The future of nuclear power in Sweden & Europe

Janne Wallenius Professor Reactor Physics, KTH Instrumentation seminar, KTH 20100211

Whats going on?

New policy on nuclear power in Sweden Deployment of Generation III reactors Research on Generation IV reactors The Swedish GENIUS project European Sustainable Nuclear Industrial Initiative

Instrumentation seminar, KTH 20100211

Out of the dungeon

February 2009: Swedish Government announces change of nuclear policy: New nuclear plants may be built if 1. they replace old power plants 2. they are located at the site of existing plants Text of law circulated for comments in December 2009 Increased liability for accidents: 700 M -> 1200 m Minimum liability for nuclear facility: 80 M Decision to be taken by Riksdagen in June 2010.

Instrumentation seminar, KTH 20100211

When do we need new nuclear power?

Technical lifetime of a power plant highly individual Most parts can be replaced except for primary vessel Vessel life time depends on radiation induced embrittlement of welds. Ductile to brittle transition temperature increased from -100C to > 100C for some reactors in operation Ringhals 3 &4 have serious issues with nickel precipitation in welds. O1 and Ringhals reactors to be replaced in 2020s F3 and O3 may stay in good condition beyond 2045, possibly to 2065

Instrumentation seminar, KTH 20100211

What we might build now

Generation III+: Water cooled reactors with passive safety systems dramatically decreasing the probability for core melt Examples Westinghouse AP1000 (1100 MWe) Under construction in China GE-Hitachis ESBWR (1500 MWe) Pump free design -> Core melt frequency < 1 in 10 million years ESBWR AP1000

What is being built

Finland and France are building EPRs China: Two AP1000 reactors under construction USA: Non-nuclear work to prepare site for AP1000 build has started (License yet to be granted) > 50 power reactors presently under construction. ~ 420 projects announced, including UK, Italy, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Belarus, The Czech republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania & The Netherlands EoN investigating the potential for replacement of O1

Generation IV objectives

Generation IV reactors ought to: Increase fuel resources (breed ssile nuclides from 238U or 232Th) Reduce long term radio-toxic inventory in waste streams (Recycle of americium and curium). Operate at higher temperature, to improve electricity conversion factors and/or allow commercial utility of heat production The economical feasibility of Gen-IV reactors is directly related to the lifetime of structural materials.

Instrumentation seminar, KTH 20100211

Implications of sustainability criteria

neutron yield/absorption
4

Breeding requirement implies: > 2.0 Fast spectrum system operating on UPu cycle (239Pu) ~2.4 2.6 True thermal spectrum system operating on Th-U cycle: (233U) ~2.30

3
233

U Pu

239

En[eV]
10-3 10-1 101 103 105 107

Instrumentation seminar, KTH 20100211

Thermal spectrum system: High temperature reactor with coated particle fuel (HTR).

HTR operation on Th based fuel technically feasible Reprocessing of coated particle fuel cumbersome and expensive, involving burning of activated graphite. Thermal spectrum: excessive production of Cf-252. VHTR concept (T 900C to permit H2 production) lacks suitable materials for primary heat exchangers. Composite SiC-SiC materials potential solution. Arevas proposed ANTARES reactor for industrial application: Process heat @ 600 700C, with once through fuel cycle.

Arevas ANTARES

Instrumentation seminar, KTH 20100211

Fast versus thermal spectrum

Radiotoxic inventory [Sv/g]
TRU FP

100 10 1 0.1 0.01 0.001

10
1

100 10 1

Radiotoxic inventory [Sv/g]

Fissionprobability
Pu 239 Pu 240 Pu 241 Pu 242 Pu 241 Am 243 Am 244 Cm 245 Cm 246 Cm 247 Cm 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
238

240 239 243

Pu Pu Am
238

TRU

Pu

241

Am

Uranium in nature

0.1

242

Pu

0.01 Unat

t[y]
10
2

237

Np

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

t [y] 6

In order to reduced radio-toxic inventory of spent nuclear fuel, both Pu, Am & Cm must be recycled! In a thermal spectrum, ssion probability of even neutron number nuclides ~ 0

Build-up of the strong neutron emitter Cf-252 in a thermal spectrum is 23 orders of magnitude higher! Instrumentation seminar, KTH 20100211

Fast spectrum systems: common issues

All fast spectrum systems permit breeding ratio 1 and full recycling of Am & Cm from own spent fuel. Cf-252 production 23 orders of magnitude lower than in a thermal spectrum. Ability to accept legacy Am from LWRs depend on design. Fast neutron recoils lead to radiation damage Swelling of austenitic (fcc) steels Embrittlement of ferritic (bcc) steels

Instrumentation seminar, KTH 20100211

Sodium cooled fast reactor

Instrumentation seminar, KTH 20100211

Fast spectrum systems: Sodium cooled fast reactor

+ + +

Based on coolant technology proven on industrial scale Large demonstration facility may be ready by 2020 Good breeding performance Costs for prevention of sodium-water interaction Safety issues related to coolant boiling

Phnix
Marcoule France

Instrumentation seminar, KTH 20100211

Lead cooled fast reactor

Instrumentation seminar, KTH 20100211

Lead cooled fast reactor

+ +

No chemical interaction with water (no intermediate heat exchanger) High boiling temperature low probability for coolant voiding High fraction of natural circulation passive heat removal Coolant technology proven only in military submarines Costs for corrosion control & surface protection Erosion of pump blade surfaces

K745
Soviet submarine

Instrumentation seminar, KTH 20100211

Swelling

SS316 cladding tubes irradiated to 80 dpa at 510C. 33% increase in volume Swelling due to formation of voids under irradiation Leads to void induced embrittlement Before irradiation After irradiation

Instrumentation seminar, KTH 20100211

Dose limits for austenitic steels

Best available austenitic steel applicable for doses up to about 120 dpa Corresponds to three year lifetime of fuel cladding at dose rate of 40 dpa/year Dose rate dependence signicant lower dose rate reduces swelling threshold! Ferritic-Martensitic steels swells considerably less

Instrumentation seminar, KTH 20100211

Choice of steels for fast neutron reactors

Austenitic steels (1515Ti) qualied for application in Gen-IV reactors up to doses of ~120 dpa at T < 900 K. Ferritic-Martensitic steels are more radiation resistant, but have poor creep strength at high temperature. Oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steels may perform better, but welding is difcult: Example of ODS steel Fe-14Cr-1Ti-0.3Mo-0.25Y2O3

oxides

Oxides

!particle Halo!

before irradiation

480C - 80 dpa (Phnix)

halo of fine oxides around the biggest oxides

Instrumentation seminar, KTH 20100211

GENIUS project

Generation IV research in Swedish Universities (KTH, Chalmers & UU) 36 MSEK funding from VR for three years. 10 PhD students, 18 senior scientists involved Major activities Fuel development: fabrication and characterisation of (U,Pu)N & (Pu,Zr)N fuels Materials research: Radiation damage modelling & characterisation, experimental investigation of corrosion kinetics in lead-alloys Safety: Fuel-coolant interaction, nuclear data, thermal-hydraulics of lead, transient analysis, fast neutron detector development, safe-guards.

Instrumentation seminar, KTH 20100211

Nitride fuel fabrication laboratory at KTH

Glove boxes, furnace and mill operative in January 2009 Nitride powders produced by hydriding/nitriding of metallic source materials Pressing of green UN and ZrN pellets to 70% density Spark plasma sintering of ZrN performed Coolant compatibility tests to be conducted within GENIUS.

Instrumentation seminar, KTH 20100211

TALL loop

TALL lead-bismuth loop constructed at KTH in 2004. Used for test of heat removal by natural circulation Unique facility in Europe Data now used for code validation Extensive use within EU projects

Instrumentation seminar, KTH 20100211

European Sustainable Nuclear Industrial Initiative (ESNII)

Research, Development and Demonstration of sustainable nuclear power generation. Priority given to Sodium cooled fast reactor with power of 250600 MWe, to start operation in 2022. Experimental lead or gas cooled fast reactor with power of 50100 MWe, to gain experience with an alternative coolant, starting operation in 2025. Meeting in Brussels tomorrow to establish Concept Plan of ESNII. Indicative cost (including fuel fabrication plants and research infrastructure): ~10 G.

Instrumentation seminar, KTH 20100211

ASTRID
ASTRID: Advance Sodium Test Reactor for Industrial Demonstration EU-project ESFR: Funded with 6 M MOX driver fuel Test assemblies with Am containing MOX fuel, Am originating from decay of 241Pu. Major design item: Application of ODS steels or not. These could permit higher burn-up, thus compensating for high costs of sodium management. Location: Next to Phnix 2010: Choice of power 2012: Decision to build Instrumentation seminar, KTH 20100211

Lead Cooled Advanced Experimental Reactor: LEADER

EU-project approved in August 2009. EC-contribution: 3 M Objective: Design of 100 MWe Experimental Technology Demonstration Plant Major material issues: Validation of GESA technique for surface alloying (FeCrAlY) Material for pumps: MAXTAL? KTH participates in safety work package KTH leads work package on education

Instrumentation seminar, KTH 20100211

Concluding remarks

Nuclear renaissance now in full progress. Future reactors based on fast neutron spectrum will increase fuel resources by a factor of 100 & reduce time for storage by a factor of 100! Sodium Fast Reactor (SFR) demo likely to by built (ASTRID) Decision on alternative technology (lead or gas) to be taken in 2012. Development of ODS steels presently major effort Feasibility of LFR depends on validation of corrosion and erosion resistant materials Swedish Gen-IV research conducted within GENIUS project

Instrumentation seminar, KTH 20100211