IAEAInternational Atomic Energy Agency

Overview of IAEA Activities in Support ofFast Reactors Development and Deployment

&Objectives of this Meeting

Stefano MontiNuclear Power Technology Development Section

Division of Nuclear Power

Technical Meeting to

Identify Innovative Fast Neutron System Development Gaps

IAEA HQ, Vienna, 29 February – 02 March 2012

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Summary

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� IAEA FR programme and the role of the TWG-FR

� Coordinated Research Projects in the field of FR

� FR-related Technical Meetings and Publications

� Objectives of this Technical Meeting

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Main activities of the IAEA Programme on Fast Neutron Systems (1/2)

� Organize regular Topical Technical Meetings for in-depthinformation exchange related to development, design,construction and operation of nuclear power plants with FastReactors (FR), as well as to R&D on Accelerator DrivenSystems (ADS)

� Organize Large Conferences on different aspects of FR andADS RTD

� Establish a forum for broad exchanges on technicalrequirements for and characteristics of 4th Generation FastReactor Systems, also in collaboration with INPRO and GIF

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Main activities of the IAEA Programme on Fast Neutron Systems (2/2)

� Carry out Collaborative Research Projects (CRPs) of commoninterest to the TWG-FR Member States in the field of FRs andADS

� Secure Training and Education in the field of fast neutronsystem physics, technology and applications

� Support Fast Reactor data retrieval and knowledgepreservation activities in MSs

� Provide support to IAEA Nuclear Safety and SecurityDepartment for preparation of fast reactor Safety standards /requirements / guides / codes

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The IAEA Technical Working Group on Fast Reactors

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Members of the IAEA Technical Working Group on Fast Reactors

Full MembersBelarus BrazilChina FranceGermany IndiaItaly JapanKazakhstan Korea, republic ofNetherlands Russian FederationSwitzerland UkraineUK USAOECD/NEA European Commission

Observers Argentina BelgiumSpain Sweden

Participants in the 44th Annual Meeting of the TWG-FR,

Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE), Beijing, China, 23-27 May 2011

� Full Members � Observers

Members of the IAEA Technical Working Group on Fast Reactors

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CRPs Recently Completed

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CRP on “Analytical and Experimental Benchmark Analyses of Accelerator Driven Systems (ADS)”

ParticipantsArgentina Hungary

Belarus Italy

Brazil Japan

China Netherlands

Poland Pakistan

Russian Federation Spain

Belgium Sweden

France Ukraine

Germany USA

� Advance efforts towards designing ademonstration facility by providinginformation exchange and collaborativeresearch framework

� Improve the present understanding of thecoupling of ADS spallation sources withmultiplicative sub-critical nuclear system

CRP on Analytical and Experimental Benchmark Analyses of Accelerator Driven Systems (ADS)

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CRP on Analyses of, and Lessons Learned from the Operational Experience with Fast Reactor Equipment and Systems

• Preserve the feedback from commissioning, operation, and decommissioningexperience of experimental and power sodium cooled fast reactors

• Retrieve, assess, review and archive of all the relevant documentation andinformation

• Enable easy access to the information from this feedback• Produce lessons-learned, synthesis reports of lessons learned and

recommendations from the commissioning, operation, and decommissioningof experimental and power sodium cooled fast reactors

“Analyses of and lessons learned from the operation al experience with fast reactor equipment and systems”

Participants

France India

Japan Korea, Republic of

Russian Federation

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“Control Rod Withdrawal and Sodium Natural Circulation Tests Performed

during the PHENIX End-of-Life Experiments”Participants

China France

India Japan

Korea, Republic of Russian Federation

Switzerland USA

CRP on Control Rod Withdrawal and Sodium Natural Circulation Tests Performed During the PHENIX End-of-Life Tests

� Experimental benchmark exercises (preparatoryanalyses, blind calculations, and post-experiment analyses) based on the dataobtained during the PHENIX End-of-Life tests

� V&V of methods and codes currently employedin the field of FR neutronics, thermal hydraulicsand plant dynamics to achieve enhanced safety

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CP in Cooperation with INPRO:Integrated Approach for the Modelling of Safety Grade

Decay Heat Removal System for LMR

� Reference Design: 500 MWe pool type PFBR

� Detailed analysis of a DHR system usingdifferent codes and modelling approaches tointer-compare the results obtained (7 casestudies for different conditions)

INPRO Collaborative Project:“Integrated Approach for the Modelling of Safety Gr ade Decay Heat

Removal System for Liquid Metal Reactors "”

Participants

China EU/JRC

India Korea, Republic of

Russian Federation

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CRPs to be Completed and to be Launched

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“Benchmark Analyses of Sodium Natural Convection in the Upper Plenum of the MONJU

Reactor Vessel”Participants

China France

India Japan

Korea, Republic of Russian Federation

USA

CRP on Benchmark Analyses of Sodium Natural Convection in the Upper Plenum of the MONJU Reactor Vessel

� Validation of CFD methods and turbulence modelsbased on Na thermal stratification measurementsperformed in MONJU during a reactor turbine triptest conducted in December 1995 in the course ofthe original start-up experiments

� Thorough assessment of the calculation versusmeasured data comparisons

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“Benchmark Analyses of an EBR-II Shutdown Heat Remo val Test”

Expression of Interest

China Germany

Italy India

Japan Korea, republic of

Netherlands Russian Federation

Sweden Switzerland

USA

New CRP on Benchmark Analysis of an EBR-II Shutdown Heat Removal Test (to be launched in 2012)

� A comprehensive testing program (45 tests !) conductedbetween 1984 and 1987 � A unique set of whole-plantsafety tests that demonstrated the potential for SFR tosurvive severe accident initiators with no damage

� Two EBR-II loss of flow tests chosen for this IAEA CRP:� SHRT-17, the most severe of the loss of flow with

scram tests� SHRT-45, the most severe of the loss of flow without

scram tests

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New CRP on SFR: Sodium Properties, Sodium Facility Design and Safety Guidelines (to be launched in 2012-2013)

� This CRP is proposed by France and it isintended to address the needs ofstandardization of Na physical andchemical properties, the main rules fordesigning experimental facilities, goodpractices and safety guidelines

� The CRP – making available validateddata and correlations for Na coolant - willalso improve the modelling and simulationcapabilities in various fields of SFRtechnology

� The outputs of this CRP will contribute toan improvement of the future benchmarkexercises and of the design of sodiumfacilities and their safe operation.

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New CRP on Source Term for Radioactivity Release under FR Core Disruptive Accident (CDA) Conditions (to be launched in 2013)

� Demonstrate through numerical simulations ofFPs transport mechanisms that in future FBRsthe radioactivity release to the environment isvery low even in the extreme case of CDA

� Under whole core accident, the fission productsand radioactive sodium are the basic source forthe radioactivity release

Reference design for the safety analysis:

500 MWe pool type PFBR

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Conferences, Workshops & Technical Meetings

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� FR09 – International Conference onFast Reactors and Related FuelCycles: Challenges and Opportunities,Kyoto, 7-11 December 2009

Major Conferences

� AccApp'11 - International Conference onNuclear Research Applications and Utilizationof Accelerators, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA,3-7 April 2011

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� FR13 – International Conference on FastReactors and Related Fuel Cycles - Paris, 3 – 7March 2013 (co-organized with IAEA NuclearFuel Cycle Section and CEA/SFEN-France)

� AccApp’13 - International Conference onNuclear Research Applications and Utilizationof Accelerators, Ghent, Belgium, USA, 26-27July 2013

Major Conferences

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� TM on “Fast Reactor Physics and Technologies”, Kalpakkam,14-18 November 2011

� GIF-IAEA/INPRO Workshop on Safety Aspects of SodiumFast Reactors, Vienna, 30 Nov. – 1 Dec. 2011

� TM (in cooperation with NKM Unit) on the “IAEA’s FastReactor Data Retrieval and Knowledge PreservationInitiative”, Vienna, 6-8 December 2011

� TM on “Fast Reactors In-service Inspection and Repair: Statusand Innovative Solutions”, Vienna, 19-20 December 2011

� TM on “Innovative Heat Exchanger and Steam GeneratorDesigns for Fast Reactors”, Vienna, 21-22 December 2011

Technical Meetings & Workshops

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Technical Meetings & Workshops

� TM on “Innovative Fast Reactor Designs with EnhancedNegative Reactivity Feedback Effects”, Vienna, 27-29 February2012

� TM to “Identify Innovative Fast Neutron Systems DevelopmentGaps”, Vienna, 29 February – 2 March 2012

� GIF-INPRO Interface Meeting, Vienna, 6 – 7 March 2012

� TM on “Impact of Fukushima event on current and future FRdesigns”, Dresden, 19 - 23 March 2012

� IAEA-JAEA Workshop on Safety of SFR, Tsuruga, Japan, 11 –13 June 2012

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Technical Meetings & Workshops

� Fourth Research Coordination Meeting of the CRP on"Benchmark analyses of sodium natural convection in the upperplenum of the MONJU reactor vessel”, Tsuruga, Japan, 16 – 20April 2012

� First Research Coordination Meeting of the CRP on "Analysesof Fast Reactor Safety Tests Conducted in EBR-II”, Argonne,USA, 18 – 19 June, 2012

� 45th TWG-FR Annual TM, Argonne, 20 – 22 June 2012

� TM on Construction & Commissioning of SFR, Kalpakkam,India, November 2012

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Main Deliverables

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Technical Reports closed to Publication

� Status of Fast Reactor Research and TechnologyDevelopment (in print)

� Liquid metal coolants for Fast Reactors: reactors cooled bysodium, lead and lead-bismuth eutectic (in print)

� Design Features and Operating Experiences of ExperimentalFast Reactors (in print)

� Proceedings of FR09, Kyoto, December 2009 (in print)

� BN-600 Hybrid Core Benchmark Analysis (under final reviewby the CRP participants)

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Technical Reports and NES in Preparation

� BN-600 Hybrid Core Benchmark Analysis: methods to reducecalculation uncertainties of the LMFR reactivity effects (underfinal editing)

� Status Report of Accelerator Driven Systems for wastetransmutation and energy production (under final editing)

� Special issue of Nuclear Engineering & Design Journaldevoted to the outcomes of the IAEA TM on Physics andTechnology of Fast Reactors (papers available and underreview)

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Technical Reports and NES in Preparation

� Final Report of the CRP on Analytical and ExperimentalBenchmark Analyses of Accelerator Driven System

� Final Report of the CRP on Lessons Learned from theOperational Experience on Fast Reactors (editing just started)

� Final Reports of the CRP on Control Rod Withdrawal andSodium Natural Circulation Tests Performed During thePHENIX End-of-Life Tests (first report under review)

� Final Report of the CRP on Benchmark Analyses of SodiumNatural Convection in the Upper Plenum of the MONJUReactor Vessel

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FR Project WEB-site: http://www.iaea.org/NuclearPower/FR/

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TWG-FR WEB-site http://www.iaea.org/NuclearPower/Technology/TWG/TWG-FR/

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� Efforts to preserveknowledge and pastexperience gathered in theoperation of fast reactorsand FR and ADS R&Dprogrammes

� IAEA Fast Reactor andADS Data Bases jointlymanaged by NPTDS/FRProject and NuclearKnowledge Management(NKM) Unit

Fast Reactor Knowledge Preservation: FR Data Base http://www.iaea.org/inisnkm/nkm/aws/frdb/

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� NKM Unit developed a FastReactor KnowledgeOrganization System (FR-KOS): IT system to retrieveinformation stored in aninternational data base

� The NPTDS/FR Projectcollaborates with the NKMUnit to update the systemand collect data and info tobe uploaded into the system

� First version released to MSsfor testing and stimulatingcontributions to FR-KOS

FRs Knowledge Preservation: FR-KOS System https://nkm.iaea.org/nkm1

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Objectives of this Meeting

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� First electricity producedin fast reactor EBR-1 in1951

� Experimental,Demonstrative andpower fast reactors havebeen designed,constructed andoperated in severalcountries

� About 400 reactors.yearof operation experience

FRs Experience (mostly SFR)

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SFR in operation

JOYO (suspended)Japan

FBTR India

CEFR China

BOR-60Russian Federation

BN-600Russian Federation

MONJU (suspended)Japan

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SFR - Under Construction

PFBR in India

BN-800 in Russian Federation

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Fast Reactors in a closed fuel cycle: Towards a more sustainable nuclear energy

� Tomorrow’s generation of reactors / FastNeutron Reactors:� The above and….� Multiplication by a factor 50 to 100 the

energy produced by a given amount ofuranium,

� Minimization of volume, thermal loadand radiotoxicity of waste …

“ Closing the fuel cycle ”:enough resources for thousands of years

and reduced burden of nuclear waste

� Today’s generation of reactors :� Safe, reliable and competitive� Availability of secure resources (about 100 y at the present rate of consumption)� Reprocessing of spent fuel for enhanced use of resources� Technical solution for waste management

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Large-size Fast Reactors under Development

JSFR, Japan, 1500 MWe

BN-1200, Russian Federation, 1200 MWe

KALIMER, Korea Republic of, 600 MWe

CFR, China, 1000 MWe

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DEMO and PROTO Fast Reactors under Development

ALLEGRO, France, 100 MWth

CFBR, India, 500 MWe

ALFRED, EU, 100 MWe

ASTRID, France, 600 MWe

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Small Modular Fast Reactors under Development

BREST, Russian Federation, 300 MWe

4S, Japan, 10 MWe

SSTAR, USA, 10-100 MWe

PRISM, USA, 155 MWe SVBR, Russian Federation, 100 MWe

HYPERION, USA, 25 MWe

TerraPower TWR, USA, 500 MWe

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Key Elements for FR Development

� Driving force and peculiarity is sustainability:� Natural resources� Waste minimization

� but maintaining/improving� Safety (also in light of Fukushima accident)� Economical competitiveness� Proliferation Resistance

� Identify technological gaps to achieve the objectives in thatareas represents a key step for future developments

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� Innovation to ensure that enhanced requirements for performance, safety and costs are met ⇒ research and technology development

� Clear path from research and technology development to deployment

� Limited resources (economic/financial crisis + industrial and governmental focus on existing and near-term deployment reactors): need to optimize human and financial resources ⇒ collaboration

Key Elements for FR Development

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Technical Areas for R&D and Innovation

� Advanced structural materials

� Innovative fuels (including MA-bearing fuels)

� Core performance

� Primary and secondary system simplification

� Compact Heat Exchangers

� New Power Conversion Systems

� Advanced instrumentation

� In-service Inspection

� Safety (reactivity effects, passive systems, etc.) & Security

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� Advanced Simulation & Modelling (e.g. multi-physics and multi-scale computer codes) with higher level of precision, key for:� design optimization (e.g. reduce nominal pick temperatures);� drastically reducing uncertainty margins;� narrowing down the needs of expensive experimental tests (mock-ups,

T/H and safety experiments, etc.)

� Data and computer code verification, validation, andqualification (V&V&Q) through theoretical and experimentalbenchmarks, including severe accident analyses

� Comparative assessments of feasibility, performance, andsafety characteristics

� Technological choices / concept selection

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Technical Areas for R&D and Innovation

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Objectives of this Technical Meeting

� Present and discuss new trends in the developmentof innovative fast neutron systems, with specialemphasis on sustainability, economiccompetitiveness, enhanced safety and non-proliferation

� Identify gaps between existing reactor technologiesand new generation fast neutron systems

� Identify needs and propose R&D activities to becarried out at international level

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Condition for fast reactor R&D&D is availability of fast neutronexperimental (irradiation) facilities. Two concrete projects:

A Key Issue for Innovative FR Development

MYRRHA by SCK.CEN (Belgium)MBIR (Russian Federation)

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http://www.iaea.org/NuclearPower/FR/

…Atoms for Peace

Thanks for Your Attention !Thanks for Your Attention !Thanks for Your Attention !Thanks for Your Attention !