the accelerator driven thorium reactor concept : adtr tm eucard2 presentation 21 st may 2014 roger...

The Accelerator Driven Thorium Reactor Concept : ADTRTM

EuCARD2 presentation21st May 2014

Roger Ashworth, Technical Manager

Revision 9 11/4/13 SC© Copyright 2013, Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. All rights reserved. slide 2

Agenda

Introduction The ADTRTM Technology

Thorium Fuel Cycle Sub-Critical Operation Spallation Target

Summary


Introduction


Our Markets


The ADTRTM Power Station

Accelerator Complex

Beam Transport

Passive Air Cooling System Stacks

Reactor and Nuclear Island Electrical Switchyard

Cooling Towers

Turbine Hall

Operates at atmospheric pressure

Proton accelerator drives spallation

Molten lead coolant/spallation target

1500MW(Thermal)/600MW(e)

Th/Pu MOX fuel

10 year refuelling


Project Background

Investment in Feasibility Study, engaging with Rubbia

Advanced Rubbia EA concept e.g. keffective=0.995 means smaller accelerator, control rods, coolant pumps

Evaluated technical and commercial viability Applied established technology Aligned with Gen IV Developed skills and protected IP

(maintaining EA patents and applying for Keffective patent)

Engaged with experts, published papers and presented at conferences


Development from Energy Amplifier to ADTR™

Energy Amplifier

ADTRTM

EA K-effective 0.98 No Control Rods Coolant circulation by natural

convection

Source CERN 95/44

ADTRTM

K-effective 0.995 Inclusion of Control Rods Coolant circulated by axial flow pumps Heat exchangers separate from main

vessel


The ADTRTM Technology


Thorium as a new primary energy source

• Thorium fuel is cheaper than Uranium fuel• Thorium is 3-5 times more abundant than

Uranium• Need much less thorium than uranium for

same power output• Uranium supply sufficient for current needs,

but increased demand may see shortage• No requirement for enrichment technology• Thorium is by-product from rare earth mining• Thorium reactor can be configured as a minor

actinide ‘burner’ reducing long term waste burden

• Minor actinides from a thorium reactor less than from a PWR


Conversion of Fertile Thorium to Fissile Uranium

Th232

n1

n1

n1

+Th233n1

Pa233

U233

+n1

Fission Fragment

Fission Fragment

β

β(27 d)

(22.3 min)


Fuel Cycle – Tendency to Equilibrium (11 cycles)

All Pu All U

U233 Pa233


ADTR™ as a Plutonium Burner?

Use First Fuel Cycle Only

Separate the U233 for Thorium cycle use in more conventional reactor designs

All Pu All U

U233 Pa233


Prompt Criticality Margin – Contribution of the Accelerator

0 1 Prompt Criticality

-0.0021 0.9979 Pu239

-0.0026 0.9974 U233

-0.0064 0.9936 U235

-0.0076 0.9924 ADTR with U233

0.99

0.992

0.994

0.996

0.998

1

1 2

Pro

mp

t M

ult

iplicati

on

Prompt Criticality MarginADTR operating at Keff = 0.995


Sub-Critical Operation

System Gain ≈ 2.4 / ( 1 – Keff )

So:Reactor Power Output∝

Accelerator Input Power

∝

Accelerator Beam Current


Reactor Control – First fuel cycle (10 year operation)

Reactivity vs Fuel Burn Up

-0.01

-0.005

0

0.005

0.01

0.015

0.02

0.025

0.03

0.035

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120

Fuel Burn Up GW day/ton

Re

ac

tiv

ity

Raw Reactivity Plot

Controlled Reactivity keff = 0.995

ControlRods Control

Rods

Accelerator

Fuel burn-up 120 GWday/tonne


Sub-critical gain method for reactivity monitoring

φ* is ratio of source neutron importance to fission neutron importance.

ip represents accelerator current Amps

W represents reactor core power MW Z represents average number of spallation neutrons per proton Factors that differentiate the source neutrons from further generations

include positioning of the source relative to the reactor core, the initial velocity vector and the energy spectrum.

MUSE experiments show that φ* is certainly a function of reactor and source geometry

Any system of keff measurement that relies solely on system power gain parameters will require regular calibration.

We propose calibration using the current pulse method to prevent variance of φ* with time resulting in miss calculation of keff

_

*

W

iZ pf


Keff Measurement Patent (current pulse method)

Provides online calibration to control Keff at a fixed operating value

Reducing source neutrons by adjusting beam current results in a drop in core neutrons

Resulting drop in fuel temp results in rise in reactivity (Keff)

Investigated time constants and importance of these opposing forces

Requirement is to find extent of prompt neutron decline

Considered in a reactor with fuel at elevated temperature

pp

eff

iiX

X

/1

1

0

1

R

RX

R0

R1


Accelerator Complex

■ High Keff = 0.995 means can minimise beam power 3-4MW accelerator

■ Known technology, reduced commercial risk, lower capital & operational cost

■ Neutrons on demand, can control power up/down in milli-seconds

■ Beam power control enables instantaneous beam cut-off in an emergency

■ Potential configuration for improved availability and reliability


Lead Spallation Target

p1

Spallation Fragment

n1

n1

n1

n1

Spallation Fragment

Spallation Fragment

Th232

U 233

PbPb

Sustainable chain reaction by addition of neutrons from spallation source driven by accelerated protons

1GeV 5mA

Protons


Spallation Target Options Window or Windowless?

•Neutron Flux

•Target Isolation

•Temperature BP = 1749ºC

Window Windowless

What if we just put a pot of Pb in the bottom of the beam tube, let it boil and collect the vapours?

Put a window at the top to isolate the accelerator?

Reactor Core

Neutron Flux


Spallation Target Options Window or Windowless?

•Neutron Flux

•Target Isolation

•Temperature Wall = 500ºC

4MW Evaporation Temp @ D1 ~ 2100ºC for Pb. Using Bi will reduce this.

Adiabatic Expansion from D1 to D2 drops temperature to 500ºC(Assumes Monatomic Ideal Gas?)

D1

D2

Flow Guide

Compatible Refractory Material Required for Central Flow Guide

500ºC Condensate Transfers Heat to Reactor Coolant.

Core CoreR

eactor C

oolant


Summary

Thorium is a sustainable fuel ADTRTM is technically and

commercially viable, with inherent safety features

Robust concept design, requiring future development

Network of complementary experts

Jacobs is proud of the ADTRTM and skills developed

Thank you and Any Questions?

Roger Ashworth

Technical Manager

www.jacobs.com

E-mail: [email protected]

Tel: 01642 334061

Mobile: 07833 295500

mailto:[email protected]


Copyright

Copyright of all published material including photographs, drawings and images in this document remains vested in Jacobs and third party contributors as appropriate. Accordingly, neither the whole nor any part of this document shall be reproduced in any form nor used in any manner without express prior permission and applicable acknowledgements. No trademark, copyright or other notice shall be altered or removed from any reproduction.


Disclaimer

This Presentation includes and is based, inter alia, on forward-looking information and statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ. These statements and this Presentation are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about global economic conditions, the economic conditions of the regions and industries that are major markets for Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (including subsidiaries and affiliates) lines of business. These expectations, estimates and projections are generally identifiable by statements containing words such as “expects”, “believes”, “estimates” or similar expressions. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expectations include, among others, economic and market conditions in the geographic areas and industries that are or will be major markets for Jacobs’ businesses, oil prices, market acceptance of new products and services, changes in governmental regulations, interest rates, fluctuations in currency exchange rates and such other factors as may be discussed from time to time in the Presentation. Although Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. believes that its expectations and the Presentation are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that those expectations will be achieved or that the actual results will be as set out in the Presentation. Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. is making no representation or warranty, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, reliability or completeness of the Presentation, and neither Jacobs Engineering Inc. nor any of its directors, officers or employees will have any liability to you or any other persons resulting from your use.

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the accelerator driven thorium reactor concept : adtr tm eucard2 presentation 21 st may 2014 roger...

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