New Concepts in Nuclear Energy
Dr.Ir. Brian Boer
Institute for Nuclear Materials Science
Fuel Materials Expert Group
[email protected]
Copyright © 2012
SCK•CEN
TU Eindhoven
31 May 2012
Evolution of Nuclear Power
• 1970 – 1980
Nuclear is economical
•
1950 – 1970
Concerns about
energy resources
initiates nuclear era
• 1990 – 2011
Debate about climate change
and energy supply
• 1980 – 1990
Nuclear has drawbacks
2
Nuclear energy why not ?
 Available  Proliferation
 Affordable  Radioactive waste
 Reliable
 Safety
 Clean
 Safe
3
Contents
 Safety
Theory and present reactors
Next generation of reactors
High Temperature Reactor (Pebble-Bed)
Molten Salt Reactor
 Waste
Theory and present reactors
Next generation of reactors
Fast reactors: MYRRHA
Molten Salt Reactor
4
How to extract energy from decay of
Uranium?
Geothermal energy: 40 MeV per nuclide
5
How to extract energy from fission of
Uranium?
 Uranium, especially U-235, is so heavy that it
can fission in two products.
 Fission is easier if uranium is hit by a bullet.
Neutrons are very good bullets. Why?
6
Nuclear fission
Radio-active
200 MeV per nuclide
7
Fossils equivalent to 1 gram of U235
Gasoline
Coal
2500 liter
3000 kg
8
Fission cross section
Fission cross section (barn)
10
10
4
10
Moderation by water/graphite
U -235
P u-239
U -238
3
2
10
10
10
10
-6
-7
1
0
-1
10
-2
10
0
2
10
E nergy (eV )
9
10
4
10
6
10
-8
Fission spectrum
10
Fuel composition
U-238
99,3%
U-235
0,7%
Natural uranium
96%
4% enriched uranium in
nuclear fuel
10
4%
Uranium enrichment by centrifuge
11
neutron
U-235
Moderator
Water / graphite
U-235
U-238
Pu-239
Moderator
U-238
12
Pu-239
Fuel assembly of a
Pressurized Water Reactor
Two pellets sufficient to
generate all electricity for
a Dutch family per year
13
Generation II and III
Pressurized Water Reactor
‘Borssele’
source: www.nrc.gov
14
Generation II and III
Boiling Water Reactor
‘Dodewaard’
source: www.nrc.gov
15
Safety of nuclear power plants
16
Natural feedback
U-235
Moderator
Fuel feedback
U-238
Moderator feedback
U-235
In a good reactor design, neutron population (=power)
decreases, when temperature increases
17
Decay heat production
Decay heat (%)
6%
Total energy after 1 day
1500 MWth reactor can
evaporate 400 m3 water
Time (s)
18
Multiple barriers for prevention of release
Fuel (pellet and cladding)
Primary system (steel)
Containments
(2x concrete + steel)
19
Generation III
European Pressurized-water Reactor
Reactor gebouw
Turbine building
Double containment
Core catcher
Core cooling systems
4 x 100% redundant
20
Contents
 Safety
Theory and present reactors
Next generation of reactors
High Temperature Reactor (Pebble-Bed)
Molten Salt Reactor
 Waste
Theory and present reactors
Next generation of reactors
Fast reactors: MYRRHA
Molten Salt Reactor
21
Generation III+ and IV
High Temperature Reactor (HTR)
22
Pebble and TRISO fuel
23
TRISO fuel performance
24
Contents
 Safety
Theory and present reactors
Next generation of reactors
High Temperature Reactor (Pebble-Bed)
Molten Salt Reactor
 Waste
Theory and present reactors
Next generation of reactors
Fast reactors: MYRRHA
Molten Salt Reactor
26
U-235
Moderator
U-235
U-238
Higher
actinides
Pu
Fission products
Am
27
Spent fuel composition
Spent Fuel
1%
plutonium
95%
uranium
4%
Fission
products
28
Radiotoxicity of spent fuel
9
10
Actinides
Fiss Prods
Ore
8
10
7
Radiotoxicity (Sv)
10
6
10
5
10
4
10
3
10
2
10
1
10
2
3
10
4
10
10
Storage time (a)
29
5
10
6
10
Radiotoxicity per element
9
10
Pu
Am
Cm
Ore
Fiss Prods
8
10
7
Radiotoxicity (Sv)
10
6
10
5
10
4
10
Full recycling
of Pu and Am
3
10
2
10
1
10
2
3
10
4
10
10
Storage time (a)
30
5
10
6
10
Spent fuel composition
Spent Fuel
1%
plutonium
95%
uranium
4%
Fission
products
31
Contents
Moderation is futile !?
 Safety
 Theory and present reactors
 Next generation of reactors
 High Temperature Reactor (Pebble-Bed)
 Molten Salt Reactor
 Waste
 Theory and present reactors
 Next generation of reactors
 Fast reactors: MYRRHA
 Molten Salt Reactor
32
neutron
U-235
Moderator
U-235
U-238
Pu-239
Moderator
U-238
33
Pu-239
U-235
U-238
U-235
Pu-239
U-238
Pu-239
34
Pu-239
Fast neutron
Pu-239
U-238
U-238
Pu-239
Pu-239
Plutonium releases
more neutrons per
fission !
Pu-239
U-238
U-238
Pu-239
Pu-239
35
Pu-239
Uranium isotopes
Fissile 
Good fuel
Not
fissile
Also fuel !!
99,3%
0,7%
36
Fast reactors
Phenix (F)
Super-Phenix (F)
Monju (Jp)
BN-600 (R)
37
Fast Reactors: MYRRHA Core Design




Under development by SCK-CEN
Pool-type fast reactor (100 MWth)
Lead-Bismuth coolant
Sub-critical (ADS) and critical mode
 Demonstrate Accelerator Driven
System for transmuting long-lived
radioactive waste
 Development of fast spectrum reactor
and fusion technology
 Production of neutron irradiated silicon
 Radio isotopes for nuclear medicine
 Fundamental research
38
MYRRHA - Accelerator Driven System
Reactor
Accelerator
• Subcritical and Critical modes
• 65 to 100 MWth
(600 MeV - 4 mA proton)
Spallation Source
Multipurpose
Flexible
Irradiation
Facility
Fast
Neutron
Source
Lead-Bismuth
coolant
39
Fast proton 600 MeV
Pb
Fast neutrons 2 MeV
Am
Pu-239
U-238
U-238
Pu-239
Pu-239
40
Pu-239
MYRRHA challenges
 Lead-Bismuth coolant
 Melting point 120 ºC
 Corrosion
 Not transparent
 Activation
 In-vessel fuel handling
 Beam
 Trips
 Target
41
Nuclear fuel cycle in
2050
LWR
+
HTR
200.000 a
500 a
5.000
Pu+Am
500 a
FR
Contents
 Safety
 Theory and present reactors
 Next generation of reactors
 High Temperature Reactor (Pebble-Bed)
 Molten Salt Reactor
 Waste
 Theory and present reactors
 Next generation of reactors
 Fast reactors: MYRRHA
 Molten Salt Reactor
43
Breeding with thorium
U-233
Coolant
U-233
Th232
U-233
44
Molten Salt Reactor
45
Aircraft Reactor Experiment (ARE) 1959
46
Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE)
1965-1969
47
Sv/(GWth y)
Radiotoxicity Nuclear Waste
LWR/MSR
48
Sv/(GWth y)
Radiotoxicity Nuclear Waste
LWR/MSR
y
49
Conclusions
 Nuclear reactors have natural negative feedback
 Decay heat should always be removed to avoid fuel damage
 Plutonium is a good fuel and could be recycled
 Fast reactors (MYRRHA) reduce the lifetime of nuclear waste to
500 years
 Fast reactors can fully exploit natural uranium.
 HTRs and MSRs are inherently safe
 Thorium in a MSR produces much less long-lived nuclear waste
 Thorium in a MSR can produce all electricity consumed worldwide for many tens of thousands of years
 Next generation of nuclear reactors promising, but engineering
challenges to overcome!
50
Contributions by:
• Dr. Jan Leen Kloosterman of Delft University of Technology
• Prof. Dr. Hamid Aït Abderrahim of SCK-CEN
• Fuel Materials Expert group SCK-CEN