christophe behar director of the nuclear energy division cea (atoms for the future 2013)
DESCRIPTION
Christophe BEHAR, the CEA Director of the Nuclear Energy Division reminded the energy issues (increasing world energy needs, reduction of CO2 emissions, energy dependence rate…) before explaining the ongoing technological breakthroughs of GENIV reactors with in particular the Sodium Fast Reactor ASTRID.TRANSCRIPT
TECHNOLOGICAL
BREAKTHROUGHS AND
ELECTRICITY OF
TOMORROW
OCTOBER 21st, 2013
Atoms for the future 2013 | Christophe Béhar
| PAGE 1 Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013
THE ENERGY ISSUES
| PAGE 2
Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013
A VERY SIGNIFICANT INCREASE OF THE WORLD ENERGY NEEDS IN THE NEAR-FUTURE
Whatever the scenario, the world energy needs is set to increase
significantly, mostly driven by non OECD countries development
| PAGE 3
* References : WORLD ENERGY OUTLOOK 2012
* Projection : bouquet énergétique mondial jusqu'en 2050
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050
Source AIE (2006)
MT
ep
par
an
Charbon Pétrole Gaz Autres énergies renouvelables Nucléaire Hydraulique Coal Oil Gaz Other renewable energy Nuclear Hydraulic
Forecast : world Energy mix up to 2050 *
MT e
p pe
r yea
r
Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013 | PAGE 3
THE SITUATION OF EUROPE EUROPA ENERGY POLICY CRITERIA
Energy Policy Criteria
• Lowering CO2 emission
• Lowering Cost
• Decreasing Energy Dependance Rate
| PAGE 4 Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013
LOWERING CO2 EMISSIONS
• Nuclear and Hydraulic Energy are the most efficient as regards to CO2
Emissions
• They will keep the bigger share of low carbon energy in 2035, whatever the
scenario (world energy outlook 2012)
| PAGE 5 Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013
LOWERING COST
Nuclear Energy is set to remain competitive in the long term
| PAGE 6
Rapport Energies 2050
Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013
DECREASING ENERGY DEPENDANCE RATE
Herman Van Rompuy
European business Summit/May 2013
The awareness of the Europe Energy Dependency on Europe competitivity is rising among European leaders
by 2035 over 80% of our energy will be imported
| PAGE 7
TRADE BALANCE FOR FRANCE
millions of euros
Fossil fuel imports represents over 95% of France’s trade deficit
in 2012- (69 billions €)
Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013
France keeps heading fixed by the European Climate-Energy Package in 2020
Two pillars of the 2020 French energy mix:
Renewable: intermittent supply
Nuclear energy: base-load supply
preserve the use of fossil energies for necessary needs
Nuclear and Renewable :
Reduction by 20% of emissions of greenhouse
gases (compared to 1990)
With a 20% share of renewable energy
in the energy mix
Reduction by 20% of the overall consumption
of primary energy
| 8
TWO PILLARS OF THE ENERGY MIX IN FRANCE IN 2020 RENEWABLE AND NUCLEAR ENERGY
Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013
GEN IV SFR : A MAJOR
TECHNOLOGICAL BREAKTHROUGH
| 9
Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013
Generation II
Generation III UNGG
CHOOZ LWR 900 LWR 1300 N4 1450 EPR
Flamanville
ASTRID
1950 1970 1990 2010 2030 2050 2070 2090
Generation I
LWR (2030-2040)
NUCLEAR SYSTEMS
Generation IV ASTRID
DESIGN
OPERATION OF ASTRID
EXPERIENCE
FEEDBACK
Construction &
Operation of Fast Reactors
10 Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013
FAST REACTOR AND ASSOCIATED FUEL CYCLE ARE A
KEYSTONE OF SUSTAINABLE NUCLEAR ENERGY
MASTERING PLUTONIUM STOCKPILE IN SPENT FUELS
USING THE TOTAL POTENTIAL ENERGETIC OF NATUREL URANIUM
MINIMISING VOLUME AND RADIOTOXICITY OF NUCLEAR WASTE
FAST REACTOR INDISPENSABLE FOR
| PAGE 11 Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013
1 - Sodium Fast Reactor, the reference option :
[ASTRID, the integrated technology demonstrator]
- maturity, possible further improvments (safety, operability, economics)
- developped with industrial and international partners
2 - Gas-cooled Fast Reactor, a long-term option:
the Allegro project - Contribution of CEA to the V4G4 consortium (Hungary, Poland,
Czech Republic, Slovakia)
- attractive potentialities but heavy challenges…
Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013
TWO TYPES OF FNR UNDER STUDIES
DERIVING THE R&D FROM THE FEEDBACK OF
EXPERIENCE 1/2
Feedback of previous SFRs R&D directions ASTRID Orientations
Core Sodium voiding
reactivity
Safety
Optimization of core design to
improve natural behavior
during abnormal transients.
Exploration of heterogeneous
cores
CFV core (Patented in 2010):
innovative approach, very low
or negative overall sodium
voiding reactivity
Better natural behavior of the
core, for instance in case of
loss of flow (e.g. due to loss of
supply power)
Sodium-Water interaction
Safety - Availability
Modular Steam Generators
Inverted Steam Generators
(sodium in tubes)
Gas Power Conversion
System (nitrogen in place of
steam/water)
Limitation of total released
energy in case of sodium-water
interaction
Limitation of wastage
propagation
Design studies conducted by
ALSTOM. No show stopper.
| PAGE 13 Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013
DERIVING THE R&D FROM THE FEEDBACK OF
EXPERIENCE 2/2
Feedback of previous SFRs R&D directions ASTRID Orientations
Sodium fire
Safety
Innovative Sodium leak
detection systems
R&D on Sodium aerosols
Improving detection (Patent of
detection system integrated in
the heat insulator)
Close containment (inert gas +
restriction of available oxygen)
Severe accidents
Safety
Core catcher
Research on corium and
sodium-corium interaction
Core catcher. Several possible
locations (in vessel, ex-vessel or
between the two vessels).
Decay heat removal
Safety
Reactor vessel auxiliary
cooling system (scaling
rules)
Combination of proved Decay
Heat Removal systems and
Vessel Natural Air draft cooling
In-Service Inspection and
Repair
Safety – Availability
Simplification of primary system design
ISI&R taken into account from the design stage
New techniques : Acoustic Detection, Laser, CRDS
Signal processing
Ultrasound at high temperature, High temperature fission
chambers, Optical Fibers, Flow meters for subassembly
Remote handling for inspection or repair
Under-sodium viewing
| PAGE 14 Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013
ASTRID ORIENTATIONS TO REDUCE THE SODIUM WATER RISK
Recall : the first measure of prevention is the presence of the intermediate and no radioactive sodium circuit to separate chemical risk and radiological risk.
2 ways to reduce the SWR risk:
To review the SG design of the steam PCS (Rankine cycle) in order to :
- reduce the risk of SWR occurrence
- limit the consequences of an hypothetical violent reaction
To move to a gas PCS (Brayton cycle with pure nitrogen at 180 bar) in place of steam
cycle to eliminate de facto the SWR risk
Feasibility to be demonstrated. | PAGE 15 Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013
• 2 direct reactor cooling systems: • Na/Na in the main vessel
• air as cold source,
• Redondancy : 2 ou 3 trains per system
(2*100% ou 3*50%)
• System n°1 : natural convection
• System n°2 : forced convection
• 1 complémentary system (mitigation) :
• Through the Primary Vessel
Reactor • Cold source to be confirmed (water / air)
DECAY HEAT REMOVAL
Pu stored in MOX Spent
Fuel recycled in MOX
SFR to start the SFRs
deployement
Scenario can be flexible
Both systems can coexist
during a transition phase
FROM LWRs RECYCLING TO FRs RECYCLING
RNR merits as regards to fuel cycle
No front end steps and no enrichment technology
Use depleted U; Use Pu included in MOX Spent Fuel
Multi-recycling of Pu
Possible recycling of Minor Actinides | PAGE 17 Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013
FUEL CYCLE FACILITIES FOR ASTRID
ASTRID Fuel Fabrication Facilities AFC Project (# 10 t/y), several scenarios under assessment
SFR closed cycle demonstration (U and Pu multi-recycling):
ATC, a Specific Engineering Scale Facility, or
adaptation of the La Hague Head End (shearing and dissolution)
M.A. transmutation demonstration: Extension of the AFC
RECYCLING
Waste
The ASTRID Fuel Cycle
Assemblies
| PAGE 18 Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013
SEPARATION PROCESSES STUDIED BY THE CEA
| 19
3 separation processes are
studied for the different
transmutation options under
consideration:
SANEX (Selective minor ActiNide
EXtraction) : the aim is to recover
americium and curium after the
conventional reprocessing step
EXAm (Extraction of Americium) : the
aim is to recover americium alone after
conventional reprocessing
GANEX (Group ActiNide Extraction) :
the aim is to recover plutonium
together with all minor actinides
Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013
The EXam separation is retained
DIFFERENT TRANSMUTATION ROUTES FOR THE
MINOR ACTINIDES
Several approaches can be considered:
Homogeneous transmutation : recycling of minor
actinides by « dilution » in the fuel of neutron power
reactors
Heterogeneous transmutation : recycling of minor
Actinides in power reactors at higher concentrations in
a limited number of dedicated elements
Transmutation by dedicated systems
| PAGE 20 Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013
The heterogeneous transmutation is now retained
CONCLUSION
The challenge is : to produce a free carbon electricity at reasonable coasts, while ensuring energy independence and security of supplies In this context, nuclear energy is indispensable: it is the only energy able to produce baseload electricity massively and competitively without greenhous gas emissions To preserve these assets, it is essential to keep on innovating
| PAGE 21 Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013
THANK YOU FOR
YOUR ATTENTION
| 22 Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013