聚变-裂变混合堆水冷包层中子物理性能研究

研究直接应用国际热核聚变实验堆（ITER）规模的聚变堆作为中子驱动源,采用天然铀为初装核燃料,并采用现有压水堆核电厂成熟的轻水慢化和冷却技术,设计聚变-裂变混合堆裂变及产氚包层的技术可行性。应用MCNP与Origen2相耦合的程序进行计算分析,研究不同核燃料对包层有效增殖系数、氚增殖比、能量放大系数和外中子源效率等中子物理性能的影响。计算分析结果显示,现有核电厂广泛使用的UO₂核燃料以及下一代裂变堆推荐采用的UC、UN和U₉₀Zr₁₀等高性能陶瓷及合金核燃料作为水冷包层的核燃料,都能满足以产能发电为设计目标的新型聚变 裂变混合堆能量放大倍数的设计要求,但只有UC和U₉₀Zr₁₀燃料同时满足聚变燃料氚的生产与消耗自持的要求。研究结果对进一步研发满足未来核能可持续发展的新型聚变-裂变混合堆技术具有潜在参考价值。     

基于多维响应矩阵的中子能谱逆向调控方法及应用

中子能谱是影响核能系统安全性和经济性的重要参数,先进核能系统种类繁多,能谱差异大,准确的调控出先进核能系统的能谱对其发展有重要意义。本文利用基于响应矩阵的中子能谱逆向调控方法,以14MeV单能的聚变中子源为例,调控出聚变堆氚增殖包层、聚变裂变混合堆次临界包层、铅基快堆堆芯处的中子能谱,调控得到的中子能谱与目标能谱吻合较好,其中聚变堆氚增殖包层处的中子能谱与FNG上Mockup实验能谱比较,归一化能谱均方差降低了66%。对比结果表明本文方法能够实现多种类型先进核能系统中子能谱的精准调控。     

聚变-裂变混合能源堆一维计算模型燃耗分析

聚变-裂变混合能源堆包括聚变中子源和以天然铀为燃料、水为冷却剂的次临界包层,主要目标是生产电力。利用输运燃耗耦合程序系统MCORGS计算了混合能源堆一维模型的燃耗,给出了中子有效增殖因数k_eff、能量放大倍数M、氚增殖比TBR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。本文给出的结果可作为混合堆中子输运、燃耗分析程序校验的参考数据,为混合堆概念研究提供了基础数据。     

氦气、水和熔盐冷却的混合堆中子学性能研究

氦气、水、熔盐(Flibe)在强磁场中流动不存在严重的MHD问题,因此适合在基于磁约束的聚变-裂变混合堆中作为冷却剂.针对氦气、水、Flibe这3种冷却剂对混合堆包层中子学性能的影响进行研究,分析包层中能谱特点及燃料增殖特性.通过燃耗计算,研究氚增殖率(TBR)、能量倍增因子(M)、keff等随运行时间的变化.中子学输运采用三维蒙特卡罗程序MCNP.计算结果表明,不同的冷却剂对混合堆系统中子能谱影响很大:氦冷系统的能谱最硬,主要发生快中子裂变,氚增殖效果最好;水冷系统的能谱最软,产能最多,但需提高TBR;Flibe冷系统的能谱较硬,产能最少.     

长寿命放射性废物在聚变-裂变混合堆中燃烧处理的技术可行性研究(英文)

提出了分别用于锕系元素转化(氮化物燃料或合金燃料包层)和裂变产物转化(以Pu作中子倍增剂的包层)的聚变-裂变混合堆的概念设计。为评估系统的性能,进行了中子学和热工水力学计算。结果表明,在现有或近期能达到的等离子体物理实验参数的堆芯条件下,所研究的包层在中子壁负荷为1 MW/m~2,负荷因子为80％时经1年运行可以转化裂变产物~(90)Sr装料的17％或锕系元素装料的23％。因而,此系统能分别燃烧大约40个3GW(t)的压水堆所产生的~(90)Sr废物或65个3GW(t)的压水堆所产生的锕系废物。     

利用D-T聚变中子源转化长寿命裂变产物的中子学可行性研究

从中子学角度研究长寿命裂变产物在Tokamak型D-T聚变堆包层中转化的可行性.提出了用可裂变Pu增殖中子的混合包层转化方案,研制了相应的燃耗计算程序及数据库,并对所提方案进行了计算和分析.结果表明,在可预见的聚变堆芯技术条件下,所研究的概念性包层可对长寿命裂变产物进行有效转化.     

聚变裂变混合发电堆水冷包层中子学设计分析

主要针对聚变裂变混合发电堆FDS-EM水冷包层的能量倍增因子M和氚增殖率TBR等中子学参数进行优化计算。FDS-EM包层主要设计目标是在氚自持的基础上获得约1 GW的电功率,并且尽可能长时间连续运行不换料。通过初步设计分析给出一个使用核废料(压水堆卸出的废料钚、锕系加上贫铀)作为裂变燃料,能够实现氚自持、能量倍增因子约为90等设计目标,且连续运行至少10年不换料的中子学方案。     

PWR（U）乏燃料中超铀元素在混合堆快裂变包层内嬗变研究

从中子学角度对ＰＷＲ（Ｕ）乏燃料中的超铀元素（２３８Ｐｕ，２３９Ｐｕ，２４１Ｐｕ，２４１Ａｍ，２４３Ａｍ，２３７Ｎｐ，２４４Ｃｍ）在聚变－裂变混合堆快裂变包层内嬗变的可行性进了研究。利用一维中子输运和燃耗计算程序ＢＩＤＥＣＡＹ译不同燃料组分的四个快裂变包层进行分析计算。结果表明，在聚变－裂变混合堆快裂变包层内安全，高效地嬗变ＰＷＲ（Ｕ）乏燃料中的超铀元素是可能的。     

混合堆水冷快裂变包层的中子学设计研究

本工作以国际热核实验堆(ITER)的等离子体参数和堆芯结构为基础,对水冷、球床结构的快裂变包层混合堆作了一维和二维中子学设计研究,并与纯聚变堆的功能作了对比。说明混合堆作为聚变能的前期应用是必要的和可能的。     

聚变-裂变混合堆的氚工艺问题

文章描述了聚变堆和聚变-裂变混合堆的氚工艺问题。根据聚变堆和聚变-裂变混合堆的特点讨论了对包层氚增殖材料的要求,列举了几种可作氚增殖的合理材料特性。给出了几种从包层提取氚和从废聚变燃料中回收氚的方法。最后对混合堆的氚安全及防护问题进行了讨论。     

Physical investigation for neutron consumption and multiplication in fusion–fission hybrid test blanket module

Inelastic scattering of high energy fusion neutrons does affect the performance of fusion blanket based on the choice of different materials. It will also affect the behavior of source neutrons in a subcritical fusion fission hybrid blanket and consequently the transmutation and tritium breeding performance. A fusion fission hybrid test blanket module (HTBM) is designed which is presumed to be tested in a large sized tokamak and plasma neutron source is similar to ITER. In this preliminary design of HTBM the neutron source and loss factors are computed for the detailed neutronic performance analysis. The neutronic analysis of hybrid blanket module is performed for five different TRU fuel types: TRU-Zr, TRU-Mo, TRU-Oxide, TRU-Carbide and TRU-Nitride. In this module design, it is aimed to burn and transmute the TRU nuclides from high-level radioactive waste of PWR spent fuel. The effect of TiC reflector on transmutation and tritium breeding performance of HTBM is also quantified. MCNPX is used for neutronic computations. Neutron spectrum, capture to fission ratio and waste transmutation ratio of each fuel type are compared to evaluate their waste transmutation performance. Tritium breeding ratio is also compared for two coolant options: Li and LiPb eutectic.     

Integral neutronics experiments in analytical mockups for blanket of a hybrid reactor

The paper describes recent progress in integral neutronics experiments in the analytical mockups for the blanket in a fusion-fission hybrid energy reactor. A conceptual blanket of the hybrid reactor is mainly loaded with natural uranium and lithium material. In the fission fuel region, uranium material and light water are arranged alternately. The mockups of the conceptual blanket are designed and used for checking neutron property of the blanket by integral experiments. Based on materials available, the spherical fission mockup for fission research and plutonium production consists of three layers of depleted uranium shells and several layers of polyethylene and graphite shells. The spherical lithium mockup for tritium production consists of depleted uranium and LiPb alloy shells. The cubic mockup consists of natural uranium and polyethylene and its structure is basically consistent with one of the fuel region. In the mockups with the D-T neutron source, the plutonium production rates, uranium fission rates and tritium production rates are measured, separately. The measured results are compared to the calculated ones with MCNP-4B code and ENDF/B-VI library data.     

A Fusion Neutron Source Driven Sub-Critical Nuclear Energy System: A Way for Early Application of Fusion Technology

1. IntroductionAlthough the recent experiments and associatedtheoretical studies of fusion energy development havedemonstrated the feasibility of fusion power, it iscommonly realized that it needs hard work beforepure fusion energy could be commercially and eco-nomically utilized. On the other hand, the fissionnuclear industry has been falling on hard tithes re-cently since so far there has been no conclusion abouthow to deal with the long-lived wastes produced fromthe nuclear spent fuel and a…     

Shielding Design and Analysis of Fusion–Fission Hybrid Energy Reactor Blanket

A preliminary design of fusion–fission hybrid energy reactor (FFHER) has been proposed by Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry based on current fusion science and well-developed fission technology. In FFHER, shield blocks provide nuclear shielding and thermal shielding for internal and external blanket components. The hybrid of fusion core and fission blanket makes the spectra rather complex. Therefore, it is necessary to make detail shielding design and carry out radiation analysis according to the blanket structure and material property. In this study, a shielding design of combining several different material shield blocks has been proposed. The shielding analysis is performed by Monte Carlo (MC) method. For the radiation deep-penetration problem, the flux and statistical relative error of forward MC estimate are applied to get an optimal weight window for global variance reduction (GVR). The spatial distribution of neutron and gamma flux have been assessed along the shield block depth. Power deposited and dose rate distributions have also been simulated and analysed. Neutron irradiation damage has been studied to evaluate the material damage. Based on the configuration analysis, nuclear analysis and GVR method, an optimal FFHER blanket shielding design has been obtained.     

Fusion Neutron Flux Detector for the ITER

Two fission chambers with different amounts of fissile material （enriched 90% uranium-235） have been manufactured for neutron flux detection in a thermonuclear fusion device. The characteristics of neutron signal and its discrimination from other signals, and a plateau of high voltage between the anode and cathode have been validated in a thermal neutron source. The energy responses of the two fission chambers at seven energy levels have been calibrated in an accelerator fast neutron source and the results agree well with the simulations.     

On the proliferation issues of a fusion fission fuel factory using a molten salt

The fusion fission fuel factory (FFFF) is a hybrid fusion fission reactor using a neutron source, which is in this case taken similar to the source of the Power Plant Conceptual Study - Water Cooled Lithium Lead (PPCS-A) design, for fissile material production instead of tritium self-sufficiency. As breeding blanket the first wall of the ITER design is attached to a molten salt zone, in which ThF₄ and UF₄ solute salts are transported by a LiF-BeF₂ solvent salt. For this blanket design, the fissile material is assessed in quantity and quality for both the Th-U and the U-Pu fuel cycle.The transport of the initial D-T fusion neutrons and the reaction rates in this breeding blanket are simulated with the Monte Carlo code MCNP4c2. The isotopic evolution of the actinides is calculated with the burn-up code ORIGEN-S.For the Th-U cycle the bred material output remains below 10 g/h with a ²³²U impurity level of 30 ppm, while for the U-Pu cycle supergrade material is produced at a rate up to 100 g/h.     

Neutronic analysis of an inertial fusion energy breeder with SiCf/SiC

Neutronic performance of a blanket driven ICF (Inertial confinement fusion) neutron based on SiC_f/SiC composite material is investigated for fissile fuel breeding. The investigated blanket is fueled with ThO₂ and cooled with natural lithium or (LiF)₂BeF₂ or Li₁₇Pb₈₃ or ⁴He coolant. MCNP4B Code is used for calculations of neutronic data per DT neutron. Calculations have show that values of TBR (tritium breeding ratio) being one of the main neutronic paremeters of fusion reactors are greater than 1.05 in all type of coolant, and the breeder hybrid reactor is self-sufficient in the tritium required for the DT fusion driver. Calculations show that natural lithium coolant blanket has the highest TBR (1.298) and M (fusion energy multiplication) (2.235), Li₁₇Pb₈₃ coolant blanket has the highest FFBR (fissile fuel breeding ratio) (0.3489) and NNM (net neutron multiplication) (1.6337). ⁴He coolant blanket has also the best Γ (peek-to-average fission power density ratio) (1.711). Values of neutron leakage out of the blanket in all type of coolants are quite low due to SiC reflector and B₄C shielding.     

Prediction Method in Numerical Simulation of Dynamics Based on Prompt and Delayed Neutrons in Multiplying Systems

The basic elements of a method of numerical simulation of processes based on prompt and delayed neutrons in multiplying systems are presented. The method is based on predicting the contribution of the instantaneous state of the system to its state at subsequent definite times and summing the predicted contribution as a systematic transition is made to a new moment in time. The key element of the method is determining the initiation functions – the probabilities that a neutron emitted by a source in a prescribed volume of the system initiates a prompt fission neutron in a definite volume of the system sometime after emission. A procedure is proposed for determining the initiation functions; this procedure is based on the first-collision probability method and uses the standard stationary computer codes. The material presented in this paper comprises the basic results of the first stage in the development of the numerical model for full-scale simulation of the dynamics of the subcritical blanket of an experimental accelerator-driven subcritical system under construction at the Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics. It is noted that the model being developed can be used to analyze many important processes in other types of multiplying systems.