃料靶惯性约束聚变(ICF)的燃耗和增益。讨论了这种堆系统的能量平 衡。设计了一种新型的由毛细管阵列组成具有抗辐射损伤、可自动更新的液态金属锂自由表面多孔湿壁,用它取 出聚变能。同时与D-T热核燃料靶系统的燃耗和增益及它们不同的堆工程特性作了比较。     

In-Zinerater液态包层输运燃耗数值模拟

Z-Pinch惯性约束聚变是未来一种有竞争力的能源候选方案。Z-Pinch驱动的聚变裂变混合堆可高效地嬗变反应堆乏燃料中分离出的超铀元素。对美国Sandia国家实验室提出的In-Zinerater混合堆概念进行了中子学分析和数值模拟。在三维输运燃耗耦合程序MCORGS中增加了处理在线添加燃料与去除裂变产物的功能,实现了对液态燃料燃耗过程的模拟。增加6Li丰度和燃料初装量保持寿期初反应性不变,可以减缓寿期内反应性下降趋势。逐步增加包层内超铀元素装量,可以控制整个寿期内反应性基本恒定。聚变功率取20 MW,通过反应性控制,5年内包层能量放大倍数在160～180之间,氚增殖比在1.5～1.7之间,优于In-Zinerater基准设计方案。     

不同燃料循环方案的可持续性与经济性分析

基于核燃料循环政策技术的成熟度,选取了一次通过循环方案(OTC)、单次复用循环方案(TTC)、快堆闭式循环方案(FRC)及混合堆闭式循环方案(HRC)四种典型的核燃料循环方案进行分析。采用平衡物质流模型对不同燃料循环方案的可持续性进行研究,基于平准化电力成本计算方法对不同方案的燃料成本和乏燃料处置成本进行分析。研究结果表明：闭式燃料循环可极大减少核废料产生; 燃料可自持的FRC方案及HRC方案可使用贫铀做燃料而不消耗天然铀; 仅考虑燃料成本和乏燃料处置成本时,HRC方案的经济性最高而TTC方案的经济性最差。     

Z箍缩聚变裂变混合堆包层中子学分析

作为一种有竞争力的能源系统,Z箍缩聚变裂变混合堆（Z-FFR）正在开展概念研究,包层研究正是其中重要的一部分。建立了Z-FFR包层设计模型,分析了包层影响因素、中子平衡、通量与功率密度、燃耗等方面,表明该包层设计在50年内能量放大因子、氚增殖比和燃料增殖比的平均值分别为14.91, 1.294和5.140,满足设计要求。针对聚变源的脉冲特性进行了包层的瞬态中子学分析,发现燃料区中子脉冲可分为聚变中子、瞬发裂变中子和缓发裂变中子脉冲三个部分,绝大部分热量约在0.01 s内沉积。结果较完整地给出了Z-FFR包层的中子学参数,为概念研究提供了基础。     

Z箍缩聚变裂变混合堆包层中子学分析

作为一种有竞争力的能源系统,Z箍缩聚变裂变混合堆(Z-FFR)正在开展概念研究,包层研究正是其中重要的一部分。建立了Z-FFR包层设计模型,分析了包层影响因素、中子平衡、通量与功率密度、燃耗等方面,表明该包层设计在50年内能量放大因子、氚增殖比和燃料增殖比的平均值分别为14.91,1.294和5.140,满足设计要求。针对聚变源的脉冲特性进行了包层的瞬态中子学分析,发现燃料区中子脉冲可分为聚变中子、瞬发裂变中子和缓发裂变中子脉冲三个部分,绝大部分热量约在0.01s内沉积。结果较完整地给出了Z-FFR包层的中子学参数,为概念研究提供了基础。     

Ultrasonic decontamination of prototype fast breeder reactor fuel pins

Fuel pin decontamination is the process of removing particulates of radioactive material from its exterior surface. It is an important process step in nuclear fuel fabrication. It assumes more significance with plutonium bearing fuel known to be highly radio-toxic owing to its relatively longer biological half life and shorter radiological half life. Release of even minute quantity of plutonium oxide powder in the atmosphere during its handling can cause alarming air borne activity and may pose a severe health hazard to personnel working in the vicinity. Decontamination of fuel pins post pellet loading operation is thus mandatory before they are removed from the glove box for further processing and assembly. This paper describes the setting up of ultrasonic decontamination process, installed inside a custom built fume-hood in the production line, comprising of a cleaning tank with transducers, heaters, pin handling device and water filtration system and its application in cleaning of fuel pins for prototype fast breeder reactor. The cleaning process yielded a typical decontamination efficiency of more than 99%.     

Transmutation: Towards solving problem of spent nuclear fuel

An Accelerator Driven Subcritical System (ADS) is a promising, new concept for transmutation of long-lived isotopes originating from spent nuclear fuel. In the mainstream of research is the proton accelerator-driven ADS, however, on smaller scale an electron accelerator-driven machine could be an alternative. Using international codes we started to investigate the reactor physical aspects of such a device. In our paper we present the results of the first step of the modelling: the target optimization.     

Hybrid fusion–fission reactor with a thorium blanket: Its potential in the fuel cycle of nuclear reactors

Discussions are currently going on as to whether it is suitable to employ thorium in the nuclear fuel cycle. This work demonstrates that the ²³¹Pa–²³²U–²³³U–Th composition to be produced in the thorium blanket of a hybrid thermonuclear reactor (HTR) as a fuel for light-water reactors opens up the possibility of achieving high, up to 30% of heavy metals (HM), or even ultrahigh fuel burnup. This is because the above fuel composition is able to stabilize its neutron-multiplying properties in the process of high fuel burnup. In addition, it allows the nuclear fuel cycle (NFC) to be better protected against unauthorized proliferation of fissile materials owing to an unprecedentedly large fraction of ²³²U (several percent!) in the uranium bred from the Th blanket, which will substantially hamper the use of fissile materials in a closed NFC for purposes other than power production.     

Maximal design basis accident of fusion neutron source DEMO-TIN

When analyzing the safety of nuclear (including fusion) facilities, the maximal design basis accident at which the largest release of activity is expected must certainly be considered. Such an accident is usually the failure of cooling systems of the most thermally stressed components of a reactor (for a fusion facility, it is the divertor or the first wall). The analysis of safety of the ITER reactor and fusion power facilities (including hybrid fission–fusion facilities) shows that the initial event of such a design basis accident is a large-scale break of a pipe in the cooling system of divertor or the first wall outside the vacuum vessel of the facility. The greatest concern is caused by the possibility of hydrogen formation and the inrush of air into the vacuum chamber (VC) with the formation of a detonating mixture and a subsequent detonation explosion. To prevent such an explosion, the emergency forced termination of the fusion reaction, the mounting of shutoff valves in the cooling systems of the divertor and the first wall or blanket for reducing to a minimum the amount of water and air rushing into the VC, the injection of nitrogen or inert gas into the VC for decreasing the hydrogen and oxygen concentration, and other measures are recommended. Owing to a continuous feed-out of the molten-salt fuel mixture from the DEMO-TIN blanket with the removal period of 10 days, the radioactivity release at the accident will mainly be determined by tritium (up to 360 PBq). The activity of fission products in the facility will be up to 50 PBq.