LWR fuel irradiation experiments in the future Jules Horowitz

Fuel and material
irradiation hosting systems
in the Jules Horowitz reactor
CEA/Cadarache, DEN/DER/SRJH , F-13108 St Paul Lez Durance
14 FÉVRIER 2014
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CONTENTS
Fuel and material irradiation hosting systems
in the Jules Horowitz Reactor
1. JHR facility & experimental capacity
2. Irradiation hosting systems available at the JHR start-up
3. Irradiation hosting systems available after the JHR start-up
4. Conclusion
14 FÉVRIER 2014
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1.1 JHR facility & experimental capacity
A facility dedicated to experimental purposes
within a modern safety frame
Nuclear
auxiliary
building
Reactor
building
Reactor
pool
FP labs +
Cubicles
A modern facility :
► Large experimental areas
► Fission Product Laboratory
► Chemistry Laboratory…
I&C: 3 floors, 490 m2
Cubicle: 3 floors, 700 m2
In core
Hot cells & and
storage pools
(NDE, α cell )
Up to 5.5E14 n/cm².s (E> 1 MeV)
Up to 1.E15 n/cm².s (E> 0.1 MeV)
In reflector
Up to 3.5E14 n/cm².s (th)
Fixed irradiation positions
(Φ100 mm & Φ200 mm)
and on 6 displacement systems
LWR fuel
experiments
+
Material ageing
(low ageing rate)
7 small locations (F ~ 32mm)
3 large locations (F ~ 80mm)
Material ageing
(up to 16 dpa/y)
Displacement systems
- In water channels (reflector)
- Flexible power variations
- Experiment decoupled from the core
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1.2 JHR facility & experimental capacity
Non Destructive Examination (NDE) Benches
Test device
examination in pools
Sample examination
in hot cells
Neutron imaging system
in reactor pool
Gamma and X-Ray
tomography systems
Coupled X-ray & 
stand in reactor pool
Multipurpose test benches
Coupled X-ray & 
stand in storage pool
Coupled X-ray & γ stands
Pool bank fixing
Device
Shielding
Penetration
LINAC (X)
Neutron Imaging System
(See paper N°1010 at this conference)
Bench
Y-table
X-table
XR-collimator
XR-detector
Z-table
-detector
View from the core
Tunable  front collimator
Initial checks of the experimental loading
Adjustment of the experimental protocol
On-site NDE tests after the irradiation phase
Side cutaway
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CONTENTS
Fuel and material irradiation hosting systems
in the Jules Horowitz Reactor
1. JHR facility & experimental capacity
2. Irradiation hosting systems available at the JHR start-up
3. Irradiation hosting systems available after the JHR start-up
4. Conclusion
14 FÉVRIER 2014
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2.1 MADISON test device (1/2)
Dedicated to reproduce normal operation of NPP
Comparative instrumented irradiations : Fuel evolution (HBU…), Clad corrosion…
No clad failure expected in normal operation
Located in reflector on displacement device
A water loop
► Located in a dedicated cubicle
► Monitoring of thermal hydraulics conditions
► Monitoring of chemistry conditions
An In-pile part
Experimental
cubicle
► Large hosting capacity
► Ability to reach high linear power for high BU fuel
► High performance instrumentation
800
Fuel linear power (W/cm)
Performance for an irradiation rig holding
2 rods (UO2 4,95% enriched fuel)
700
600
Pool pipes
500
Best-estimate curve
Série1
400
Série2
Série3
300
20% margin of performances
Reactor
pool
200
100
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Burn Up (GW.d/t)
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0
0
20
40
60
80
100
Experimental
device
120
2.1 MADISON test device (2/2)
A large flexibility of use
Thermal-hydraulics conditions
► PWR
► BWR
► VVER
In-pile Instrumentation
► Water loop instrumentation (thermal balance…)
► Fuel sample instrumentation
Chemistry conditions
► Normal chemistry (Including Br, Li)
► Specific chemistry conditions upon request
T
Temperature measurement
CT Clad thermocouple
Hosting capacity
CL Clad Elongation
► High embarking capacity
► Highly instrumented experiments
FL Fuel Stack Elongation
P
Fuel Plenum Pressure
NF Neutron flux
CT
LVDTs
Fuel samples (60 cm)
In-core cable connectors
for instrumentation
Heat exchanger
BWR experiments
Top seal assembly
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2.2 ADELINE test device
 For characterization and qualification of one LWR fuel rod
under off-normal conditions (clad failure possible)
Located in reflector on displacement device
Based on the OSIRIS feedback (ISABELLE test device)
A water loop:
► Located in a dedicated cubicle
hot side
heater
180°C
Circulating
pumps
moderating
heat
exchanger
190°C
temperature
control valve
M
diaphragme
CFD
M
pressure
relief valve
charging
pumps
Main heat
exchanger
jet pumps
265°C
40°C
M
An In-pile part  1st Rig designed for POWER RAMPS
►High linear power ramps up to 620 W/cm
65°C
intermediary
cooling
circuit
250°C
reactor
pool
experimental
area
255°C
residual
heat exchanger
Intermediary
heat exchanger
RSD
secondary
cooling system
RSD
Linear Power of the rod
high power plateau
620 W/cm
± 10 W/cm
max
 2nd Rig
► Connection with FP laboratory (fuel rod with fission
gas sweeping and on-line analysis)
► Additional instrumentation (ex : fuel centerline T, fuel
stack elongation, plenum pressure…)
feed water
tank
M
170°C
► Monitoring of thermal hydraulics conditions
► Monitoring of chemistry conditions
► High power ramp rate up to 700 W/cm.min
► Quantitative clad elongation measurement (2 LVDT)
► Quantitative gamma spectrometry system
► Up to 4 ramps / JHR cycle (25 days)
CUBICLE
cold side
piping
penetrations
up to 24h
power ramp
up to
700 W/cm/min
100 W/cm
to
200 W/cm
conditioning low power plateau
from 12h to 7 days
irradiation
time
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volume
control tank
2.3 MICA test device
In the center of a fuel element
 Investigation of physical properties of material
(vs flux, fluence and temperature)
Static NaK capsule


Based on the OSIRIS feedback (CHOUCA test device)
2 concentric tubes delimiting a gas gap
In core location


External diameter: 32 mm
Dose : up to 16 dpa/y (100 MW)
Samples temperature adjustment (< 450°C):



Gamma heating
Gas gap dimension / nature of gas
Electric heating elements
Experimental area
& NaK
Operating range
25
He thickness : 0,5mm / min elec. heat.
He thickness : 0,5mm / max elec. heat
Gamma heating (W/g C)
20
He thickness : 0,25mm / min elec. heat.
He thickness : 0,25mm / max elec. heat
15
Sample holder (experimental area)
He thickness : 0,1mm / min elec. heat.
He thickness : 0,1mm / max elec. heat

Outer diameter: 24 mm
upper reactor pow er Limit 100MW (16,1
W/g)

Compromise between the number of samples and
10
upper reactor pow er limit 70MW (11,3
W/g)
5
low er reactor pow er limit 70MW(8,1 W/g)
Limit of SS negligible creep (450°C)
0
0
100
200
300
500
600
700
800
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2014
400
Temperature (°C)
900
the quantity of instrumentation (TC, elongation
sensor, diameter gauge, loading system… )
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CONTENTS
Fuel and material irradiation hosting systems
in the Jules Horowitz Reactor
1. JHR facility & experimental capacity
2. Irradiation hosting systems available at the JHR start-up
3. Irradiation hosting systems available after the JHR start-up
4. Conclusion
14 FÉVRIER 2014
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3.1 CALIPSO test device
In the center of a fuel element
 Investigation of physical properties of material
Thermodynamic loop integrated within the test device
 Heat Exchanger (HE) / Electrical Heater (EH)
 Innovative electromagnetic pump (L 450 mm, D 80 mm)  NaK flow (2 m3/h)
Improvement of the sample temperature mastering
 From 250 up to 450°C (setting of HE & EH parameters)
 Δθ < 8°C (Tmax – Tmin all along the samples stack)
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
Pump
(EM)
On-going qualification of the design with a CALIPSO prototype
 First
successful
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tests of the electromagnetic pump
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3.2 OCCITANE test device
Investigation of physical properties
after irradiation of NPP pressure
vessel steels
Static Helium capsule
 Based on the OSIRIS feedback (IRMA test device, 150 irradiation cycles)
Ex-core location
 Fixed location
 Dose :up to 100 mdpa/y (1 MeV)
 Equivalent carrying volume: 30x62.5x500mm3
Samples temperature adjustment
 Helium gas
 230- 300°C
 230 – 300°C (furnace with 6 heating zones)
 Gamma heating
 100 mdpa/year
 Gas gap dimension
 Electric heating elements
At least, 18 thermocouples, and 45 dose integrators
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3.3 CLOE test device
Need of a corrosion loop to perform integral experiments

India in-kind contribution (DAE-BARC)
CEA corrosion loops feedback, MTR+i3 European project
LWR conditions: well controlled and adjusted water chemistry, temperatures, …
Fixed location
 Ex-core with a large diameter
 In-core with a smaller diameter
(taking into account safety aspect)
In-situ measurements: ECP, pH, H2,
load, LVDT, cracking propagation, DCPD
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3.4 LORELEI test device
IAEC
 Dedicated to LOCA mechanisms investigation
LOCA type sequence
► Re-irradiation phase (Thermo-siphon + production of
short half-life fission products)
► Dry out phase (He injection)
► High temperature plateau
► Quenching phase (water injection)
Adiabatic
phase
FP
Cooling and
quenching phase
Clad temperature
Adequate monitoring of fuel environment
Emptying
Integrated water loop capsule (single fuel rod)
Temperature
Power
Re-irradiation
► Thermal-mechanical behaviour of fuel
► Radiological consequences
Cladding burst
FP
FP
Nuclear power
Time
► Neutron shielding to flatten neutron flux
► Electrical heater (homogeneous temperature)
► Monitoring of temperature heat-up (10-20°C/s)
► High temperature targeted (up to 1200°C)
FP release analysis  connection to the JHR FP laboratory
Preliminary design review early 2014 with IAEC
14 FÉVRIER 2014
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CONTENTS
Fuel and material irradiation hosting systems
in the Jules Horowitz Reactor
1. JHR facility & experimental capacity
2. Irradiation hosting systems available at the JHR start-up
3. Irradiation hosting systems available after the JHR start-up
4. Conclusion
14 FÉVRIER 2014
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4. CONCLUSION
Summary
Development of an experimental capacity for JHR in support to fuel & materials irradiation
programs :
A set of test devices (some of them available at the JHR start-up)
NDE systems
Analysis laboratories
Modern equipments with a design taking into account:
OSIRIS and HRP feedback and knowhow
New approach and innovative technologies from the JHR consortium partners
Up-to-date safety frame
JHR (50 y)
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