Download - Nuclear Applications of Accelerators; Experience in the 'A' Programs (APT, ATW, AAA, AFCI)
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U N C L A S S I F I E DSlide 1
Nuclear Applications of Accelerators; Experience in the 'A' Programs
(APT, ATW, AAA, AFCI)
Dr. Laurie Waters
Group D-5, International Nuclear & Systems Analysis
Los Alamos National Lab
February 12, 2009
Fermi National Laboratory
LA-UR 09-00879
High Power, High Energy, Industrial Accelerators
Accelerator Production of Tritium
Accelerator Transmutation of Waste
Advanced Accelerator Applications (ADTF)
Accelerator Driven Systems
Advanced Fuel Cycle Initative
Power production
Radioisotope Production
Slide 2
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Facility Proton Beam Energy (MeV)
Average Current
Beam Power (MW)
Target
SINQ, PSI, Switzerland
590
1.8 mAmp
1.062
Zircaloy Rods
LANSCE Area A, LASREF Los Alamos
800
1 mAmp
0.800
Typically tungsten targets
LEDA, APT, Los Alamos, USA
6.7
100 mAmps
0.670
Low Energy Demonstration Accelerator
ISIS, Rutherford Appleton Lab, UK
800
200 Amps
0.16
Tantalum plate target
Lujan Center, LANSCE, Los Alamos, USA
800
100 Amps
0.08
Split tungsten target
WNR, LANSCE Los Alamos USA
800
30 Amps
0.003
Tungsten target
IPNS, Argonne National Lab, USA
500
15 Amps
0.008
Depleted Uranium plate target
Japanese Spallation Neutron Source May 30 2008
3 GeV
333 Amps
1.0
Mercury target
High Power Accelerators
*
* Beam Power (MW) = Energy (MeV) x Current (Amps)
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Planned Facilities
Facility Proton Beam Energy (MeV)
Average Current
Beam Power (MW)
Target
APT, Savannah River, USA
1030 100 mAmps 103.0 Clad tungsten cylinder targets
ATW, USA ADTF
1000 (600)
30 mAmps 30.0 Lead-bismuth, other options
SNS, Oak Ridge, USA
1000 2 mAmps 2.0 Liquid mercury
European Spallation Source
1334
3.7 mAmps
5.0
Liquid mercury
LEDA
Tritium Production in the US (Tritium halflife is 12.3 years)
• 1953-1955 Tritium producing reactors online• 1976-1988 Need for new tritium production method recognized, many false starts,
controversy, no real progress• 1979 Three Mile Island• 1986 Chernobyl• 1987 N and C reactors shutdown• 1988 K, L and P shutdown• 1989 Plan to refurbish/restart K
New Production Reactor (NPR) project start - MHTGR (modular hi-temp gas- cooled reactor), HWR, LWR• 1990 Ebasco HWR and MHTGR selected• 1991 Arms reduction progress, only one option needed. K reactor leaks.• 1992 $1.5B spent on K reactor
$1.5B spent on NPR, program cancelled• 1993 K reactor restart cancelled• 1995 APT primary option, and CLWR is the backup• 1997 TVA proposed sale of of Bellefonte to DOE with Watts Bar/Sequoya service as
backup• 1998 “Interagency review” issued
Watts Bar service chosen
Slide 5
DOE Dual Track Tritium Strategy
Purchase Irradiation Services or Commercial Reactor
Build Advanced Light WaterReactor (Small or Large)
Build Modular High TemperatureGas-Cooled Reactor (MHTGR)
Build Heavy Water Reactor (HWR)Build Proton Accelerator (APT)
system
Purchase Irradiation Services or Commercial Reactor
Build Advanced Light WaterReactor (Small or Large)
Build Modular High TemperatureGas-Cooled Reactor (MHTGR)
Build Heavy Water Reactor (HWR)Build Proton Accelerator (APT)
system
CommercialReactor Option(s)
CommercialReactor Option(s)
AcceleratorAccelerator
DOEDecision12/1998
APT Backup
APT Backup
10a
CLWRPrimary
CLWRPrimary
TVA Watts Bar and Sequoyah Power Reactors
DOE Tritium Production Options in December 1995
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Extensive Testing of the Prototype Proton Injector Shows its Suitability for APT Operations
The injector produces the proton beam and gives it an initial energy
of 75 keV.
The APT injector prototype has demonstrated >110 mA of proton
current at 75 keV, with exceptionally good properties and
96% - 98% availability.
Beamstop
Beam transport
211 MeV 471 MeV 1030 MeV 1700 MeV100 mA
RFQ CCDTL CCL SCL (ß = 0.64) SCL (ß = 0.82)
Injector
350 MHz 700 MHz RF Systems
97 MeV
TSF
T/B
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The APT Radio Frequency Quadrupole is Similar to Others Used in Accelerators Worldwide
The 8-m long RFQ bunches the beam and gently accelerates to 6.7 MeV
It has 4 tuned segments, is an all-brazed structure, of copper, resonance
control by water temperature.
The RFQ has met the project milestone of extended cw operation at 100 mA.
Waveguide
Support
StructureRFQ
Beamstop
Beam transport
211 MeV 471 MeV 1030 MeV 1700 MeV
100 mA
RFQ CCDTL CCL SCL (ß = 0.64) SCL (ß = 0.82)
Injector
350 MHz 700 MHz RF Systems
97 MeV
TSF
T/B
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Normal-Conducting Copper Accelerating Structures Will Take the Beam from 6.7 to 211 MeV
Normal-conducting copper structures are used to accelerate the beam to 211 MeV
A coupled cavity drift tube linac (CCDTL) will be used to 100 MeV.
The section from 100 MeV to 211 MeV will be a coupled-cavity linac similar to the installation
at Fermilab shown on the right
Prototype cavities are under fabrication
Fermilab
Beamstop
Beam transport
211 MeV 471 MeV 1030 MeV 1700 MeV
100 mA
RFQ CCDTL CCL SCL (ß = 0.64) SCL (ß = 0.82)
Injector
350 MHz 700 MHz RF Systems
97 MeV
TSF
T/B
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Superconducting Niobium Cavities Take the Beam from 211 MeV to 1030 MeV
Repetitive sets of niobium cavities are used to accelerate the beam to the full energy.
The use of superconducting niobium saves 20% of the capital and electric power cost.
The APT design allows the use of only two cavity shapes, simplifying manufacturability
and lowering cost.
= 0.64 Cryomodule
Power Coupler
Waveguide
Vacuum Jacket
5 -cell Nb Cavity
Beamstop
Beam transport
211 MeV 471 MeV 1030 MeV 1700 MeV
100 mA
RFQ CCDTL CCL SCL (ß = 0.64) SCL (ß = 0.82)
Injector
350 MHz 700 MHz RF Systems
97 MeV
TSF
T/B
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Highly Efficient RF Generators Will Power the Plant
Radio Frequency power to accelerate the beam is supplied by klystrons
Three 1.2-MW, 350 MHz supplies have been installed to run the RFQ at LEDA
Two 1-MW, 700 MHz tubes for the rest of the accelerator are in operation
350 MHZ, 1.2 MW Klystron
Beamstop
Beam transport
211 MeV 471 MeV 1030 MeV 1700 MeV
100 mA
RFQ CCDTL CCL SCL (ß = 0.64) SCL (ß = 0.82)
Injector
350 MHz 700 MHz RF Systems
97 MeV
TSF
T/B
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The Target/Blanket Produces Tritium Efficiently Using a Tungsten and Lead Neutron Source
The Target/Blanket efficiently produces and converts 3He into tritium
The system operates at low temperature and pressure
The modular design allows periodic replacement of components
Tritium inventory is minimized by semi-continuous removal
Window
Tungsten Neutron Source
Lead Blanket Modules
Iron Shield
Cavity Vessel
Proton Beam
Beamstop
Beam transport
211 MeV 471 MeV 1030 MeV 1700 MeV
100 mA
RFQ CCDTL CCL SCL (ß = 0.64) SCL (ß = 0.82)
Injector
350 MHz 700 MHz RF Systems
97 MeV
TSF
T/B
Tritium Separation Facility Recovers Tritium from Helium, Separates Tritium from Protium, and Ships Product
Remove spallation and activation products from gasRecover hydrogen isotopes using palladium-silver
permeatorsSeparate tritium from protium using cryogenic distillationPackage/ship tritium to SRS Tritium Facilities in DOT
packageSupply purified 3He to Target/BlanketConfine systems in gloveboxes to minimize environmental
releases
Tritium Processing Glovebox
Beamstop
Beam transport
211 MeV 471 MeV 1030 MeV 1700 MeV
100 mA
RFQ CCDTL CCL SCL (ß = 0.64) SCL (ß = 0.82)
Injector
350 MHz 700 MHz RF Systems
97 MeV
TSF
T/B
DOE Dual Track Tritium Strategy
Purchase Irradiation Services or Commercial Reactor
Build Advanced Light WaterReactor (Small or Large)
Build Modular High TemperatureGas-Cooled Reactor (MHTGR)
Build Heavy Water Reactor (HWR)
Build Proton Accelerator (APT) system
Purchase Irradiation Services or Commercial Reactor
Build Advanced Light WaterReactor (Small or Large)
Build Modular High TemperatureGas-Cooled Reactor (MHTGR)
Build Heavy Water Reactor (HWR)
Build Proton Accelerator (APT) system
CommercialReactor Option(s)
CommercialReactor Option(s)
Accelerator Accelerator
DOE
Decision
12/1998
APT Backup
APT Backup
10a
CLWRPrimary
CLWRPrimary
TVA Watts Bar and Sequoyah Power Reactors
DOE Tritium Production Options in December 1995
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The APT Mission as Backup is to Complete ED&D and Preliminary Design of a Modular Plant
The Modular Design APT Plant features:
1.5 kg/year plant capacity with an option (shown) for an upgrade to a plant capacity of 3 kg/year or downgrade to 1 kg/year.
Design Target/Blanket and Tritium Processing for a maximum capacity of 3 kg/year
Injector Klystron Gallery
Maintenance Building
Heat Exchanger
Cryogenics Plant
Tritium Separation Building
Target/Blanket Building
1030 MeV Transport Line
1700 MeV Transport Line
Slide 16
Materials HandbookRevision 5, June 2006
• Alloy 718• 316L Stainless Steel• 6061 Aluminum• 316L to 6061-T6 Aluminum welds• Lead• Niobium• Graphite• RF Window Alumina• Tritium systems materials, coolants, fluids• 304L Stainless Steel• 9Cr-1Mo Ferritic/Martensitic Steel (T91)• Tantalum• Lead-Bismuth Eutectic
Mechanical Property Data NeededIn Beam Mechanical Property data neededRung materials
Alloy 718 Superplastic formAlloy 718 Annealed
Clad materialsAlloy 600 Annealed316L annealed
Tungsten Alloys (comp/bend)CVDW-PS & forgedW with La2O3
W-wroughtHIPPED Bonds
Thermal Conductivity Test-pure materialsBond measurements
ultrasonic measurements before/aftermeasure using thermogravimetric camera
Weld MaterialsSS-3 tensile,cut directly out of weld Compact Tension ?316/316, 718/718,
Out of Beam Mechanical Property data neededAl6061 (T6, T4?)
fracture toughnesstensile (high dose)
Al/SS Inertial welds, Al/Al welds
fracture toughnesstensile
Fatigue Crack Growth specimens
Al6061-T6
Fatigue Crack Growth (FCG) specimens
316L, Alloy 718CT type specimens
Prestrained (PS) materialsAlloy 718-SPTensile
718Ann
Corr
WComp
WComp
Corr
FCG 316L
Weld SS-3718SP-PS
TC pure mat or Al6061-T6 FCG
Weld SS-3Al 6061-T6
CorrCorr
Al6061-T6
Al6061-T6
Weld SS-3
Al6061-T6 FCG
Weld SS-3
WBend
WBend
Corr
Corr
FCG 718 Ann
Corr
718SP
Alloy 600
Weld SS-3
Smart/Opt mat.
Tungsten Example results
Corrosion rates (SS316L)Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy with corrosion probes
Effect of beam structure
ANS-Boston Jun 24-28, 2007
Materials Test Station Baseline Design
• Monolithic design using HT-9 is main structural material and is Pb-Bi and D2O cooled.
• A split proton beam impinges on two targets, providing a center flux trap for fuel irradiations.
• Materials samples will be placed on the outsides of the targets.
• Target will be driven by 800-MeV, 1.35-mA proton beam.
• Operation at 75% capacity factor for 8 months of the year (4400 h/yr)
ANS-Boston Jun 24-28, 2007
• The MTS target design will serve as a fast-flux irradiation facility for nuclear fuel and materials.
• The center flux trap will see a peak of 1.5x1015 n/cm2/s total flux (and 1.3x1015 n/cm2/s fast flux).
• Fuel clad temperatures will be near-prototypic (400-500C)
• Materials samples can be placed in the side modules which see less flux intensity but will have limited active temperature control.
• The high-energy tail from the spallation interactions will increase the He/dpa ratio depending on location in the target.
ANS-Boston Jun 24-28, 2007
Facility Layout
Protonbeam
ANS-Boston Jun 24-28, 2007
Proton Flux
ANS-Boston Jun 24-28, 2007
Neutron Flux
• Neutron flux at the midplane varies from ~5 x 1014 to almost 1.3e15 n/cm2/s.
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Point Defect Measurement
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Comparisons with NRT and Molecular Dynamics (MDCASK)
10 -12
10 -11
10 -10
10 -9
10 -8
10 13 10 14 10 15 10 16
Cu-1
ExperimentsNRT ModelMD Simulations
Re
sisi
tivity
Inc
reas
e
Dose (p/cm2)
10 -12
10 -11
10 -10
10 -9
10 -8
10 13 10 14 10 15 10 16
Cu-1
ExperimentsNRT ModelMD Simulations
Res
isiti
vity
Incr
ease
Dose (p/cm2)
Decay Heat Measurement
Slide 29
Comparison of measured and calculated decay heat
0.1
1
10
100
1 10 100 1000
Elapsed time since beam-off (h)
De
ca
y H
ea
t (m
W)
Measurement
Calculation
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The PMMA/Goodman Liquid Water PhantomTissue-Equivalent Ion Chambers
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Measured Neutron Spectra at the Phantom
0.000
0.032
0.064
0.096
0.128
0.160
100 101 102 103
No Filter
5 cm Lead
10 cm Lead
40 cm Poly
60 cm Poly
n/p/str/
u
Energy (MeV)
Nuclear Fuel Cycle
Two Criteria support Enhance Long-Term Public Safety
Top-Level Goals Criteria Metrics Options for Meeting Criteria
I. Enhance long term public safety
I.1 Radiotoxicity Criterion: Reduce radiotoxicity of Commercial Spent Fuel
Reduce radiotoxicity of spent nuclear fuel below that of source uranium ore within 1,000 years
Transmute about 99.5% of the transuranics by minimizing separations and fuel fab lossess
I.2 Dose Criterion : Reduce Radiation dose to Future Inhabitants of Repository Region
Reduce maximum predicted dose to future inhabitants by at least 99% compared to current predictions
Transmute most neptunium, some technetium, and perhaps iodine. Place remaining inventories in superior waste forms.
Reduction in Predicted Dose by 99% requires:
Neptunium chain (245Cm, 241Pu, 241Am, 237N) reduction by 99.5 - 99.8%
Actinium chain (243Cm, 243Am, 239Pu ) reduction by 99.6 -99.9%
Radium Chain (242Pu, 238Pu, 234U) reduction by 98.9 - 99.6%
Thorium Chain (244Cm, 240Pu) reduction by 99.3 - 99.7%
Slide 35
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US DOE AAA Program
Developing Lead-Bismuth Eutectic Technology for High-PowerSpallation Neutron TargetsN. Li, K. Woloshun, V. Tcharnotskaia, C. Ammerman, T. Darling, J. King, X. He, D. Harkleroad
The U.S. DOE Advanced Accelerator Applications (AAA) Program aims to develop an Accelerator-Driven Test Facility (ADTF) that provides a world-class test facility to assess technology options for the transmutation of spent nuclear fuel and waste, and provide a test bed for advanced nuclear technologies and applications.
The development and testing of a high power high flux spallation target as the external neutron source for the subcritical blanket is critical for ADTF and future Accelerator-driven Transmutation of Waste (ATW) applications.
Lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) emerged as a leading candidate for high-power spallation targets. LBE has exceptional chemical, thermal physical, nuclear and neutronic properties well suited for nuclear coolant and spallation target application.
The Materials Test Loop (MTL) is an essential part of the out-of-beam testing program in the U.S. MTL is a major step toward demonstrating the use of LBE on a scale representative of MW level spallation targets.
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10-15
10-13
10-11
10-9
10-7
10-5
0.001
100 200 300 400 500 600 700
c_s (LBE)c_O,min (LBE)c_s (Pb)c_O,min (Pb)
Ox
yg
en
Co
nc
en
tra
tio
n,
wt%
T [oC]
Contamination
Oxygen-Controlled
Corrosion
Oxygen Control
PbO
Fe
Fe
3 O4
Pb LBESteel
Active control of oxygen in LBE can prevent steel corrosion and coolant contamination
N. Li, “Active Control of Oxygen in Molten Lead-Bismuth Eutectic Systems to Prevent Steel Corrosion and Coolant Contamination”, LA-UR-99-4696, to appear in Journal of Nuclear Materials
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Corrosion/precipitation rate in the MTL with oxygen control and without oxygen. Rates for oxygen controlled LBE are multiplied with 100 and 1000 respectively for two oxygen levels.
Achievable Reduction of Corrosion and Precipitation through Active Oxygen Control
X.Y.He, N. Li and M. Mineev, “A Kinetic Model for Corrosion and Precipitation in Non-isothermal LBE Flow Loop”, Journal of Nuclear Materials 297 (2001) 214-219
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U N C L A S S I F I E DLANS Company Sensitive — unauthorized release or dissemination prohibitedMTL Heater Section
MTL Upper Loop Section
MTL Front View
MTL DAC Front Panel
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Isotope Production Facility at LANSCE
Fall 2003, new facility 100 MeV H+ beam, up to 200 microamps Aluminum 26 (aluminum tracer), Silicon 32 are unique to LANL
Strontium-82 is supplied to GE Healthcare for use in the CardioGen(r) rubidium-82 generator. The generators in turn are supplied to hospitals and medical laboratories to support cardiac imaging through Positron Emission Tomography (PET). The generator technology was developed by the DOE Medical Radioisotope Program during the 1970s and 1980s, and the technology was transferred to private industry in the late 1980s. The DOE continues to be one of the principle suppliers of the strontium-82 for the generators. Strontium-82 is produced by bombarding rubidium chloride or rubidium metal with protons with energies between 40 and 70 MeV.
Germanium-68 is used for calibration sources for medical imaging equipment. Hospitals and research institutions across the nation use such sources every day to calibrate PET scanners. Without such calibrations the usefulness of equipment for medical imaging and research would be severely limited. Germanium-68 is produced by bombarding gallium metal with protons with energies between 20 and 70 MeV.
Silicon-32 is used in oceanographic research to study the silicon cycle in marine organisms, principally diatoms. Its use in this application has dramatically improved the timeliness and quality of data available in this area of environmental research. Silicon-32 is produced by high-energy (> 90 MeV) proton bombardment of sodium chloride.
Regulatory considerations
• Accelerator-driven attractive because of ‘inherent safety’• Subcritical systems• Turn off the beam, problem goes away• Don’t get out of extensive safety analysis.• 10CFR831
Slide 41
Funding
• GNEP (Global Nuclear Energy Partnership)• Int’l partnership to promote the use of nuclear power and close the nuclear fuel cycle to reduce waste and
proliferation risk. ‘Bypass’ Yucca Mountain.• Promoted fast reactor technology, but didn’t go over well with the utilities (who want to concentrate on GEN3
reactors).• No demonstration projects• Basically dead
• Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI)• Focused R&D effort• Develop fuel systems for GEN IV reactors
• Reduce high level waste volume• Greatly reduce long-lived and highly radiotoxic elements• Relcaim energy content of spent nuclear fuel
Slide 42