activities in the field of fast reactors research and technology

Activities in the field of Fast Reactors Researchand Technology Developments in Mexico

48th Meeting of the TWG-FR

Armando Gomez Torres, Federico Puente Espel

Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones [email protected], [email protected]

26.05.2015

Outline

I Introduction.

I National Institute for Nuclear Research in Mexico (ININ).

I National and international nuclear energy policies.

I Programs and projects on Fast Reactors.

I Education and training seminar on Fast Reactors science andtechnology, Mexico 2015.

I Conclusions.

A. Gomez, F. Puente ININ

Mexico in the TWG-FR

Introduction

I Mexico was accepted as observer in the TWG-FR in 2014.I Two Mexican representatives:

I Armando GomezI Federico Puente

I It was decided to start a Fast Reactors research group at ININ.

I One of the first steps was to organize a Fast Reactorseducation and training seminar.

I The mexican universities doing academic studies have beenidentified and the creation of a Mexican Fast Reactorsresearch group is foreseen.



National Institute for Nuclear Research in Mexico

ININI Devoted to all kind of peaceful

applications of nuclear energy.

I The nuclear systems department isthe group related to power reactorsapplications.

I It provides support to theregulatory body as well as to theNPP Laguna Verde.

No formal participation in international development programs onFast Reactors.



National Institute for Nuclear Research in Mexico

I ININ lacks of infrastructure in order to perform experimentalassessments devoted to Fast Reactors.

I However, the past year a common research national projectlidered by ININ was approved.

Mexican platform fornuclear reactor’ssimulation and design



National and international nuclear energy policiesNuclear status in Mexico

I One Nuclear Power Plant ”LagunaVerde” with two BWR-5 reactors.

I 4 % of installed capacity.I 3-5 % of generated electricity.

I One national research centre: ININ with a TRIGA reactor.

I The regulatory body: CNSNS.

I Five academic institutions with nuclear programs, two of themwith subcritical reactors Chicago 9000.



National and international nuclear energy policiesNuclear status in Mexico

I In 2013, the national energy strategy pointed out that NuclearPower would play an important role in electricity production.

I In 2014, a big energy reform in Mexico opened the electricityproduction in Mexico to the private sector (Energy sector wasexclusive from state).

I However, nuclear energy remains being exclusive from state.

I Thus, decisions on increasing nuclear power still are taken bythe government.



Programs and projects on Fast Reactors in Mexico

I The division of scientific research of ININ has taken thedecision to support the involvement of the institute in thefield of Fast Reactors.

I For this reason, the AZTLAN platform project considers alsothe development of tools for analysis of Fast Reactors.

I It is expected that the education and training seminar in FastReactors contributes substantially to spark interest in FastReactors in Mexico.



Programs and projects on Fast Reactors in MexicoAZTLAN platform

AZNHEX: neutronics for he-xagonal geometries.

AZTHECA: thermalhydraulicsextended for liquid metals.



Programs and projects on Fast Reactors in MexicoAZNHEX module

I 3D diffusion module, solves numerically the time dependentneutron diffusion equations in Hexagonal-Z geometry.Developed at National Polytechnic Institute (IPN) and ININ.

I Gordon-Hall transfinite interpolation to each one of the fourquadrants to transform it in a cube.



Programs and projects on Fast Reactors in MexicoAZNHEX module

I Benchmark for Reactor FBR (KNKII).

AZNHEX PARCS PCM

Case 1 1.048129 1.074046 241.30

Case 2 0.957055 0.958441 14.46

Case 3 0.843969 0.844319 4.14



Programs and projects on Fast Reactors in MexicoAZTHECA module

I Developed at MetropolitanAutonomous University (UAM).

I Thermalhydraulics module developedfor light water reactors.

I Based in lumped and distributedparameters approximations.

I Includes the reactor vessel, therecirculation loops, the fuel pintemperature distribution, the core,lower and upper plenums and thepressure and level controls.



Programs and projects on Fast Reactors in MexicoAZTEHCA module

I Lead-Cooled Fast Reactor Single-Channel Analysis

I Thermalhydraulics and heat transfer to be coupled toAZNHEX for power feedback.



Programs and projects on Fast Reactors in MexicoTravelling Wave Reactor

I Work performed at the National Autonomous University ofMexico (UNAM).

I Together with INR-KIT, validation of deterministic codeKANEXT with MC-Code SERPENT for a Sodium FastReactor.

I Development of a simplified model of the core.

I Reshufling calculations.




I Validation of deterministic code KANEXT with MC codeSERPENT for a Sodium Fast Reactor.




I Validation of deterministic code KANEXT with SERPENT fora Sodium Fast Reactor.




I Reshufling calculations.




I Reshufling calculations, operation gain.




I Desarrollo de Modelos Neutronicos con KANEXT para unReactor de Onda Viajera. Anual Meeting, Mexican NuclearSociety 2012.

I Comparison of KANEXT and SERPENT for Fuel DepletionCalculations of a Sodium Fast Reactor. PBNC 2014.

I Diseno del Nucleo de un Reactor Rapido de Cria/Quemadocon el Codigo Deterministico KANEXT. Anual Meeting,Mexican Nuclear Society 2014.

I Design of a fast Breed/Burn reactor core using thedeterministic code KANEXT. Advances in Nuclear FuelManagement V 2015.



Education and training seminar on Fast Reactors



Conclusions

I The acceptance of Mexico in the TWG-FR is a greatopportunity to extend the knowledge of the nuclear researchinstitute in Fast Reactors (traditionally focused on light waterreactors).

I After one year, significant steps have been done in the FastReactors area.

I In the short term, Mexico, and particularly the institutionstaking part on the AZTLAN platform project, will be able toparticipate much more actively in the international FastReactors community.

I The seminar and the Mexican Fast Reactors group willcontribute to the human resources with background on FastReactors in Mexico



END

Thanks a lot for your attention



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