fuel and material irradiation hosting systems in the jules

Fuel and material

irradiation hosting systems

in the Jules Horowitz reactor

14 FÉVRIER 2014 | PAGE 1

CEA/Cadarache, DEN/DER/SRJH , F-13108 St Paul Lez Durance

CONTENTS

1. JHR facility & experimental capacity

2. Irradiation hosting systems available at the JHR start-up

3. Irradiation hosting systems available after the JHR start-up

4. Conclusion


Fuel and material irradiation hosting systems

in the Jules Horowitz Reactor

1.1 JHR facility & experimental capacity

FP labs +

Cubicles

Hot cells & and

storage pools

(NDE, α cell )

Reactor

pool

Reactor

pool

Nuclear

auxiliary

building

Reactor

buildingA modern facility :

► Large experimental areas

► Fission Product Laboratory

► Chemistry Laboratory…

I&C: 3 floors, 490 m2

Cubicle: 3 floors, 700 m2

In reflector Up to 3.5E14 n/cm².s (th)

Fixed irradiation positions

(Φ100 mm & Φ200 mm)

and on 6 displacement systems

In core Up to 5.5E14 n/cm².s (E> 1 MeV)

Up to 1.E15 n/cm².s (E> 0.1 MeV)

7 small locations (F ~ 32mm)

3 large locations (F ~ 80mm)

LWR fuel

experiments

+

Material ageing

(low ageing rate)

Displacement systems

- In water channels (reflector)

- Flexible power variations

- Experiment decoupled from the core

Material ageing

(up to 16 dpa/y)

| PAGE 3

A facility dedicated to experimental purposes

within a modern safety frame

1.2 JHR facility & experimental capacity


Gamma and X-Ray

tomography systems

Multipurpose test benches

LINAC (X)

-detector

Shielding

XR-detector

Tunable front collimator

Device

Side cutaway

Pool bank fixingPenetration

X-table

Y-table

Bench

Z-table

XR-collimator

View from the core

Coupled X-ray & γ stands

Coupled X-ray &

stand in storage pool

Neutron imaging system

in reactor pool

Coupled X-ray &

stand in reactor pool

Test device

examination in pools

Non Destructive Examination (NDE) Benches

Sample examination

in hot cells

Initial checks of the experimental loading

Adjustment of the experimental protocol

On-site NDE tests after the irradiation phase

(See paper N°1010 at this conference)

Neutron Imaging System

CONTENTS




4. Conclusion




2.1 MADISON test device (1/2)

Dedicated to reproduce normal operation of NPP

Comparative instrumented irradiations : Fuel evolution (HBU…), Clad corrosion…


No clad failure expected in normal operation

Located in reflector on displacement device

A water loop

► Located in a dedicated cubicle

► Monitoring of thermal hydraulics conditions

► Monitoring of chemistry conditions

An In-pile part

► Large hosting capacity

► Ability to reach high linear power for high BU fuel

► High performance instrumentation

Reactor

pool

Pool pipes

Experimental

device

Experimental

cubicle

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Série1

Série2

Série3

Burn Up (GW.d/t)

Fuel linear power (W/cm)

Best-estimate curve

20% margin of performances

Performance for an irradiation rig holding

2 rods (UO2 4,95% enriched fuel)

2.1 MADISON test device (2/2)

A large flexibility of use

Thermal-hydraulics conditions

► PWR

► BWR

► VVER

Top seal assembly Heat exchanger

BWR experiments In-core cable connectors

for instrumentation Fuel samples (60 cm) LVDTs

Chemistry conditions

► Normal chemistry (Including Br, Li)

► Specific chemistry conditions upon request

Hosting capacity

► High embarking capacity

► Highly instrumented experiments

In-pile Instrumentation

► Water loop instrumentation (thermal balance…)

► Fuel sample instrumentation

CT

NF

FL

T

CL

Temperature measurement

Clad thermocouple

Clad Elongation

Fuel Stack Elongation

Fuel Plenum Pressure

Neutron flux

CT

P

| PAGE 7

2.2 ADELINE test device

irradiation

time

Linear Power of the rod

conditioning low power plateau

high power plateau

100 W/cm

to

200 W/cm

620 W/cm

± 10 W/cm

max

from 12h to 7 days

up to 24h

power rampup to

700 W/cm/min

For characterization and qualification of one LWR fuel rod under off-normal conditions (clad failure possible)

Located in reflector on displacement device

Based on the OSIRIS feedback (ISABELLE test device)

A water loop:

► Located in a dedicated cubicle

► Monitoring of thermal hydraulics conditions

► Monitoring of chemistry conditions

An In-pile part 1st Rig designed for POWER RAMPS

►High linear power ramps up to 620 W/cm

► High power ramp rate up to 700 W/cm.min

► Quantitative clad elongation measurement (2 LVDT)

► Quantitative gamma spectrometry system

► Up to 4 ramps / JHR cycle (25 days)

Main heat

exchanger

Intermediary

heat exchanger

Circulating

pumps

secondary

cooling system

charging

pumpsM

M

moderating

heat

exchanger

residual

heat exchanger

CUBICLE

volume

control tank

feed water

tank

pressure

relief valve

CFD

heater

reactor

pool

experimental

area

temperature

control valve

hot side

cold side

intermediary

cooling

circuit

M

M

diaphragme

piping

penetrations

jet pumps

RSD RSD255°C

265°C

250°C

40°C

190°C

180°C

65°C

170°C

| PAGE 8

2nd Rig

► Connection with FP laboratory (fuel rod with fission

gas sweeping and on-line analysis)

► Additional instrumentation (ex : fuel centerline T, fuel

stack elongation, plenum pressure…)


2.3 MICA test device

Investigation of physical properties of material

(vs flux, fluence and temperature)

Static NaK capsule

Based on the OSIRIS feedback (CHOUCA test device)

2 concentric tubes delimiting a gas gap

In core location

External diameter: 32 mm

Dose : up to 16 dpa/y (100 MW)

Samples temperature adjustment (< 450°C):

Gamma heating

Gas gap dimension / nature of gas

Electric heating elements

Experimental area

& NaK

In the center of a fuel element

Operating range

0

5

10

15

20

25

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900

Temperature (°C)

Ga

mm

a h

ea

tin

g (

W/g

C)

He thickness : 0,5mm / min elec. heat.

He thickness : 0,5mm / max elec. heat





upper reactor pow er Limit 100MW (16,1

W/g)

upper reactor pow er limit 70MW (11,3

W/g)

low er reactor pow er limit 70MW(8,1 W/g)

Limit of SS negligible creep (450°C)

Sample holder (experimental area)

Outer diameter: 24 mm

Compromise between the number of samples and

the quantity of instrumentation (TC, elongation

sensor, diameter gauge, loading system… )

CONTENTS




4. Conclusion





3.1 CALIPSO test device

Investigation of physical properties of material

Thermodynamic loop integrated within the test device

Heat Exchanger (HE) / Electrical Heater (EH)

Innovative electromagnetic pump (L 450 mm, D 80 mm) NaK flow (2 m3/h)

In the center of a fuel element

On-going qualification of the design with a CALIPSO prototype

First successful tests of the electromagnetic pump

Improvement of the sample temperature mastering

From 250 up to 450°C (setting of HE & EH parameters)

Δθ < 8°C (Tmax – Tmin all along the samples stack)

P P

P P

P P P

Pump

(EM)


3.2 OCCITANE test device


Investigation of physical properties

after irradiation of NPP pressure

vessel steels

Static Helium capsule

Based on the OSIRIS feedback (IRMA test device, 150 irradiation cycles)

Ex-core location

Fixed location

Dose :up to 100 mdpa/y (1 MeV)

Samples temperature adjustment

230- 300°C

Gamma heating

Gas gap dimension

Electric heating elements

At least, 18 thermocouples, and 45 dose integrators

Equivalent carrying volume: 30x62.5x500mm3

Helium gas

230 – 300°C (furnace with 6 heating zones)

100 mdpa/year


3.3 CLOE test device

Need of a corrosion loop to perform integral experiments India in-kind contribution (DAE-BARC)

CEA corrosion loops feedback, MTR+i3 European project

LWR conditions: well controlled and adjusted water chemistry, temperatures, …

Fixed location

Ex-core with a large diameter

In-core with a smaller diameter

(taking into account safety aspect)

In-situ measurements: ECP, pH, H2,

load, LVDT, cracking propagation, DCPD


3.4 LORELEI test device

Dedicated to LOCA mechanisms investigation LOCA type sequence

► Thermal-mechanical behaviour of fuel

► Radiological consequences

Integrated water loop capsule (single fuel rod)

► Re-irradiation phase (Thermo-siphon + production of

short half-life fission products)

► Dry out phase (He injection)

► High temperature plateau

► Quenching phase (water injection)

Adequate monitoring of fuel environment

► Neutron shielding to flatten neutron flux

► Electrical heater (homogeneous temperature)

► Monitoring of temperature heat-up (10-20°C/s)

► High temperature targeted (up to 1200°C)

IAEC

FP release analysis connection to the JHR FP laboratory

Nuclear power

Clad temperature

Re-

irra

dia

tio

n

Em

pty

ing

Adiabatic

phase Cooling and

quenching phase

Time

Temperature

Power

FP

FP

Cladding burst

Preliminary design review early 2014 with IAEC

FP

http://iaec.gov.il/English

CONTENTS




4. Conclusion




4. CONCLUSION

Summary Development of an experimental capacity for JHR in support to fuel & materials irradiation

programs :

A set of test devices (some of them available at the JHR start-up)

NDE systems

Analysis laboratories

Modern equipments with a design taking into account:

OSIRIS and HRP feedback and knowhow

New approach and innovative technologies from the JHR consortium partners

Up-to-date safety frame

| PAGE 16

JHR (50 y)

fuel and material irradiation hosting systems in the jules

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