Prospects and Challenges for a Global Expansion of Nuclear Energy
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CURRENT STATUS of DECAY HEAT MEASUREMENTS, EVALUATIONS, and NEEDS*
CURRENT STATUS OF DECAY HEAT MEASUREMENTS, EVALUATIONS, and NEEDS* J. K. Dickens, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831. CONF-860906—9 This report is dedicated to John C. Connor (1923-1986) An able colleague and a cherished friend DE86 011082 A paper to be presented to the National Topical Conference on Reactor Physics and Safety, Saratoga, New York, September 17-19, 1986 ABSTRACT Over a decade ago serious concern over possible consequences of a loss-of-coolan • accident in a commercial light-water reactor prompted support of several experiments designed specifically to measure the latent energy of beta-ray and gamma-ray emanations from fission products for thermal reactors. This latent energy was termed Decay Heat. At about the same time the American Nuclear Society convened a working group to develop a standard for use in computing decay heat in real reactor environs primarily for regulatory requirements. This working group combined the new experimental results and best evaluated data into a standard which was approved by the ANS and by the ANSI. The primary work since then has been (a) on improvements to computational efforts and (b) experimental measurements for fast reactors. In addition, the need for decay-heat data has been extended well beyond the time regime of a loss-of-coolant accident; new concerns involve, for example, away-from-reactor shipments and storage. The efficacy of the ANS standard for these longer time regimes has been a subject of study with generally positive results. However, a specific problem, namely, the consequences of fission-product neutron capture, remains contentious. -
Arxiv:2003.07462V2 [Cond-Mat.Mtrl-Sci] 8 Jun 2020
The Structure of Molten FLiNaK Benjamin A. Frandsena,∗, Stella D. Nickersonb, Austin D. Clarkb, Andrew Solanob, Raju Barala, Jonathan Williamsb, J¨orgNeuefeindc, Matthew Memmottb aDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, USA. bDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, USA. cNeutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA. Abstract The structure of the molten salt (LiF)0:465(NaF)0:115(KF)0:42 (FLiNaK), a potential coolant for molten salt nuclear reactors, has been studied by ab initio molecular dynamics simulations and neutron total scattering experiments. We find that the salt retains well-defined short-range structural correlations out to approximately 9 A˚ at typical reactor operating temperatures. The experimentally determined pair distribution function can be described with quantitative accuracy by the molecular dynamics simulations. These results indicate that the essential ionic interactions are properly captured by the simulations, providing a launching point for future studies of FLiNaK and other molten salts for nuclear reactor applications.1 Keywords: molten salt reactor, FLiNaK, total scattering, pair distribution function, molecular dynamics Molten salt reactors (MSRs) are a promising nuclear reactor concept in which fuel and/or fertile material are dissolved directly into a halide salt coolant. This has significant benefits over traditional light water reactors (LWRs) that are in operation today, including the capability of producing medical radioisotopes and electricity simultane- ously in large amounts [1] and the possibility of reactor designs that prevent proliferation of weaponizable material, eliminate the risk of meltdown events, and avoid producing long-lived transuranic nuclear waste [2, 3]. -
Chapter 4 — Fuel Cycles
MIT_ch04_29-36.qxd 7/16/2003 1:26 PM Page 29 Chapter 4 — Fuel Cycles The description of a possible global growth sce- one over the other will inevitably be a matter of nario for nuclear power with 1000 or so GWe judgment. All too often, advocates of a particu- deployed worldwide must begin with some lar reactor type or fuel cycle are selective in specification of the nuclear fuel cycles that will emphasizing criteria that have led them to pro- be in operation. The nuclear fuel cycle refers to pose a particular candidate. We believe that all activities that occur in the production of detailed and thorough analysis is needed to nuclear energy. properly evaluate the many fuel cycle alterna- tives. It is important to emphasize that producing nuclear energy requires more than a nuclear We do not believe that a new technical configu- reactor steam supply system and the associated ration exists that meets all the criteria we have turbine-generator equipment required to pro- set forth, e.g. there is not a technical ‘silver bul- duce electricity from the heat created by let’ that will satisfy each of the criteria. nuclear fission. The process includes ore min- Accordingly, the choice of the best technical ing, enrichment, fuel fabrication, waste man- path requires a judgment balancing the charac- agement and disposal, and finally decontami- teristics of a particular fuel cycle against how nation and decommissioning of facilities. All well it meets the criteria we have adopted. steps in the process must be specified, because each involves different technical, economic, Our analysis separates fuel cycles into two classes: safety, and environmental consequences. -
Molten Salts As Blanket Fluids in Controlled Fusion Reactors [Disc 6]
r1 0 R N L-TM-4047 MOLTEN SALTS AS BLANKET FLUIDS IN CONTROLLED FUSION REACTORS W. R. Grimes Stanley Cantor .:, .:, .- t. This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by the United States Government. Neither the United States nor the United States Atomic Energy Commission, nor any of their employees, nor any of their contractors, subcontractors, or their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. om-TM- 4047 Contract No. W-7405-eng-26 REACTOR CHENISTRY DIVISION MOLTEN SALTS AS BLANKET FLUIDS IN CONTROLLED FUSION REACTORS W. R. Grimes and Stanley Cantor DECEMBER 1972 OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830 operated by UNION CARBIDE CORPORATION for the 1J.S. ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by the United States Government. Neither the United States nor the United States Atomic Energy Commission, nor any of their employees, nor any of their contractors, subcontractors, or their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, com- pleteness or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. i iii CONTENTS Page Abstract ............................. 1 Introduction ........................... 2 Behavior of Li2BeFq in a Eypothetical CTR ............3 Effects of Strong Magnetic Fields .............5 Effects on Chemical Stability .............5 Effects on Fluid Dynamics ...............7 Production of Tritium .................. -
Doe Nuclear Physics Reactor Theory Handbook
DOE-HDBK-1019/2-93 JANUARY 1993 DOE FUNDAMENTALS HANDBOOK NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND REACTOR THEORY Volume 2 of 2 U.S. Department of Energy FSC-6910 Washington, D.C. 20585 Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. This document has been reproduced directly from the best available copy. Available to DOE and DOE contractors from the Office of Scientific and Technical Information, P.O. Box 62, Oak Ridge, TN 37831. Available to the public from the National Technical Information Service, U.S. Department of Commerce, 5285 Port Royal., Springfield, VA 22161. Order No. DE93012223 DOE-HDBK-1019/1-93 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND REACTOR THEORY ABSTRACT The Nuclear Physics and Reactor Theory Handbook was developed to assist nuclear facility operating contractors in providing operators, maintenance personnel, and the technical staff with the necessary fundamentals training to ensure a basic understanding of nuclear physics and reactor theory. The handbook includes information on atomic and nuclear physics; neutron characteristics; reactor theory and nuclear parameters; and the theory of reactor operation. This information will provide personnel with a foundation for understanding the scientific principles that are associated with various DOE nuclear facility operations and maintenance. Key Words: Training Material, Atomic Physics, The Chart of the Nuclides, Radioactivity, Radioactive Decay, Neutron Interaction, Fission, Reactor Theory, Neutron Characteristics, Neutron Life Cycle, Reactor Kinetics Rev. 0 NP DOE-HDBK-1019/1-93 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND REACTOR THEORY FOREWORD The Department of Energy (DOE) Fundamentals Handbooks consist of ten academic subjects, which include Mathematics; Classical Physics; Thermodynamics, Heat Transfer, and Fluid Flow; Instrumentation and Control; Electrical Science; Material Science; Mechanical Science; Chemistry; Engineering Symbology, Prints, and Drawings; and Nuclear Physics and Reactor Theory. -
Recent Research of Thorium Molten-Salt Reactor from a Sustainability Viewpoint
Sustainability 2012, 4, 2399-2418; doi:10.3390/su4102399 OPEN ACCESS sustainability ISSN 2071-1050 www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability Article Recent Research of Thorium Molten-Salt Reactor from a Sustainability Viewpoint Takashi Kamei Research Institute for Applied Sciences, 49, Tanaka-Oi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8202, Japan; E-Mail: [email protected]; Tel.: +81-75-701-3164; Fax: +81-75-492-0679. Received: 3 July 2012; in revised form: 20 August 2012 / Accepted: 24 August 2012 / Published: 27 September 2012 Abstract: The most important target of the concept “sustainability” is to achieve fairness between generations. Its expanding interpolation leads to achieve fairness within a generation. Thus, it is necessary to discuss the role of nuclear power from the viewpoint of this definition. The history of nuclear power has been the control of the nuclear fission reaction. Once this is obtained, then the economy of the system is required. On the other hand, it is also necessary to consider the internalization of the external diseconomy to avoid damage to human society caused by the economic activity itself, due to its limited capacity. An extreme example is waste. Thus, reducing radioactive waste resulting from nuclear power is essential. Nuclear non-proliferation must be guaranteed. Moreover, the FUKUSHIMA accident revealed that it is still not enough that human beings control nuclear reaction. Further, the most essential issue for sustaining use of one technology is human resources in manufacturing, operation, policy-making and education. Nuclear power will be able to satisfy the requirements of sustainability only when these subjects are addressed. The author will review recent activities of a thorium molten-salt reactor (MSR) as a cornerstone for a sustainable society and describe its objectives and forecasts. -
Effects of Heat from High-Level Waste on Performance of Deep Geological Repository Components Iaea, Vienna, 1984 Iaea-Tecdoc-319
IAEA-TECDOC-319 EFFECTS OF HEAT FROM HIGH-LEVEL WASTE ON PERFORMANC DEEF EO P GEOLOGICAL REPOSITORY COMPONENTS REPORT OF A TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEETING ON EFFECTS OF HEAT FROM RADIOACTIVE WASTE IN DEEP GEOLOGICAL REPOSITORIES ORGANIZEE TH Y DB INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY AND HELD IN STOCKHOLM, 28 AUGUST - 2 SEPTEMBER 1983 A TECHNICAL DOCUMENT ISSUEE TH Y DB INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY. VIENNA, 1984 EFFECTS OF HEAT FROM HIGH-LEVEL WASTE ON PERFORMANCE OF DEEP GEOLOGICAL REPOSITORY COMPONENTS IAEA, VIENNA, 1984 IAEA-TECDOC-319 Printed by the IAEA in Austria November 1984 PLEASE BE AWARE THAT ALL OF THE MISSING PAGES IN THIS DOCUMENT WERE ORIGINALLY BLANK The IAEA doe t maintaisno n stock f reportso thin si s series. However, microfiche copies of these reports can be obtained from IN IS Clearinghouse International Atomic Energy Agency Wagramerstrasse5 P.O.Bo0 x10 A-1400 Vienna, Austria Orders shoul accompaniee db prepaymeny db f Austriao t n Schillings 80.00 in the form of a cheque or in the form of IAEA microfiche service coupons orderee whicb y hdma separatel ClearinghouseS I y N froI e mth . FOREWORD This report discusse effecte th sdeee th f heapso n geologicato l repository systems and its different components. It reviews the experimental dat d theoreticaaan l effectmodele th f f heaso o s t botn o h the behaviou engineeref o r d naturadan l barriers. This document aimt a s supporting another IAEA publicatio relatea n i n d subject, viz. "Deep Underground Disposal of Radioactive Waste - Near Field Effects", Technical Reports Serie n preparation)s(i lattee Th . -
Molten-Salt Technology and Fission Product Handling
Molten-Salt Technology and Fission Product Handling Kirk Sorensen Flibe Energy, Inc. ORNL MSR Workshop October 4, 2018 2018-10-16 Hello, my name is Kirk Sorensen and I’d like to talk with you today about fission products and their handling in molten-salt reactors. One of the things that initially attracted me to molten-salt reactor technology was the array of options that it gave for the intelligent handling of fission products. It represented such a contrast to solid-fueled systems, which mixed fission products in with unburned nuclear fuel in a form that was difficult to separate, one from another. While my focus will be on our work on molten-salt reactor fission product handling, many of the principles are general to molten-salt reactors as a whole. Fundamental Nuclear Reactor Concept In its simplest form, a nuclear reactor generates thermal energy that is carried away by a coolant. That coolant heats the working fluid of a power conversion system, which generates electricity from part of the thermal energy and rejects the remainder to the environment. coolant working fluid fresh fuel electricity Power Nuclear Heat Conversion Reactor Exchanger System spent fuel heated water or air coolant working fluid The primary coolant chosen for a nuclear reactor determines, in large part, its size and manufacturability. The temperature of the coolant determines the efficiency of electrical generation. Fundamental Nuclear Reactor Concept In its simplest form, a nuclear reactor generates thermal energy that is carried away by a coolant. That coolant heats the working fluid of a power conversion system, which generates electricity from part of the thermal energy and rejects the remainder to the environment. -
Molten-Salt Fast Reactors
MOLTEN-SALT FAST REACTORS L. G. Alexander Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge, Tennessee Thorium, plutonium, and uranium chlorides and fluorides are soluble in mixtures of the halides of Li, Be, Na, K, Mg, and other metals. Their fluoride solutions, at least, are compatible with INOR (an alloy consisting primarily of nickel). They are also compatible with graphite, a structural material as well as a moderator having many desirable properties for high-temperature application. Thus, many embodiments are possible for molten-salt reactors, ranging from simple one-fluid, one-region systems externally cooled to complex internally cooled, two-region, two- fluid systems. The capabilities of only a few of the more obvious systems have been studied so far. The nuclear and economic potentials of several thermal reactors have been evaluated heretofore, (1-3) and recently a limited program for the preliminary evaluation of fast molten-salt reactor concepts was instituted. Appropriate background studies were performed: (1) a survey was made of data available about the thermal and physical properties of molten fluoride and chloride salt mixtures, (2) the compatibilities of selected reactor materials with various reactor coolants and with molten-salt fuels were studied, (3) potential processing methods for irradiated molten fluoride and chloride reactor fuels were reviewed, and (4) data available for the nuclear properties of chlorine, nickel, and other nuclides of interest were reviewed. The compositions and physical properties of typical molten-salt -
Nuscale Design-Specific Review Standard Section 5.4.7, Decay Heat
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION DESIGN-SPECIFIC REVIEW STANDARD for NuScale SMR DESIGN 5.4.7 DECAY HEAT REMOVAL (DHR) SYSTEM RESPONSIBILITIES Primary - Organization responsible for review of reactor thermal hydraulic systems in SMRs Secondary - None I. AREAS OF REVIEW The NuScale small modular reactor (SMR) makes extensive use of passive systems to meet regulatory requirements. Routine residual heat removal (RHR) for the NuScale SMR is provided by the main condenser and feedwater system which can cool the reactor coolant system (RCS) to cold shutdown conditions. For refueling operations, the containment is flooded using the Containment Flood and Drain System (CFDS) prior to decoupling the reactor module and cooling is achieved by conduction between the reactor vessel and containment walls and the reactor building pool. Containment is the steel vessel surrounding the reactor pressure vessel and is one of the reactor modules located in the reactor building pool. During normal plant operations, heat is removed from the reactor building pool through a closed loop cooling system and ultimately rejected into the atmosphere through a cooling tower or other external heat sink. This function is further described in Standard Review Plan (SRP) 9.2.5, Ultimate Heat Sink (UHS). The Decay Heat Removal System (DHR) system provides secondary-side cooling for non-loss of coolant (LOCA) design basis events when normal secondary side cooling is unavailable to bring the plant to safe shutdown conditions. The DHR function is included as a safety-related passive system for use during transients, and to provide a similar function as the auxiliary feedwater system (AFW) for a typical, large light water pressurized water reactor (PWR) in the event of a loss of main feedwater. -
Status of Fast Spectrum Molten Salt Reactor Waste Management Practice December 2020
PNNL-30739 Status of Fast Spectrum Molten Salt Reactor Waste Management Practice December 2020 Stuart T Arm David E Holcomb* Robert L Howard Brian Riley *Oak Ridge National Laboratory Prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract DE-AC05-76RL01830 Choose an item. DISCLAIMER This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor Battelle Memorial Institute, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof, or Battelle Memorial Institute. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof. PACIFIC NORTHWEST NATIONAL LABORATORY operated by BATTELLE for the UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY under Contract DE-AC05-76RL01830 Printed in the United States of America Available to DOE and DOE contractors from the Office of Scientific and Technical Information, P.O. Box 62, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-0062; ph: (865) 576-8401 fax: (865) 576-5728 email: [email protected] Available to the public from the National Technical Information Service 5301 Shawnee Rd., Alexandria, VA 22312 ph: (800) 553-NTIS (6847) email: [email protected] <https://www.ntis.gov/about> Online ordering: http://www.ntis.gov Choose an item. -
Remote Operations and Maintenance Framework for Molten Salt Reactors
ORNL/TM-2018/1107 Remote Operations and Maintenance Framework for Molten Salt Reactors David E. Holcomb Charles L. Britton, Jr. Venugopal K. Varma Louise G. Worrall December 2018 Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited. DOCUMENT AVAILABILITY Reports produced after January 1, 1996, are generally available free via US Department of Energy (DOE) SciTech Connect. Website www.osti.gov Reports produced before January 1, 1996, may be purchased by members of the public from the following source: National Technical Information Service 5285 Port Royal Road Springfield, VA 22161 Telephone 703-605-6000 (1-800-553-6847) TDD 703-487-4639 Fax 703-605-6900 E-mail [email protected] Website http://classic.ntis.gov/ Reports are available to DOE employees, DOE contractors, Energy Technology Data Exchange representatives, and International Nuclear Information System representatives from the following source: Office of Scientific and Technical Information PO Box 62 Oak Ridge, TN 37831 Telephone 865-576-8401 Fax 865-576-5728 E-mail [email protected] Website http://www.osti.gov/contact.html This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof.