A comprehensive study on neutronics of a lead–bismuth eutectic cooled accelerator-driven sub-critical system for long-lived fission product transmutation

The aim of this study is to investigate the high-level waste (HLW) transmutation and fissile breeding potentials of a lead–bismuth eutectic (LBE) cooled accelerator-driven system (ADS) for the various configurations (the target radius, R_T = 10–50 cm and the radial thickness of the sub-critical core, δ_SC = 50–80 cm) and for the various fuel compositions (the fuel volume fraction, VF_F = 10%, 12%, 15% and 20% and the fissile fraction, FF = 10–24%) under sub-critical condition. The long-lived fission products (LLFPs: ⁹⁹Tc, ¹²⁹I and ¹³⁵Cs nuclides) and the uranium mono carbide (UC) ceramic fuel are considered as the HLW and the fissile fuel, respectively. The neutronic calculations have been performed per the incident proton (1000 MeV) with the high-energy Monte Carlo code MCNPX in coupled neutron and proton mode using the LA150 library. The numerical results bring out that the case of R_T = 30 cm, δ_SC = 80 cm, VF_F = 10% and FF = 23% is the optimum configuration and fuel composition, from the energy gain point of view, and has a high neutronic performance for an effective LLFP transmutation and fissile breeding.     

Subchannel analysis of fuel assemblies of a lead–alloy cooled fast reactor

Lead–alloy cooled fast reactor is one of the six Gen-IV reactors. It has many attractive features such as excellent natural circulation performance, better shielding against gamma rays or energetic neutrons and potentially reduced capital costs. A natural circulation lead–alloy cooled fast reactor with 10 MWth is under design in China (hereafter called LFR-10MW). Fuel assemblies thermal hydraulic analysis is of vital importance for a successful design. A subchannel analysis code with flow distribution model was used to carry out the thermal hydraulic analysis. This work briefly gave the thermal-hydraulic design for the LFR-10MW and analyzed the thermal-hydraulic characteristics under steady-state condition using the subchannel analysis code. Whole core analysis was performed to locate the hottest fuel assembly using the code. The hottest fuel assembly was analyzed to obtain the cladding temperature, fuel temperature and coolant velocity. The maximum cladding temperature, the maximum fuel center temperature and the maximum coolant velocity are all below the design constraints. These results imply that the thermal-hydraulic design of LFR-10MW is feasible.     

Flow characteristics of natural circulation in a lead–bismuth eutectic loop

Lead and lead-alloys are proposed in future advanced nuclear system as coolant and spallation target.To test the natural circulation and gas-lift and obtain thermal-hydraulics data for computational fluid dynamics(CFD) and system code validation, a lead–bismuth eutectic rectangular loop, the KYLIN-Ⅱ Thermal Hydraulic natural circulation test loop, has been designed and constructed by the FDS team. In this paper, theoretical analysis on natural circulation thermal-hydraulic performance is described and the steady-state natural circulation experiment is performed. The results indicated that the natural circulation capability depends on the loop resistance and the temperature and center height differences between the hot and cold legs. The theoretical analysis results agree well with,while the CFD deviate from, the experimental results.     

Nuclear data-induced uncertainty quantification of neutronics parameters of accelerator-driven system

Nuclear data-induced uncertainties of neutronics parameters of one accelerator-driven system concept designed by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency are quantified. The variance-covariance data provided in the JENDL-4.0 library are used. Uncertainties are quantified for effective neutron multiplication factor, subcritical neutron multiplication rate, a family of delayed neutron fractions, power peaking and coolant void reactivity at several operational states. Inter-cycle and inter-parameter correlation matrices and detailed information such as nuclide-wise and nuclear data-wise uncertainties are also provided.     

Effect of wall wettability condition on drift-flux parameters in lead–bismuth two-phase flow in circular and annular bubble columns

Lead–bismuth two-phase flow in a cylindrical vessel and annulus was experimentally investigated by varying the surface wettability of the vessel wall. The test section used in this study was a cylindrical stainless vessel with/without inner sleeve to change the hydraulic diameter. Volume-averaged void fraction was measured by varying the surface wettability of the test section, which was enhanced by using a soldering flux. Measured void fraction was compared with existing two-phase flow correlations and with one-dimensional theoretical simulations assuming one-dimensional drift-flux model. From experimental results, measured distribution parameters of the lead–bismuth two-phase flow are much larger than that of ordinary two-phase flow regardless of the surface wettability. In the present work, the one-dimensional analysis was carried out for the cylindrical vessel to reproduce the distribution parameter. From the simulation results, predicted value for the cylindrical vessel showed good agreement with experimental results. However, in annulus, the distribution parameters in annulus were underestimated by the present model. It was suggested that, in case of annulus, steeper void fraction profile might be formed near the inner surface for poor wettability condition.     

Design and analysis of the IFMIF–EVEDA beam dump cooling system

The IFMIF–EVEDA beam dump is designed to stop a 9 MeV, 125 mA continuous wave deuteron beam that deposits along its surface a total of 1.125 MW. The beam dump design is based on a 2.5 m long copper cone whose inner surface absorbs the beam. This piece is cooled by water flowing at high velocity through the annular channel formed between it and a second piece (shroud) made of four truncated cones of slightly different slopes.In this paper the beam dump cooling system will be briefly described, and the relevant 1D and 3D results will be presented paying especial attention to the computational fluid dynamics results.     

Structural,electrical and magnetic measurements on oxide layers grown on 316L exposed to liquid lead–bismuth eutectic

Fast reactors and spallation neutron sources may use lead–bismuth eutectic (LBE) as a coolant. Its physical, chemical, and irradiation properties make it a safe coolant compared to Na cooled designs. However, LBE is a corrosive medium for most steels and container materials. The present study was performed to evaluate the corrosion behavior of the austenitic steel 316L (in two different delivery states). Detailed atomic force microscopy, magnetic force microscopy, conductive atomic force microscopy, and scanning transmission electron microscopy analyses have been performed on the oxide layers to get a better understanding of the corrosion and oxidation mechanisms of austenitic and ferritic/martensitic stainless steel exposed to LBE. The oxide scale formed on the annealed 316L material consisted of multiple layers with different compositions, structures, and properties. The innermost oxide layer maintained the grain structure of what used to be the bulk steel material and shows two phases, while the outermost oxide layer possessed a columnar grain structure.     

Design and transient analyses of emergency passive residual heat removal system of CPR1000. Part Ⅰ: Air cooling condition

The steam generator secondary emergency passive residual heat removal system (EPRHRS) is a novel design for the conventional generation Ⅱ+ reactor CPR1000. The EPRHRS is designed to improve the safety and reliability of CPR1000 by completely or partially replacing the traditional emergency water cooling system in the event of the feed line break (FLB) or loss of heat sink accident. The EPRHRS consists of a steam generator (SG), a heat exchanger (HX), an air cooling tower, an emergency makeup tank (EMT), and corresponding pipes and valves for air cooling condition. In order to improve the safety and reliability of CPR1000, a model of the primary loop system and the EPRHRS was developed using RELAP5/MOD3.4 to investigate the residual heat removal capability of the EPRHRS and the transient characteristics of the primary loop system affected by the EPRHRS. The transient characteristics of the primary loop system and the EPRHRS were calculated in the event of the feed line break accident. Sensitivity studies were also conducted to investigate effects of the main parameters of the EPRHRS on the transient characteristics of the primary loop and the EPRHRS. The EPRHRS could supply water to the SG shell side from the EMT successfully. The calculation results showed that the EPRHRS could take away the decay heat from the primary loop effectively for air cooling condition, and that the single-phase and two-phase natural circulations were established in the primary loop and the EPRHRS loop, respectively. The present work is instructive for engineering design of the EPRHRS for Chinese NPPs.     

Performance of beam size monitor based on Kirkpatrick–Baez mirror at SSRF

High-energy photon source(HEPS) is a 6 GeV ultralow emittance storage ring light source to be built in Beijing, China. Both the horizontal and vertical beam sizes of the HEPS storage ring are below 10 lm. It is a challenge to measure such a small beam size in both directions. To this end, measurement by a Kirkpatrick–Baez(KB) mirror imaging system was evaluated. A test KB system for the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility storage ring was designed and tested. Two crossed cylindrical mirrors were used to image the dipole source point. Both mirrors can be moved in and out so that the monitor is interchangeable with the original X-ray pinhole monitor. The aberration and point spread function, which would cause image blur, were evaluated. A beam-based calibration scheme was used by varying the beam size with different quadrupole settings and fitting them with the corresponding theoretical values.We updated the original X-ray camera with a new camera having a 5-lm-thick LuAG/Ce scintillator, and the imaging result shows greatly decreased image blur.     

On monitoring the tritium breeder in a lead–lithium cooled ceramic breeder (LLCB) module of the ITER

The operation of a tritium breeder is a most process among engineering problems of DEMO. In this study, a design for monitoring tritium-breeding in the reactor is discussed. Additionally, a system for the experimental estimation of the tritium-breeding ratio (TBR) and the tritium-breeding dynamics in a lead–lithium cooled ceramic breeder (LLCB) test module used in the ITER is proposed. The systems are based on tritium and neutron-flux measurements under the ITER plasma D–T experiments and the use of lithium ortho-silicate and lithium carbonate samples and neutron detectors. Different lithum-6 and lithium-7 isotope contents in the samples are used to measure neutron spectrum. The samples and detectors are delivered in containers to the test breeder module (TBM) on a monitor channel connecting the TBM to an operating zone of the ITER. The tritium content in the samples is measured in a laboratory by the liquid scintillation method.Pneumatic control is used to deliver the samples to the TBM and to extract the samples using the channel during plasma-operational pauses. Neutron calculation is performed to estimate the tritium content in the samples and the heat distribution in the materials of the channel under reactor irradiation. A measurement accuracy of the tritium content in the carbonate and orthosilicate samples can attain a level of 7% and 10%, respectively. The results of the channel-cooling calculation performed under the nominal operating conditions of the TBM (a plasma pulse) are presented in the paper.     

An optimized numerical method to pre-researching the performance of solid-phase oxygen control in a non-isothermal lead–bismuth eutectic loop

In the present work, a new transient calculation method for parameters that can be used to evaluate the ability of oxygen control in a non-isothermal lead-bismuth eutectic(LBE) loop with solid-phase oxygen control was proposed. It incorporates the dissolution process of PbO particles and the oxygen mass transfer process, and an optimized method was used for finding out the optimized oxygen mass transfer coefficient. In numerical terms, three mass transfer models were simultaneously applied, and ...     

An optimized numerical method to pre-researching the performance of solid-phase oxygen control in a non-isothermal lead–bismuth eutectic loop

In the present work, a new transient calculation method for parameters that can be used to evaluate the ability of oxygen control in a non-isothermal lead-bismuth eutectic(LBE) loop with solid-phase oxygen control was proposed. It incorporates the dissolution process of PbO particles and the oxygen mass transfer process, and an optimized method was used for finding out the optimized oxygen mass transfer coefficient. In numerical terms, three mass transfer models were simultaneously applied, and ...     

Effects of molybdenum on microstructural evolution and mechanical properties in Zr–Nb alloys as nuclear fuel cladding materials

The Zr–Nb alloys were modified by doping of Mo as a minor alloying element to seek for the nuclear fuel cladding materials with better characteristics. The effects of Mo on microstructural evolution and mechanical properties in Zr–Nb alloys were systematically investigated and elucidated. Results showed that the martensitic microstructure, a mixture of lath martensites and lens martensites with internal twins, was observed in the alloys quenched from β-phase. Width of the lath martensite reduced with the increasing Mo concentration, and the volume fraction of lens martensite increased with increase in the Mo concentration. After final annealing, a new kind of precipitate, namely β-(Nb, Mo, Zr), was identified in the Mo-containing alloys. It was also found that Mo reduced the growth of the precipitates but increased their number density. Furthermore, Mo addition retarded the recrystallization process strongly and reduced the grain size significantly. In terms of the mechanical properties, Mo addition enhanced the yield strength and the ultimate tensile strength at room temperature, however decreased the ductility. The grain size strengthening was presumed as the greatest contributor in this system.     

Effects of electron beam irradiation on SnO_2 gas sensors

(Shanghai Applied Radiation Institute, Shanghai University Shanghai 201800) There are many traditional ways to improve sensitivity and selectivity of semiconductor gas sensors, such asmetal ions adulteration[1,2] and surface modification[3,4]. In this paper 1.75MeV electron beam was used to modifysurface structure of tin dioxide gas sensors, and the gas sensing characteristics were studied. Results showed thatthe sensitivity and selectivity of SnO2 sensors were improved after the electron …     

Active oxygen control by a PbO mass exchanger in the liquid lead–bismuth eutectic loop: MEXICO

Accurate control of dissolved oxygen concentration is crucial in order to use liquid lead alloys as a coolant of advanced nuclear systems. An oxygen control system based on PbO mass exchanger (PbO MX) technology was implemented in order to control the dissolved oxygen concentration in the liquid lead--bismuth eutectic (LBE) loop MEXICO. The oxygen control system consisted of a packed bed of PbO spheres, an oxygen sensor and a pneumatic control valve. The concentration of dissolved oxygen in the loop was controlled by regulating the LBE flow through the PbO MX using a proportional–integral–derivative (PID) controller with feedback from the oxygen sensor. Highly accurate control of the dissolved oxygen concentration in the loop was achieved by this system.     

Fabrication of SiC–SiC composites for fuel cladding in advanced reactor designs

Both advanced fission reactor concepts and fusion energy systems demand materials that can survive extremely harsh operating environments having persistent high temperature and high neutron flux conditions. Silicon carbide fiber/silicon carbide matrix (SiC–SiC) composites have shown promise for these applications, which include fuel cladding and reactor structural components. However, the composite fabrication process is time consuming and the fabrication of complicated geometries can be difficult.In this work, SiC–SiC and carbon fiber–SiC composite samples were fabricated using chemical vapor infiltration (CVI), and the mechanical and thermal properties of samples with a range of densities and total infiltration times were characterized and compared. Both sample density and the reinforcing fiber material were found to have a very significant influence on the composite mechanical and thermal material properties. In particular, internal porosity is found to have a significant effect on the mechanical response, as can be observed in the crack propagation in low density samples. In order to better understand the densification of the composites, a computer model is being developed to simulate the diffusion of reactants through the fiber preform, and SiC deposition on the fiber surfaces. Preliminary modeling has been correlated with experimental results and shows promising results.     

Optic diagnosis of neutral beam injection on HL—1M

During the operation of a high-power neutral beam injection(NBI)system on the HL-1M tokamak,an optical diagnostic means using CCD camera was developed to characterize the NBI performance.The vacuum valve opening process and NBI period in the HL-1M experiment were displayed by a lot of photos taken with this means.Thus,the Hα emission profiles of the neutral beam(NB) and its interaction with plasma were given.Finally,the reason possible for plasma breakdown during NB1 model II discharge was investigated.this in-situ diagnosis can provide more information of the NB1.     

Effect of hydrogen on SiC-C films with AES and XPS analyses

SiC-C films with different content of SiC were deposited with r. f. magnetron sputtering followed by argon ion bombardment. These films were then permeated by hydrogen gas under the pressure of 3.23 × 107 Pa for 3h at 500K. AES and XPS were used to analyze chemical bonding states of C and Si in the SiC-C films as well as contaminating oxygen before and after hydrogen gas permeation in order to study the effect of hydrogen on them. Related mechanism was discussed in this paper.