Testing of Fuels and Materials for Next Generation Reactors

at the HFR Petten

NOMAGE4, Halden

Presented byJaap G. van der Laan

vanderlaan@nrg.eu

1.11.2011

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Contributors

Darina BlagoevaAlexandr FedorovSander de GrootRalph HaniaMonica JongFrodo KlaassenSteven KnolNatalia LuzginovaLida MagielsenArjan Vreeling

... and many others

Teams:• HFR operations• Hot Cells & Laboratories• Engineering & Technology• Physics & Monitoring• Fuels & Isotopes Technologies• Materials Characterization

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• The Netherlands Nuclear Infrastructure• HFR Petten• NRG R&D activities • Fuels & materials for next generation

systems• Outlook

Outline

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Nuclear Infrastructure in The Netherlands

Amsterdam

Urenco Almelo

NRG ArnhemHOR & TU Delft

KCB Borssele

COVRA

The NetherlandsEurope

NRG Petten

EU JRC

New Built:KCB Borssele 2

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The Netherlands Queen’s visit to Kjeller, 1953

Norwegian –Netherlands collaborations started late ’40-ies

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New projects

• Delta, the utility currently running the 500 MWe Kerncerntrale Borsele for 60 yrs up to 2033, considers application for construction of a new NPP at the Borsele site.

• The Netherlands Ministry of Economy, Agriculture and Innovation is implementing the appropriate regulatory measures, including staff expansion and training.

• The Netherlands research programme will focus on competencies in wider sense, including education and training, and basic and applied research & development activities: priority on nuclear safety

• In addition the PALLAS project is under preparation: replacement of the HFR at Petten by a state of the art multi-purpose reactor for radio isotope production and nuclear technology developments

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Nuclear Infrastructure Petten site

High Flux Reactor Hot Cell laboratory

Actinide laboratory Molybdenum Production Facility

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The High Flux ReactorThe HFR is mainly used for

materials & fuels irradiations radioisotopes productionindustrial and medical research

Light water moderated and cooled 45 MWth tank-in-pool multi-purpose testing reactorPlate-type fuel elements with burnable absorber and beryllium reflectorHigh availability: 274 to 291 FPD per year (major repair completed in 2010)

• 20 in-core experiment channelswithin a core arrangement of 9 x 9 positions containing 33 fuel elements, 6 control rods and 22 beryllium reflector elements• 12 experimental positions outside the HFR vessel in the pool-side facility • 4 horizontal beam tubes in use• Gamma irradiation facilities

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NRG Activities

• Three main pillars of NRG Fission R&D- Fast Breeder Reactor + P&T- LWR (SCWR)- (V)HTR/Cogeneration.

• This is in line with the European nuclear R&D strategy as laid down by the Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technology Platform (SNETP, vision report available at www.snetp.eu).

• R&D work by NRG is mostly cost-shared by EU and NRG via European framework programs, and/or by national budgets.

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NRG Generic topics FRs+P&T

Fuels & materials: Sample fabrication (U, Pu, MA)Irradiation Post-irradiation examinationFuel modelling

Structural Materials:ODS steelsJoining techniquesFracture mechanicsCreep fatigueCorrosion

Core parameters:Uncertainties in nuclear dataEffects of minor actinidesCriticalityShielding

Thermal hydraulics:CFD modelling for fuel rods Heat transfer modelling

Accident analysis:Structural integrity at seismic eventsFuel coolant interactions

System studies and economicsFuel Cycle & nuclear park scenariosCost analysesRoadmapping and visualisation

European Projects:ACSEPT, ADRIANA, ANDES, ESFR, GOFASTR, LEADER, CDT, FAIRFUELS, F-BRIDGE, GETMAT, MATTER

New: PELGRIMM, ASGARD, SEARCH

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BODEX project (EU FP6)

Major challeng for transmutation fuels: helium production:- Swelling (fuel-cladding interactions)- He release (pin pressures)Boron Doped EXperiment (BODEX): To study the swelling

effect, boron is implemented to produce helium

+ Quick He production+ Easy handling+ Single effect experiment- Debatable whether it is sufficiently representative

• Inert Matricess: Mo, MgO, YSZ ((Zr,Y)O2)• B- compounds: Mo2B (Mo), Mg3B2O6 (MgO), ZrB2 (YSZ)

S. KnolA. Fedorov

F.C. Klaassen

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BODEX project (2)

• Each matrix irradiated at 2 temperatures: 1200 and 800°C• Irradiated in HFR Pool Side Facility to B-10 burn-up ~65% (Total

He: ~6*1020 atoms/cc)

Molybdenum- Large temperature influence, at 800 °C very good performance- Very low helium release

MgO- Large He release, anisotropic swelling

YSZ- Even at high T low swelling- Medium helium release- (High activity)

• PIE still ongoing• Work related to HELIOS experiment with Americium

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Fairfuels project (EU FP 7)

NRG conducts two irradiations in 2010-2012 :

• MARIOS (2010-2011)- Blanket fuel (Am0.15U0.85O2-x)- Well-controlled temperatures (1000 oC,

1200 oC)- He release and swelling as a function of

temperature

• SPHERE (2011-2012)- Homogeneous route (Am0.02-0.05Pu0.2O2-x)- In-core behavior of conventional pellet

fuel vs. ‘Sphere-Pac’ fuel forms

• New EU FP7 project: PELGRIMM

F.C. Klaassen(EU Fairfuels coordinator)

R. Hania

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Irradiation in LBE

• Lead Bismuth Eutectic, LBE, is the component environment for XADS devices like MYRRHA: compatibility of 316L type and 9Cr steelswith LBE is to be assessed

• Irradiation projects to 2 dpa at BR2 and HFR (tensile/KLST)

• Thick container walls are needed to resist stresses due to swelling of solidified LBE

• Instrumented capsules with 5 thermocouples

• Post-Irradiation Testing undertaken in NRG Fuel-HotCell to allow Polonium handling!

Lida MagielsenSander Kamer

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NRG in MATTER IP

Material: 9Cr steelsSet-up is under development

Monica JongNatalia Luzginova

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(Very) High Temperature Reactor (1)

• Basis: triso coated UO2 kernels in graphite balls (HTRModul design)

• Initially testing of German and Chinese fuel balls

• Irradiation and P.I.E. for monitoring fission gas release to high burn-up: new sweep-loops installed

• Irradiation and P.I.E. for fuel at VHTR temperature

• Gen4 International Forum collaborative framework

Fuel pebble with graphite shell and thermocouples during assembly

X-ray image of fuel pebble

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(Very) High Temperature Reactor (2)

PYCASSO-I & II:Aim: study the effect of irradiation on coatings, excluding the influence of fuel and fission products at relevant (V)HTR temperatures of 900, 1000 and 1100°CPIE ongoing for Pycasso-I

FE model CEA KAERI JAEA CEA JAEA KAERI1000°C 1100°C 1100°C 1000°C 900°C 900°C

X-ray

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Pressure-Vessel• Irradiation of T91 thick section weldment and post-

irradiation fracture toughness and creep (hot vessel option) – derive negligible creep regime

Core structures• Re-installation of graphites qualification tools • Selection and pre-qualification of present day

graphites – high dose HFR irradiations – establish design correlations

Internals & miscellaneous • Ceramic composites for control-rods, e.g. C/C and

SiC/SiC • Composites for support structures, gas duct,

straps, fasteners etc.

(Very) High Temperature Reactor (3)

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Graphite Irradiations (V)HTR

• Fluence rate Øtot = 6-9 E18 m-2s-1

• EDN fluence ~ 5-6 E25 m-2, or ~ 6-7dpa per calendar year

• Ratio min/max ~ 65%• T in range 300 – 1000°C

Main choices:• Modular specimen stacks, well

instrumented, optimum height, 150-200 specimens

• High purity helium purge and graphite foils preventing metallic contamination of specimens

• Irradiation in multiple stages, allowing to obtain full curve by re-irradiation of specimens (to 25 dpa_g)

-7

-5

-3

-1

1

3

5

0 5 10 15 20 25

Neutron Fluence

Rel

ativ

e Vo

lum

e C

hang

e (%

)

FP5FP6

-7

-5

-3

-1

1

3

5

0 5 10 15 20 25

Neutron Fluence

Rel

ativ

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)

FP5FP6

Grade Manufacturer Status Coke Process NBG-10 SGL Major Pitch Extrusion NBG-25 SGL Minor Petroleum Iso-moulding NBG 20 SGL Minor Petroleum Extrusion NBG-18 SGL Major Pitch Fibro-moulding NBG-17 SGL Minor Pitch Fibro-moulding PCEA Graftech Major Petroleum Extrusion PCIB Graftech Minor Petroleum Iso-moulding PPEA Graftech Major Pitch Extrusion IG-110 Toyo Tanso Minor Pitch Iso-moulding IG-430 Toyo Tanso Minor Petroleum Iso-moulding LPEB Graftech Minor Needle Extrusion LPIB Graftech Minor Needle Iso-moulding

Arjan VreelingOnne Wouters

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A new HTR European FP7 R&D program

ARCHER – Advanced High-Temperature Reactors for Cogeneration of Heat and Electricity Research & Development

The ARCHER project targets generic R&D in the field of (V)HTR technology, in support of demonstration

IP Coordinator:Sander de Groot

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Upper Port Launcher:Mirror Thermohydraulics & Remote Handling

Upper Port Viewer:Mirror & Shielding

Vacuum Vessel: qualification of alternative manufacturing methods

Vacuum Vessel: qualification of repair welding

Primary Wall & Shield: bolts for attachments of modules

Primary Wall Modules:Pulsed Heat & Neutron Loads

Primary Wall and Divertor: MIM Tungsten; claddings

Alternative heat-sinks

Test Blanket Modules:• Eurofer qualification• Li ceramics behaviour• Beryllium behaviour• LiPb behaviour• Tritium transport• Instrumentation

And:• Prob. Safety Analyses• Fitness for purpose • Remote Handling• Neutronics• Training etc.

Specials: windows; diagnostics; feedthroughs; instrumentation

Fusion Nuclear Technology at NRG

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ITER vessel and in-vessel

Irradiation stress-relaxation of bolt materials

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0Irradiation dose (dpa) at 300°C

σ/σ

0

16-25% pre-stress uniaxial tensile36-44% pre-stress uniaxial tensile55-65% pre-stress uniaxial tensileBending stripsSTROBO-01 & -02 pre-stress 26-74%STROBO-01 & -02 bending strips

Inlet/outlet manifolds

First wall panel

Hole to fit flexible support

Flexible supports

Vessel

Shield block

Shear key

Gripping hole

Electrical strap

Inlet/outlet manifolds

First wall panel

Hole to fit flexible support

Flexible supports

Vessel

Shield block

Shear key

Gripping hole

Electrical strap

Alloy 625+ and PH13-08 post-irradiation strength

0

400

800

1200

1600

0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7

Irradiation dose (dpa)

Yie

ld s

tress

(MP

a)

Yield stress 625+

Yield stress PH13-08Mo

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Soon in this theater:

PALLAS, a new nuclear reactor(to succeed HFR)

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bringing time forward