The physics of accelerator driven sub-critical reactors

In recent years, there has been an increasing worldwide interest in accelerator driven systems (ADS) due to their perceived superior safety characteristics and their potential for burning actinides and long-lived fission products. Indian interest in ADS has an additional dimension, which is related to our planned large-scale thorium utilization for future nuclear energy generation. The physics of ADS is quite different from that of critical reactors. As such, physics studies on ADS reactors are necessary for gaining an understanding of these systems. Development of theoretical tools and experimental facilities for studying the physics of ADS reactors constitute important aspect of the ADS development program at BARC. This includes computer codes for burnup studies based on transport theory and Monte Carlo methods, codes for studying the kinetics of ADS and sub-critical facilities driven by 14 MeV neutron generators for ADS experiments and development of sub-criticality measurement methods. The paper discusses the physics issues specific to ADS reactors and presents the status of the reactor physics program and some of the ADS concepts under study.      

On the role of fusion neutron source with thorium blanket in forming the nuclide composition of the nuclear fuel cycle of the Russian Federation

The possible role of available thorium resources of the Russian Federation in utilization of thorium in the closed (U–Pu)-fuel cycle of nuclear power is considered. The efficiency of application of fusion neutron sources with thorium blanket for economical use of available thorium resources is demonstrated. The objective of this study is the search for a solution of such major tasks of nuclear power as reduction of the amount of front-end operations in the nuclear fuel cycle and enhancement of its protection against uncontrolled proliferation of fissile materials with the smallest possible alterations in the fuel cycle. The earlier results are analyzed, new information on the amount of thorium resources of the Russian Federation is used, and additional estimates are made. The following basic results obtained on the basis of the assumption of involving fusion reactors with Th-blanket in future nuclear power for generation of the light uranium fraction ^232+233+234U and ²³¹Pa are formulated. (1) The fuel cycle would shift from fissile ²³⁵U to ²³³U, which is more attractive for thermal power reactors. (2) The light uranium fraction is the most “protected” in the uranium fuel component, and being mixed with regenerated uranium, it would become reduced-enrichment uranium fuel, which would relieve the problem of nonproliferation of the fissile material. (3) The addition of ²³¹Pa into the fuel would stabilize its neutron-multiplying properties, thus making it possible to implement a long fuel residence time and, as a consequence, increase the export potential of the whole nuclear power technology. (4) The available thorium resource in the vicinity of Krasnoufimsk is sufficient for operation of the large-scale nuclear power industry of the Russian Federation with an electric power of 70 GW for more than one quarter of a century. The general conclusion is that involvement of a small number of fusion reactors with Th-blanket in the future nuclear power industry of the Russian Federation would to a large extent solve its problems and increase its export potential.     

铀-钍混合燃料反应堆的可行性分析

分析了以铀为燃料的核电系统的弊端、钍燃料反应堆的理论技术依据和世界范围内钍燃料反应堆的研究状况。提出在我国开发利用钍资源,建立铀．钍混合燃料反应堆具有的独特优势,建议应加大钍资源开发人力物力投入,改变我国核电利用水平落后和钍资源流失之现状。Nuclear energy is a preferred option for electric power generation. The disadvantages of the current uranium-dioxide （UO2 ） fuel in nuclear power were presented and the reactor using the mixed thorium dioxide and uranium dioxide fuel （ ThO2-UO2 ） in the near future was foretold. A proposal to strengthen the research cooperation on the use of the thorium mineral resources in china was put forward.     

TMSR白光中子源关键核数据实验进展

钍铀燃料循环核数据的精度和可靠性直接关系着钍基熔盐堆的安全性和经济性。目前大多数核数据都是基于铀钚燃料循环进行开发,若直接用在钍基熔盐堆上将会出现核设计不确定度较高的问题。为了提高钍基熔盐堆物理设计所需核数据的适用性,中国科学院上海应用物理研究所自行设计并建造了紧凑型的15 MeV电子加速器驱动的白光中子源(Photoneutron Source,PNS),用于开展钍铀燃料循环核数据的实验测量。该装置已通过技术验收,并进行了一系列关键核素的核数据测量,检验了现用核数据的可靠性,为相关核素的核数据评价与改进提供了基础实验数据。     

Physics design of a CW high-power proton Linac for accelerator-driven system

Accelerator-driven systems (ADS) have evoked lot of interest the world over because of their capability to incinerate the MA (minor actinides) and LLFP (long-lived fission products) radiotoxic waste and their ability to utilize thorium as an alternative nuclear fuel. One of the main subsystems of ADS is a high energy (∼1 GeV) and high current (∼30 mA) CW proton Linac. The accelerator for ADS should have high efficiency and reliability and very low beam losses to allow hands-on maintenance. With these criteria, the beam dynamics simulations for a 1 GeV, 30 mA proton Linac has been done. The Linac consists of normal-conducting radio-frequency quadrupole (RFQ), drift tube linac (DTL) and coupled cavity drift tube Linac (CCDTL) structures that accelerate the beam to about 100 MeV followed by superconducting (SC) elliptical cavities, which accelerate the beam from 100 MeV to 1 GeV. The details of the design are presented in this paper.     

小型模块化熔盐堆钍利用方案

钍基熔盐堆（Thorium Molten Salt Reactor,TMSR）核能系统先导专项的研究目标是研发第四代裂变反应堆核能系统（即钍基熔盐堆）。为充分利用液态燃料熔盐堆的在线添料与在线燃料处理的优势,同时考虑熔盐堆的快速部署,TMSR先导专项部署了小型模块化熔盐堆。考虑燃料处理技术现状及其可能的发展方向,小型模块化熔盐堆钍利用方案采用"三步走"战略。第一阶段采用在线加料与离线处理,实现钍的成规模利用;第二阶段采用在线加料和在线处理（U）与离线处理（MA）的结合,实现钍的高效利用;第三阶段采用在线加料及在线处理全部重金属,实现钍的自持增殖利用。随着"三步走"战略的逐步实施,钍铀燃料循环模式及后处理性能稳步提高,重金属利用率得到明显改善,同时有效降低了卸料毒性。考虑燃料许可容易度和建堆时间,首先为钍利用方案第一阶段布置了三种可能的启堆燃料,分别为低富集铀、低富集铀加钍和233U加钍。计算结果显示:以低富集铀启堆时,燃料循环性能与水堆相当;以233U启堆时,燃料利用率明显高于水堆,且其放射性毒性比水堆低约2个数量级。The missions of the Thorium Molten Salt Reactor (TMSR) Nuclear Energy System are to research and develop the thorium based molten salt reactors (MSR) belonging to the fourth generation of nuclear fission reactor system. A Small modular Molten Salt Reactor (SmMSR) is deployed to make full use of the advantages of online refueling and online reprocessing and to consider the rapid deployment of MSR. An innovative "three-stage" strategy of thorium utilization based on SmMSR is proposed to take the current condition of fuel reprocessing and its future evolution. The first stage can realize the thorium utilization at a large scale with online refueling and off-line processing. The second stage can obtain efficient thorium utilization with online refueling, online processing of uranium and off-line processing of minor actinides (MAs). The third stage is implemented with self-sustaining or breeding mode with online refueling and online processing of all heavy metals. Along with the development of three stages, the utilization of heavy metals will be obviously improved and the radio-toxicity will be significantly reduced. A SmMSR is designed to achieve the goals of the first stage of thorium utilization. And three kinds of nuclear fuel cycles with different startup fuel types (i.e., low enriched uranium (LEU), thorium mixed with LEU (LEU+Th) and thorium mixed with 233U (233U+Th)) are implemented. The results show that the performance for fuel cycle containing LEU is comparable to the pressurized-water reactor (PWR). Meanwhile, the nuclear utilization for that containing 233U is much higher than PWR, and the radio-toxicity for which is lower by ~2 magnitudes than that for PWR.     

Research into accelerator driven systems using particle track detectors

In the interaction of relativistic protons with heavy and extended targets such as lead, large number of neutrons is produced in the course of the so-called spallation process. These neutrons can be used to drive a sub-critical nuclear assembly for energy generation and/or for the transmutation of the long-lived nuclear waste isotopes to environmentally safer nuclear species. Such nuclear assemblies are referred to as accelerator driven systems (ADS).

Knowledge of the neutron yield in the spallation process and an understanding of the behaviour of these neutrons in the desired sub-critical assembly are the most important and determining factors in the design and operation of these systems. Many parameters related to the neutronics of an ADS can be studied qualitatively as well as quantitatively using solid-state nuclear track detectors (SSNTD). In some circumstances SSNTDs provide the best and the most logical detector option for these investigations.

In this paper applications of the SSNTDs into research related to ADS are discussed and some experimental and theoretical results presented.     

Heavy density liquid metal spallation target studies for indian ADS programme

Department of Atomic Energy, India has taken up the development of ADS in view of many attractive features like inherent safety, capability to transmute large quantities of nuclear waste, better utilization of thorium etc. A roadmap has been finalized for the development of ADS. One of the key components of the ADS is the spallation target. Considering the neutron yield, thermal-hydraulics and radiation damage issues, we are proposing to develop spallation target based on heavy density liquid metals like lead and lead-bismuth-eutectic (LBE). Both window and windowless target configurations are presently being studied. In view of the various advantages we are also studying liquid metal flow circulation based on gas lift mechanism. An R&D programme has been initiated to address various physics and technology issues of ADS target. Under this programme, mercury and LBE experimental facilities are presently being set up. Along with these facilities, computational tools related to spallation physics (FLUKA) and CFD are being developed, and the existing ones are utilized to design the entire target loop as well as sub-systems. In this presentation the details of these activities are presented.      

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.     

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.     

加速器驱动的核电站──干净现实的核能源

由一台１６００ＭｅＶ的强流质子加速器来辅助驱动一座熔盐核反应堆,从而组建一座新型的核电站．这座电站中裂变核燃料“燃烧”完全,没有长寿命的重锕系与裂片的核废料输出;并可以直接用天然存在的大量钍和贫铀元素作为核燃料来使用．核电站将２０％电能供给加速器运转,８０％电能并入电网．同时电站还可输出十分稀有的稳定同位素和短寿命医用同位素,作为副产品供应市场．这一干净的核能源就是加速器驱动式核反应堆．简称驱动堆;它没有核废料,比自持式核反应堆安全． A new type of nuclear power station can be built by a moltensalt reactor auxiliary driven by a strong neutron source produced by a intensive proton beam with the energy of 1600 MeV from a powerful accelerator. In the power station the nuclear fuels are completely burnt without some long-lived radioactive wastes both of heaVy actinide and fission products. Furthermore the thorium and sub-critical uranium which are massive existence in nature can be used as an available nuclear fuel in...     

Total reflection X-ray fluorescence and energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence characterizations of nuclear materials

Nuclear energy is one of the clean options of electricity generation for the betterment of human life. India has an ambitious program for such electricity generation using different types of nuclear reactors. The safe and efficient generation of electricity from these reactors requires quality control of different nuclear materials, e.g. nuclear fuel, structural materials, coolant, moderators etc. These nuclear materials have to undergo strict quality control and should have different specified parameters for their use in nuclear reactors. The concentration of major and trace elements present in these materials should be within specified limits. For such chemical quality control of these materials, major and trace elemental analytical techniques are required. Since some of these materials are radioactive, the ideal chemical characterization techniques should have multielement analytical capability, should require very less sample (micrograms level) for analysis so that the radioactive waste generated, and radiation exposure to the detector and operator are minimum. Total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) and energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) with improved features, e.g. application of filters, secondary target and instrumental geometry require very small amount of sample and thus can be suitably used for the characterization of nuclear materials mainly for the determination of elements at trace and major concentration levels. In Fuel Chemistry Division, TXRF analytical methods have been developed for trace element determinations in uranium and thorium oxides, chlorine determination in nuclear fuel and cladding materials, sulphur in uranium, uranium in sea water etc. Similarly, EDXRF analytical methods with radiation filters (to reduce background) and improved sample preapartion techniques, e.g. fusion bead and taking samples in the form of solution on filter papers have been used for developing analytical methods for the determination of U and Th in their mixed matrices, Cd in uranium etc. Some of these studies have been reported in this paper.     

ADS注入器Ⅰ高频四极场功率源系统研制

ADS注入器Ⅰ高频四极场(RFQ)功率源系统将为325MHz RFQ提供连续波功率,使束流离开RFQ时,其能量达到几MeV。功率源系统除了补偿RFQ腔耗外,还必须提供足够的功率以保证RFQ中的加速电场。ADS注入器ⅠRFQ功率源系统主要包括600kW连续波速调管、80kV/18A基于脉冲步进调制技术的PSM电源、环流器以及相应的波导传输系统等。根据ADS总体指标和RFQ的相关技术参数,提出了功率源的总体布局、技术指标以及设计要求等,在此基础上完成系统安装与调试,并通过专家组测试与验收。     

The thorium cycle for fast breeder reactors

The role that could be played by liquid metal-cooled fast breeder reactors (LMFBRs) in the utilization of India’s considerable thorium resources is reviewed in this article. Distinct advantages of thorium-based fuels over plutonium-uranium fuels in LMFBRs pertain to a more favourable coolant voiding reactivity coefficient and better fuel element irradiation stability. The poorer breeding capability of thorium-fuelled fast reactors can in principle be overcome by improved core design and development of advanced fuel concepts. The technical feasibility of such advanced thorium fuels and core designs must be established by sustained research and development. It is also necessary to efficiently close the thorium fuel cycle of fast breeder reactors by appropriate development of the fuel reprocessing and refabrication stages. The Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) at Kalpakkam is expected to be an important tool for development of thorium fuel and fuel cycle technology. A quick look at the economics of the thorium cycle for fast reactors, vis-a-vis the more conventional uranium cycle indicates only a small and acceptable cost disadvantage on account of the need for remote fabrication of recycled thorium fuel. The authors felicitate Prof. D S Kothari on his eightieth birthday and dedicate this paper to him on this occasion.     

Natural Transmutation of Actinides via the Fission Reaction in the Closed Thorium–Uranium–Plutonium Fuel Cycle

It is shown for a closed thorium–uranium–plutonium fuel cycle that, upon processing of one metric ton of irradiated fuel after each four-year campaign, the radioactive wastes contain ~54 kg of fission products, ~0.8 kg of thorium, ~0.10 kg of uranium isotopes, ~0.005 kg of plutonium isotopes, ~0.002 kg of neptunium, and “trace” amounts of americium and curium isotopes. This qualitatively simplifies the handling of high-level wastes in nuclear power engineering.     

Preliminary results of calculations for heavy-water nuclear-power-plant reactors employing <Superscript>235</Superscript>U, <Superscript>233</Superscript>U,and <Superscript>232</Superscript>Th as a fuel and meeting requirements of a nonproliferation of nuclear weapons

A physical design is developed for a gas-cooled heavy-water nuclear reactor intended for a project of a nuclear power plant. As a fuel, the reactor would employ thorium with a small admixture of enriched uranium that contains not more than 20% of ²³⁵U. It operates in the open-cycle mode involving ²³³U production from thorium and its subsequent burnup. The reactor meets the conditions of a nonproliferation of nuclear weapons: the content of fissionable isotopes in uranium at all stages of the process, including the final one, is below the threshold for constructing an atomic bomb, the amount of product plutonium being extremely small.     

核电站乏燃料对生物圈的影响及ADS 对策

介绍了核电发展状况和核电产生的乏燃料中的锕系及长寿命裂变产物核素, 在毒性方面评述了这些核素对生物圈的影响, 最后提出用加速器驱动的次临界系统嬗变核废物的对策, 以减轻或消除核废物对生物圈的影响。 The current status of nuclear power development and the actinides and some Long Lived Fission Products (LLFPs) in nuclear power spent fuel have been introduced. The radiation effect of spent fuel on biological circle in the viewpoint of Biological Hazard Potential (BHP) and Annual Limit of Intake were evaluated. The Accelerator Driven Sub critical System （ADS） as a strategy to transmute Minor Actinides (MAs) and LLFPs was recommended in order to reduce or eliminate the radiation effect of spent fuel on biological circle.     

驱动堆中长寿命核废料碘的嬗变研究

利用理论模拟和实验手段对加速器驱动的快中子堆消除常规反应堆排放的核废料碘进行了研究.实验中,利用加速器加速质子使其能量达到1.0GeV,并轰击重金属铅靶,利用靶中产生的次级中子诱发核废料¹²⁹I的嬗变,使其嬗变为稳定同位素¹³⁰Xe.对实验嬗变效率进行了理论模拟验证,进而拓宽到研究的驱动堆体系中.堆芯区的核燃料为乏燃料铀和钚,靶和初级热交换剂为液态铅.     

核爆聚变电站概念设想

提出了一种新的核爆聚变电站概念设想，并对其可行性作了初步的分析讨论，利用核爆炸实现聚变放能已为氢弹研制的成功所证明，关键是如何把核爆炸能安全地转化成熟能和电能，概念设想通过爆洞，喷钠，选择核装置，铀－钍循环，核燃料回收等措施，合理地解决了能量安全转化，爆洞建造运行、核燃料循环供给等技术困难，使核爆聚变站的设想有可能成为现实。     

Advantages of Production of New Fissionable Nuclides for the Nuclear Power Industry in Hybrid Fusion-Fission Reactors

A concept of a large-scale nuclear power engineering system equipped with fusion and fission reactors is presented. The reactors have a joint fuel cycle, which imposes the lowest risk of the radiation impact on the environment. The formation of such a system is considered within the framework of the evolution of the current nuclear power industry with the dominance of thermal reactors, gradual transition to the thorium fuel cycle, and integration into the system of the hybrid fusion-fission reactors for breeding nuclear fuel for fission reactors. Such evolution of the nuclear power engineering system will allow preservation of the existing structure with the dominance of thermal reactors, enable the reprocessing of the spent nuclear fuel (SNF) with low burnup, and prevent the dangerous accumulation of minor actinides. The proposed structure of the nuclear power engineering system minimizes the risk of radioactive contamination of the environment and the SNF reprocessing facilities, decreasing it by more than one order of magnitude in comparison with the proposed scheme of closing the uranium–plutonium fuel cycle based on the reprocessing of SNF with high burnup from fast reactors.