Investigation of the infinite medium integral neutronic data for incident fusion source neutrons

In the present work, the physical behavior of integral data in infinite medium has been evaluated for incident fusion neutrons with the help to the 3-D Monte Carlo code. In a fusion reactor blanket with finite dimension, the integral quantities will be more or less different from the infinitive medium results, depending on the neutron leakage fraction. Design studies foresee the reduction of the neutron leakage out of the blanket as possible in order to prevent the nuclear heating in super conducting fusion magnets and to keep all neutrons primarily in the coolant. The most important materials in fusion technology, namely tritium, beryllium, lead, thorium, and uranium have been investigated in infinitive medium. The main purpose of this work is to calculate the integral tritium breeding ratio, ²³³U breeding rate, ²³⁹Pu breeding rate, heat release, neutron multiplication ratio through (n,x) and fission (when applicable) reactions in those mixtures which are composed when first UO₂ and ThO₂ are mixed with natural lithium (Nat.Li) or ⁶Li for a volume fraction from 0 to 100%. Then the variable UO₂-Nat.Li (UO₂ mixed with Nat.Li) and UO₂-⁶Li (UO₂ mixed with ⁶Li) compositions will be mixed with Beryllium (Be) and Lead (Pb) for a volume fraction from 0 to 100%. However, the variable TO₂-Nat.Li (ThO₂ mixed with Nat.Li) and ThO₂-⁶Li (ThO₂ mixed with ⁶Li) compositions will be mixed with Be and Pb for a volume fraction mentioned above.     

Temperature distribution in mixed ThO2–UO2 fuel rods located in blanket of an inertial fusion energy breeder

Investigations of neutronic analysis and temperature distribution in fuel rods located in a blanket driven ICF (Inertial Confinement Fusion) have been performed for various mixed fuels and coolants under a first wall load of 5 MW/m². The fuel rods containing ThO₂ and UO₂ mixed by various mixing methods for achieving a flat fission power density are replaced in the blanket and cooled with different coolants; natural lithium, flibe, eutectic lithium and helium for the nuclear heat transfer. It is assumed that surface temperature of the fuel rod increases linearly from 500 °C (at top) to 700 °C (at bottom) during cooling fuel zone. Neutronic and temperature distribution calculations have been performed by MCNP4B Code and HEATING7, respectively. In the blanket fueled with pure UO₂ and cooled with helium, M (fusion energy multiplication ratio) increases to 3.9 due to uranium having higher fission cross-section than thorium. The high fission energy released in this blanket, therefore, causes proportionally increasing of temperature in the fuel rods to 823 °C. However, the M is 2.00 in the blanket fueled with pure ThO₂ and cooled with eutectic lithium because of more capture reaction than fission reaction. Maximum and minumum values of TBR (tritium breeding ratio) being one of main neutronic paremeters for a fusion reactor are 1.07 and 1.45 in the helium and the natural lithium coolant blanket, respectively. These consequences bring out that the investigated reactor can produce substantial electricity in situ during breeding fissile fuel and can be self-sufficient in the tritium required for the DT fusion driver in all cases of mixed fuels and coolant types. Quasi-constant fission power density profiles in FFB (fissile fuel breeding) zone are obtained by parabolically increasing mixture fraction of UO₂ in radial and axial directions for all coolant types. Such as, in the helium coolant blanket and the case of PMF (parabolically mixed fuel), Γ (peek-to-average fission power density ratio) of the blanket is reduced to 1.1, and the maximum temperatures of the fuel rods in radial direction of the FFB zone are also quasi-constant. At the same time, in the case of PMF, for all coolant types, the temperature profiles in the radial direction of the fuel rods rise proportionally with surface temperature from the top to the bottom of fuel rods in the axial direction. In other words, for each radial temperature profile in the axial direction, temperature differences between centerline and surface of the fuel rods are quasi-constant. According to the coolant types, these temperature diffences vary between 30 and 45 °C.     

Fission-suppressed blankets for fissile fuel breeding fusion reactors

Two blanket concepts for deuterium-tritium (DT) fusion reactors are presented which maximize fissile fuel production while at the same time suppress fission reactions. By suppressing fission reactions, the reactor will be less hazardous, and therefore easier to design, develop, and license. A fusion breeder operating a given nuclear power level can produce much more fissile fuel by suppressing fission reactions. The two blankets described use beryllium for neutron multiplication. One blanket uses two separate circulating molten salts: one salt for tritium breeding and the other salt for U-233 breeding. The other uses separate solid forms of lithium and thorium for breeding and helium for cooling.Nuclear power is the sum of fusion (D + T 14 MeV neutron+ 3.5 MeV alpha) power plus additional power from neutron-induced reactions in the blanket.     

用于铀微粒年龄测量的铀钍氧化物混合微粒SIMS测量研究

放射性材料的年龄信息是一项重要的溯源指纹特征,铀微粒年龄测量研究对于核取证技术应用具有重要意义。本工作通过使用二次离子质谱（SIMS）、电感耦合等离子体质谱（ICP-MS）测量自制单分散铀钍氧化物混合微粒获得了单个微米级微粒中铀钍比值的相对灵敏度因子（RSF_Th/U）,结合扫描电子显微镜（SEM）等常规分析技术,确定了最佳测量条件,探索了微米级铀钍混合微粒的SIMS测量方法。测量结果表明,对于粒径为2~3 μm的混合微粒,不同微粒间²³²Th/²³⁸U比值的相对标准偏差小于3%(n=12),平均RSF_Th/U为1.259±0.032。通过测量年龄已知的铀同位素固体标准物质CRM970对RSF_Th/U进行了验证。结果表明,对于粒径为5~10 μm的CRM970铀粉末样品,年龄测量结果准确,相对标准偏差为3%(n=16)。该方法受干扰信号影响较小,测量结果稳定,可用于微米级铀微粒年龄的测量。     

Cobalt cross sections for 14 MeV neutrons

14 MeV cross sections for the reactions ⁵⁹Co(n,2n) ^58m+gCo, ⁵⁹Co(n,p) ⁵⁹Fe and ⁵⁹Co(n,) ⁵⁶Mn were measured relative to the ⁵⁶Fe(n,p) ⁵⁶Mn reaction employing the activation technique. Accuracies of about 1% were achieved for the (n,) reaction and 2% for the others. The isomeric cross section ratio was measured for the ⁵⁹Co(n,2n) reactions.

Nuclear reactions – ⁵⁹Co(n,2n) ^58m+gCo, ⁵⁹Co(n,p) ⁵⁹Fe, ⁵⁹Co(n,) ⁵⁶Mn, E_n = 14.3, 14.7 MeV: measured activation cross sections relative to ⁵⁶Fe(n,p) ⁵⁶Mn.

⁵⁹Co(n,2n) ^58m,gCo, E_n = 14.3 MeV; measured isomeric cross section ratio. Natural targets. Ge, NaI and 4πβ detectors.     

钍基柱状高温气冷堆不同启动燃料特性初步分析

钍是一种可转换材料,将其转换成²³³U能极大提高现有核燃料资源的储量。为实现对钍的合理利用,以模块式柱状高温气冷堆GT-MHR的燃料组件作为研究对象,选取低浓缩铀、武器级钚、核反应堆级钚等作为其启动燃料。利用栅格输运计算程序DRAGON对这3种启动燃料下的钍基柱状燃料组件的寿期初中子能谱、无限增殖系数、燃耗、转换比以及²³³U和²³²Th的含量等参数进行了分析。结果表明,在易裂变物质初装量约为9%时,与低浓缩铀和武器级钚相比,核反应堆级钚作为启动燃料时组件寿期初中子能谱较硬、转换比较高;其燃耗达90 GW•d/tHM;其无限增殖系数在寿期内的波动最小;燃耗为75 GW•d/tHM时组件中²³³U存余量与²³²Th消耗量之比达0.566。     

Direct tritium measurement in lithium titanate for breeding blanket mock-up experiments with D-T neutrons

At Fusion Neutronics Source (FNS) of JAERI, tritium breeding experiments with blanket mock-ups consisting of advanced fusion reactor materials are in progress. The breeding zones are thin layers of lithium titanate which is one of the candidate tritium breeder materials for the DEMO fusion power reactor. It is anticipated that the application of small pellet-shaped lithium titanate detectors manufactured from the same material as the breeding layer will reduce experimental uncertainties arising from necessary corrections due to different isotopic lithium volume concentrations in breeding material and detector. Therefore, a method was developed to measure the local tritium production by means of lithium titanate pellet detectors and a liquid scintillation counting technique. The lithium titanate pellets were dissolved in concentrated hydrochloric acid solution and the resulting acidic solution was neutralized. Two ways of further processing were followed: direct incorporation into a liquid scintillation cocktail and distillation of the solution followed by mixing with liquid scintillator. Two types of lithium titanate pellets were investigated with different ⁶Li enrichment and manufacturing procedure. It was found that lithium titanate is suitable for tritium production measurements. However some discrepancies in the measurement accuracy remained with one of the investigated pellet detectors when compared with a well-established lithium carbonate measurement technique and this issue needs further investigation.     

Performance of natural uranium- and thorium-fueled fast breeder reactors (FBRs) for U fissile production

The performance of natural uranium and thorium-fueled fast breeder reactors (FBRs) for producing ²³³U fissile material, which does not exist in nature, is investigated. It is recognized that excess neutrons from FBRs with good neutron economic characteristics can be efficiently used for producing ²³³U. Two distinct metallic fuel pins, one with natural uranium and another with natural thorium, are loaded into a large sodium-cooled FBR. ²³³U and the associated-U isotopes are extracted from the thorium fuel pins. The FBR itself is self-sustained by plutonium produced in the uranium fuel pins. Under the equilibrium state, both uranium and thorium spent fuels are periodically discharged with a certain discharge rate and then separated. All discharged fission products are removed and all discharged actinides are returned to the FBRs except the discharged uranium utilized for fresh fuel of the other thorium-cycled reactors. ²³³U-production rate of the FBRs as a function of both the uranium–thorium fuel pins fraction in the core and the discharge fuel burnup is estimated. The result shows that larger fraction of uranium pins is better for the FBR criticality while larger fraction of thorium fuel pins and lower fuel burnup give higher ²³³U production rate.     

Exposure of Equal-Channel Angular Extruded Tungsten to Deuterium Plasma

Surface morphology and deuterium retention in ultrafine-grained tungsten fabricated by equal-channel angular pressing(ECAP) have been examined after exposure to a low energy,high-flux deuterium(D) plasma at fluences of 3×10~(24) D/m~2 and 1×10~(25) D/m~2 in a temperature range of 100 ℃-150 ℃.The methods used were scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and thermal desorption spectroscopy(TDS).Sparse and small blisters(~0.1 μm) were observed by SEM after D plasma irradiation on every irradiated surface;yet they did not exhibit significant structure or plasma fluence dependence.Larger blisters or protrusions appeared after subsequent TDS heating up to 1000 ℃.The TDS results showed a single D desorption peak at ~220℃ for all samples and the D retention increased with increasing numbers of extrusion passes,i.e.,the decrease of grain sizes.The increased D retention in this low temperature range should be attributed to the faster diffusion of D along the larger volume fraction of grain boundaries introduced by ECAP.     

基于光化学锂同位素分离条件的同位素比率测量

从光化学锂同位素分离实验研究的需求出发,基于其分离条件,提出了一种测量锂同位素比率的方法。该方法利用锂原子蒸气对探测光吸收峰的峰值来计算锂的同位素比率,避开了测量原子密度时所需的吸收信号频率定标与光强随频率变化积分中积分限的选择问题。该方法还根据锂同位素吸收谱的特殊性采用具有较强吸收效应的⁶Li的D₂线对应的吸收峰峰值,可在原子蒸气中⁶Li含量较低时提高对比率的测量精度。设计并搭建了实验装置,对该方法进行了测试。同一条件下所测得的同位素比率相对标准偏差小于1%,表明该方法对光化学分离方法中锂同位素比率相对变化是敏感的。这意味着该方法可作为以原子蒸气为分离介质的激光锂同位素分离研究的诊断手段。     

棒状氢化锆慢化钍基熔盐堆中子学性能优化

氢化锆(ZrH)由于具有耐高温、抗辐照和慢化能力强等优点,是反应堆常用的慢化剂。本工作研究具有钍铀转换能自持运行和较低次锕系核素（MA）产量的ZrH慢化熔盐堆的堆芯物理设计方案。采用MOC程序分析了不同燃料盐对于启堆和增殖性能的影响,为提高钍铀转换性能,对堆芯结构和慢化棒设计进行了优化与分析。结果表明：当熔盐体积比处于0.5~0.9时,ZrH慢化剂可将临界所需要的²³³U浓度降低至2%附近;采用含增殖层设计与FLi燃料盐装载的ZrH慢化熔盐堆,50 a平均钍铀转换比（CR）可达到1.028;移动式ZrH慢化棒堆芯设计可实现38 a的自持运行,且堆芯寿期末的MA产量比慢化棒不移动条件下采用FLi燃料盐和FLiBe燃料盐的MA产量分别减少约43%和8%,低于相同能量输出下石墨慢化熔盐堆的MA产量。     

Preliminary performance analysis and optimization based on 1D neutronics model for Indian DEMO HCCB blanket

India, under its breeding blanket R&D program for DEMO, is focusing on the development of two tritium breeding blanket concepts; namely the lead-lithium-cooled ceramic breeder and the helium-cooled ceramic breeder (HCCB). The study presented in this paper focuses on the neutronic design analysis and optimization from the tritium breeding perspective of the HCCB blanket. The Indian concept has an edge-on configuration and is one of the variants of the helium-cooled solid breeder blanket concepts proposed by several partner countries in ITER. The Indian HCCB blanket having lithium titanate (Li₂TiO₃) as the tritium breeder and beryllium (Be) as the neutron multiplier with reduced-activation ferritic/martensitic steel structure aims at utilizing the low-energy neutrons at the rear part of the blanket. The aim of the optimization study is to minimize the radial blanket thickness while ensuring tritium self-sufficiency and provide data for further neutronic design and thermal-hydraulic layout of the HCCB blanket. It is found that inboard and outboard blanket thicknesses of 40 cm and 60 cm, respectively, can give a tritium breeding ratio (TBR) >1.3, with 60% ⁶Li enrichment, which is assumed to be sufficient to cover potential tritium losses and associated uncertainties. The results also demonstrated that the Be packing fraction (PF) has a more profound impact on the TBR as compared to 6Li enrichment and the PF of Li₂TiO₃.     

北京大学4.5 MV静电加速器核反应分析系统

为满足对聚变堆面向等离子体材料中氘氚滞留问题的研究,北京大学4.5 MV静电加速器在原束线基础上新增核反应分析系统,该系统使用能量0.8～3.6 MeV的H⁺、D⁺、³He⁺和⁴He⁺粒子束流,可对核反应微分截面和样品中元素浓度的深度分布进行测量分析。本文对核反应分析原理、核反应分析系统的设备布局和实验方法进行了讨论,并以D(³He,p)⁴He核反应为例,分析了微分截面计算和样品中氘元素浓度深度分布的数据结果,其深度分辨小于1.5 μm,实验误差约为7.5%。     

229Th的分离和测量方法

²²⁹Th是一个适合于同位素稀释质谱法(IDMS)分析环境样品中钍同位素浓度的同位素稀释剂。建立了一种稳定可靠的从²³³U溶液中提取高纯²²⁹Th同位素稀释剂的方法,该方法采用串联阴离子交换柱分离U和Th同位素,全流程²³⁸U和²³²Th的回收率接近100%。采用多接收电感耦合等离子体质谱（MC-ICP-MS）反同位素稀释法准确标定了制备的²²⁹Th同位素稀释剂的浓度,为1.959×10^-9(1±0.5%) g/g,²³⁰Th与²²⁹Th的同位素比值为3.322×10^-3,并根据测量过程评定了稀释剂浓度的不确定度。     

The utilization of thorium for long-life small thermal reactors without on-site refueling

Thorium cycle has many advantages over uranium cycle in thermal and intermediate spectrum nuclear reactors. In addition to large amount of resources in the world which up to now still not utilized optimally, thorium based thermal reactors may have high internal conversion ratio so that they are very potential to be designed as long-life reactors without on-site refueling based on thermal spectrum cores. In this study preliminary study for application of thorium cycle in some of thermal reactors has been performed.

We applied thorium cycle for small long-life high temperature gas reactors without on-site refueling. Calculation results using SRAC code show that 10 years lifetime without on-site refueling can be achieved with excess reactivity of about 10% dk/k.

The next application of thorium cycle has been employed in long-life small and medium PWR cores without on-site refueling. Relatively high fuel volume fraction is also applied to get relatively hard spectrum, small size, and high internal conversion ratio. In the current study we have been able to reach more than 10 years lifetime without on-site refueling for 20–300 MWth PWR with maximum excess reactivity of a few %dk/k.

The last application of thorium cycle has been employed in long-life BWR cores without on-site refueling. Relatively high fuel volume fraction is applied to get relatively hard spectrum, small size, and high internal conversion ratio. In the current study we have been able to reach more than 10 years lifetime without on-site refueling for 100–600 MWth BWR with maximum excess reactivity of a few %dk/k.     

Preliminary study on feasibility of large and small water cooled thorium breeder reactor in equilibrium states

Fuel breeding is one of the essential performances for a self-sustaining reactor system which can maintains the fuel sustainability while the reactor produces energy and consumes the fissile materials during operation. Thorium cycle shows some advantageous on higher breeding characteristics in thermal neutron spectrum region as shown in the Shippingport reactor and molten salt breeder reactor (MSBR) project. In the present study, the feasibility of large and small water cooled thorium breeder reactors is investigated under equilibrium conditions where the reactors are fueled by ²³³U–Th oxide and they adopts light water coolant as moderator. The key properties such as required enrichment, breeding capability, and initial fissile inventory are evaluated. The conversion ratio and fissile inventory ratio (FIR) are used for evaluating breeding performance. The results show the feasibility of breeding for small and large reactors. The breeding performance increases with increasing power output and lower power density. The small reactor may achieve the breeding condition when the fuel pellets' power density of about 22.5 W/cm³ and burnup of about 20 GWd/t.     

应用可调谐外腔半导体激光器测量锂同位素比率

采用中心波长固定的可调谐外腔半导体激光器作为光源,通过激光吸收光谱法对锂原子同位素比率进行测量。该方法利用PID温控器实现锂金属蒸发温度的控制和测量。采用激光斜入射的方式消除光路调试过程中产生的标准具效应。实验测量给出了6组不同腔体温度下⁶Li和⁷Li在671 nm附近的吸收光谱,通过对⁶LiD₁和⁷LiD₂吸收峰进行积分吸收计算,得到⁶Li/⁷Li同位素比率测量精度可达2.5%。     

Numerical and Statistical Analysis of FR Spent Fuel Transmutation in a Thorium Fusion Breeder

In this study, a numerical analysis and an analysis of variance (ANOVA) are applied to find the best suitable neutronic parameters for the performance analysis in a thorium fusion rector. The numerical and ANOVA approach are employed to investigate the neutronic characteristics of a fusion reactor using ThO₂ 90% + FR spent fuel 10% fuel mixtures. Three different neutronic parameters for the ANOVA and numerical approach, namely, moderator/fuel volume fractions (V_m/V_f), plasma chamber dimensions (PCD) and neutron wall loading (NWLs) as time dependent are selected for neutronic performance characteristics including tritium breeding ratio (TBR), multiplication factor (M), total fission rate (Σ_f), ²³²Th(n,γ) reaction, burn up and/or transmutation (B/T) and fissile fuel breeding (FFBR). Moreover, effects of the NWLs, V_m/V_f fractions and PCD in the B/T of FR spent fuel mixed thorium are investigated. Numerical and statistics approach results are evaluated for TBR, M, Σ_f fission rate, ²³²Th(n,γ) reaction, B/T and FFBR.     

Measurement of the H2-D mass difference with a nuclear microprobe

A 1.24 MeV deuteron (D) beam mixed with a H₂ molecular beam was separated with a microslit system of a nuclear microprobe consisting of a 100 μm diameter object and a 1 mm diameter aperture diaphragm. D was distinguished from H₂ by Rutherford backscattering (RBS) on a thin Au film. By slightly changing the magnetic field strength of the beam steerer installed in front of the object diaphragm, the maximum and the minimum RBS D/H₂ ratios were found to be 50.3 and 1.5, respectively. M/ΔM = 3.9 × 10³ was obtained as the mass resolution of the nuclear microprobe. The transmission of this system was 2 × 10⁻³.