international conference on fifty years of nuclear power lead-bismuth reactor technology conversion:...

International Conference on Fifty Years of Nuclear Power

LEAD-BISMUTH REACTOR TECHNOLOGY CONVERSION: LEAD-BISMUTH REACTOR TECHNOLOGY CONVERSION: FROM NS REACTORS TO POWER REACTORS ANDFROM NS REACTORS TO POWER REACTORS AND

WAYS OF INCREASING THE INVESTMENT WAYS OF INCREASING THE INVESTMENT ATTRACTIVENESS OF NUCLEAR POWER BASED ON ATTRACTIVENESS OF NUCLEAR POWER BASED ON

FAST REACTORSFAST REACTORS

A.V. Zrodnikov, G.I. Toshinsky (IPPE), A.V. Zrodnikov, G.I. Toshinsky (IPPE),

U.G. Dragunov, V.S. Stepanov, N.N. Klimov (EDO “Gidropress”),U.G. Dragunov, V.S. Stepanov, N.N. Klimov (EDO “Gidropress”),

I.I. Kopytov, V.N. Krushelnitsky, (“Atomenergoproekt”), I.I. Kopytov, V.N. Krushelnitsky, (“Atomenergoproekt”),

N.I. Yermakov (Minatom), A.G. Kornienko (“Rosenergoatom”)N.I. Yermakov (Minatom), A.G. Kornienko (“Rosenergoatom”)

All Russian Federation All Russian Federation

27 June-2 July 2004, Obninsk, Russian Federation

INTRODUCTION (1)INTRODUCTION (1)

Sustainable development is impossible without usage of Sustainable development is impossible without usage of fast reactors operating in the closed fuel cycle fast reactors operating in the closed fuel cycle

Despite the successful industrial demonstration of fast Despite the successful industrial demonstration of fast reactors technology, they have not been extensively reactors technology, they have not been extensively developed developed


27 June-2 July 2004, Obninsk, Russian Federation 2


The major cause is that the fast reactors are more expensive then the thermal ones

This is caused by application of sodium as coolant that makes it possible to provide intensive heat removal and ensure a short doubling time of plutonium



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Even today at low costs of natural uranium it is an Even today at low costs of natural uranium it is an opportunity to increase considerably the investment opportunity to increase considerably the investment attractiveness of nuclear power based on fast reactors if attractiveness of nuclear power based on fast reactors if the task of breeding the plutonium with a short doubling the task of breeding the plutonium with a short doubling time, that is not actual, is cancelled time, that is not actual, is cancelled

This opportunity is coupled with use of an innovative This opportunity is coupled with use of an innovative nuclear power technology in which there is no conflict nuclear power technology in which there is no conflict between the safety requirements and economic between the safety requirements and economic requirements that is peculiar to the traditional nuclear requirements that is peculiar to the traditional nuclear power technologies power technologies



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This nuclear power technology is a technology based

on usage of small power modular fast reactors

SVBR-75/100 with heavy liquid metal coolant – lead-

bismuth eutectic alloy that has been mastered in

Russia for nuclear submarines’ reactors



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ASSURING AVAILABLE BISMUTH RESOURCES

~ 70 GWe on the basis of mining the bismuth sources in the Chita region,

~ 270 GWe on the basis of mining the bismuth sources in the Kazakhstan.

IN RUSSIA:

IN THE WORLD: Not less than ~ 350 GWe on the basis of the known ore mines (in compliance with the USA Mining Bureau data),

Not less than ~ 4000 GWe on the basis of mining the nonmetalliferous bismuth sources (in compliance with the JNC data, Japan)

In compliance with the available bismuth resources, the scales of nuclear power for Pb-Bi alloy of the eutectic content (56% of bismuth, melting point is ~125C) can be as follows (need for bismuth is ~1100 t/GWe):

Changing over to the Pb‑Bi alloy of the non-eutectic content (10% of bismuth, melting point is ~250C) makes it possible to increase the nuclear power scales by 5.5 correspondingly



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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF EXPERIENCE BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF EXPERIENCE IN USING LEAD-BISMUTH COOLANT (1)IN USING LEAD-BISMUTH COOLANT (1)

♦ At the beginning of 50-ties the USSR started development of At the beginning of 50-ties the USSR started development of reactor installation (RI) with lead-bismuth coolant (LBC) for reactor installation (RI) with lead-bismuth coolant (LBC) for nuclear submarines (NSs)nuclear submarines (NSs)

♦ Eight nuclear submarines were constructed in the USSR in total Eight nuclear submarines were constructed in the USSR in total with RI using LBCwith RI using LBC

♦ Two full-scale ground-based reactor test prototypes with LBC Two full-scale ground-based reactor test prototypes with LBC were constructed and operatedwere constructed and operated

♦ Total operating lifetime of RI with LBC was about 80 reactor-yearsTotal operating lifetime of RI with LBC was about 80 reactor-years



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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF EXPERIENCE IN USING LEAD-BISMUTH COOLANT (2)

In the course of designing and operating the LBC cooled reactor

installations at the NSs, a set of principal science and engineering

problems on mastering the LBC technologies has been solved:

– Assuring corrosion resistance of structural materials, controlling the LBC

quality, and controlling the mass-transfer processes in the reactor circuit,

– Assuring personnel’s radiation safety when carrying out works with the

equipment contaminated with polonium-210 radionuclide in the course of

operating, maintenance and refueling,

– Multiple coolant “freezing-unfreezing” in the reactor installation



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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF EXPERIENCE IN USING LEAD-BISMUTH COOLANT (3)

♦ The new nuclear power technology has demonstrated on

the industrial scale that there are no analogs in the world-

wide practice

♦ Nowadays, there are favorable conditions for

implementation of this technology in civil nuclear power

engineering



Idea of fast reactor cooled with liquid lead-bismuth eutectics.

A.I. Leypunsky, 1950

Reactor prototype(Stand 27/VT),

1958

Experimental NS,1963

NS “ALPHA”, 1977-81

Multipurpose reactor module SVBR-75/100(conceptual design)

Nuclear desalination and power complex

(conceptual design)

Regional co-generation plant (conceptual design)

Genesis of lead-bismuth cooled reactors

Modular NPP(conceptual design)

Decommissioned VVER-440 renovation

(conceptual design)



,

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♦ State Scientific Center of the Russian Federation – Institute for

Physics and Power Engineering named after A.I.Leypunsky — leading

organization in development of fast neutron reactors and liquid metal

coolants

♦ Federal Enterprise - Experimental Design Organization “GIDROPESS”

— Chief Designer of all VVER-type reactors and lead-bismuth cooled

reactors for nuclear submarines

♦ Federal Enterprise “Atomenergoproekt” — Chief Designer of NPPs

with VVER-type reactors and SVBR-75/100

BASIC ORGANIZATIONS IN THE PROJECT



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BASIC STATEMENTS OF SVBR-75/100 CONCEPT (1)

♦ Reactor integral design is used with the core, primary circuit

equipment and steam generators (SGs) arranged in a common

vessel of the reactor monoblock without any valves and pipelines

containing LBC

♦ Two-circuit system of heat removal and steam generator with

multiple natural circulation over the secondary side are used



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♦ An ability of fuel self-providing when operating in the

closed NFC with using mixed uranium-plutonium fuel (both

the oxide and the nitride ones), as core breeding ratio

exceeds 1 (CBR 1)

♦ The structural materials, primary and secondary circuits’

mode parameters mastered in the ship nuclear installations

and NPP reactors are used



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♦ Providing the levels of coolants' natural circulation (NC) in the heat-

removal circuits to be sufficient enough to ensure reactor's heat decay

removal without dangerous over-heating of the core

♦ A reactor monoblock is installed in the water tank. The tank is a

seismic- resistant support structure, performs the radiation protection

function and provides an entirely passive RI cooling. At this, heat

decay is transferred to the water tank via the reactor vessel.

In the event of blacking out the NPP, heat is removed due to water

evaporating at boiling



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BASIC STATEMENTS OF SVBR-75/100 CONCEPT (4)BASIC STATEMENTS OF SVBR-75/100 CONCEPT (4)

♦ On ending the lifetime, refueling can be performed at once, FSA-by-

FSA with the help of the refueling equipment kit

♦ The RI equipment can be repaired or replaced

♦ Factory manufacturing of the reactor monoblock that ensures high

quality of works, and production in large quantities ensures violent

reduction of manufacturing costs

♦ A small power fast reactor (~ 100 MWe). Transportability of the RI

monoblock, including by railway. This provides an opportunity of RI

multi-purpose usage



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SAFETY CONCEPTSAFETY CONCEPT (1) (1)

♦ INHERENT REACTOR SELF-PROTECTION:

- negative reactivity feedbacks,

- low primary circuit pressure,

- chemically inert coolant,

- sufficiently high natural circulation over the primary and secondary

circuits,

- integral design of the primary circuit,

- availability of guard reactor vessel



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SAFETY CONCEPT (2)

♦ PASSIVE SAFETY SYSTEMS:

- fusible locks of safety rods to provide passive core shutdown

at coolant overheating over 700 C in case of servodrives fault

- bursting disk (membrane) to prevent reactor vessel from overpressure

over 1.0 MPa in case of large SG leak

- passive residual heat removal in case of NPP blackout due to heat

transfer through reactor and guard vessels walls to water tank:

water evaporation makes possible 5 days let-along period (grace

period)



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FEATURES OF INNOVATION NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY BASED ON RI SVBR-75/100

♦ FAST NEUTRON MODULAR REACTOR COOLED WITH LEAD-BISMUTH COOLANT: – inherent safety:

- some severe accidents are deterministically impossible;- no need in many safety systems that necessary for traditional reactors;- an ability of direct demonstration of reactor tolerance to the personnel’s errors, equipment failure and their multiple combinations, I.e. robustness; - simplification and cost reducing of the reactor installation.

♦ MODULAR NPP UNIT STRUCTURE: – serial production of “standard” factory-made reactor modules:

- increase in manufacturing quality and module cost reducing

– construction of NPP of different capacity using “standard” reactor module: - NPP construction cost reducing

– standard designing, construction and mounting of NPP units with “standard” reactor modules:

- reducing the NPP unit construction term down to 3…3.5 years, increased competitive ability.



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REACTOR MONOBLOCK (RMB)

MCP

SG modules

CPS drives

RMB vessel

Reactor core

RMB vessel contains the core, the whole equipment of the primary circuit and SG modules

Absence of pipelines and primary circuit’s valves outside the RMB vessel prevents coolant loss



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SVBR-75/100 RI EQUIPMENT LAYOUT

Concrete vault

PHRS tank

Reactor monoblock

SVBR-75/100 RI main equipment is arranged in the sealed reactor compartment

The number and configuration of the reactor boxes can be different, depending on the NPP unit capacity

Reactorcompartment



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STAGES OF USING DIFFERENT TYPES OF FUEL AND FUEL CYCLES (1)

.

♦ At the currently existing low costs of natural uranium and services

necessary for its enrichment use of oxide uranium fuel with postponed

reprocessing and storing the SNF in “dry” repositories on the NPP site

will be economically justified for the first RIs SVBR‑75/100 made in

production quantities

♦ Changing over to the closed fuel cycle for the SVBR‑75/100 reactors will

have the lower cost if for fabrication of the first fuel load from MOX-fuel

we use plutonium that has not been extracted from thermal reactors’

spent nuclear fuel (SNF) but has been extracted from the own SNF of

uranium loads

`27 June-2 July 2004, Obninsk, Russian Federation


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♦ When reactors SVBR‑75/100 operate in the closed nuclear fuel cycle

(NFC), direct utilization of thermal reactors’ SNF (without separating

uranium, plutonium, minor actinides, and fission products) as make up

fuel instead of waste pile uranium is possible (like the

DUPIC‑technology)

♦ Therefore, the following opportunity appears: to develop a principally

new strategy of the closed NFC that does not require preliminary

expensive reprocessing of the thermal reactors’ SNF for the purpose to

extract plutonium for supplying the fast reactors with fuel

STAGES OF USING DIFFERENT TYPES OF FUEL AND FUEL CYCLES (2)



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♦ At the stage of fabricating the initial fuel load by using oxide uranium

fuel, nuclear fissile materials non-proliferation is ensured due to use of

uranium with U‑235 enrichment being less than 20 %

♦ At the stage of SNF storing, non-proliferation is ensured by the fact

that built-up plutonium is not purified from high-radioactive fission

products (“the spent fuel standard”)

♦ At the stage of SNF reprocessing, proliferation resistance is ensured

by the fact that built-up plutonium is separated from uranium together

with built-up MA

NON-PROLIFERATION OF FISSILE MATERIALS



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COMPARABLE PARAMETERS OF DIFFERENT NPP

# Name and Dimensions

of the Parameter NPP with

SVBR-75/100 NPP with

VVER-1500 NPP with

VVER-1000 HPP with PGU-325

1 Installed power of the unit, MWe 1625 1479 1068 325

2 The number units at the plant 2 2 2 10

3 Electric power necessary for plant's own needs, %

4.5 5.7 6.43 4.5

4 Power unit net efficiency, % 34.6 33.3 33.3 44.4

5 NPP specific capital cost, $/kW 661.5* 563**

680 819.3 600

6 Design prime cost of produced electricity, cent/kW-h

1.46 1.85 2.02 1.75

* The additional margin cost being ~17 % (as compared with normative one) is taken into account that is 60 % of the RI equipment cost

** Taking into account the opportunities of overheated steam generation and fuel claddings temperature rising.



ACCELERATION OF THE PACE OF NUCLEAR POWER

DEVELOPMENT WITH APPLICATION OF REACTORS

SVBR-75/100 FOR RENOVATION OF THE NPP UNITS (1)

The pace of nuclear power development in market conditions at the

expense of electricity sales is determined mainly by the specific capital

costs of constructing power units

The strictest requirements to economic parameters of the introduced

power units will arise at the approaching stage of nuclear power

development, at which it will be necessary to simultaneously invest

money in withdrawing the “old” units from operating, construction of

replacing power capacities and construction of units developing the

nuclear power



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ACCELERATION OF THE PACE OF NUCLEAR POWER

DEVELOPMENT WITH APPLICATION OF REACTORS

SVBR-75/100 FOR RENOVATION OF THE NPP UNITS (2)

By analogy with fast breeder reactors, the dynamics of nuclear power development at the expense of power company investment possibility can be characterized by:

- the investment breeding ratio coefficient (IBR) of the NPP capacities

- the time of doubling the total set up power of the NPP



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DYNAMICS OF NUCLEAR POWER DEVELOPMENT WHEN DYNAMICS OF NUCLEAR POWER DEVELOPMENT WHEN

DIFFERENT NUCLEAR POWER TECHNOLOGIES ARE USED DIFFERENT NUCLEAR POWER TECHNOLOGIES ARE USED

ONON EXPIRING THE POTENTIALS OF “CHEAP” INCREASE EXPIRING THE POTENTIALS OF “CHEAP” INCREASE

Parameter

Nuclear power technology

IBR T2 (Tph)

years

P(Pr)

GWe/y

Only VVER-1000 0,88 (183) (0,877)

Only VVER-1500 1,057 398 0,057

SVBR-75/100 + VVER-1000

1,391 57,5 0,391

SVBR-75/100 + VVER-1500

1,471 47,8 0,471



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♦ Nuclear power based on the NPPs with the considered type reactors

can be competitive with heat electric power based on the modern steam-

gas HPPs not only at the liberalized electricity market, but at the

investment market as well

♦ A high level of technological readiness makes it possible to construct the

first reactor installation SVBR‑75/100 (first-of-a-kind) by the years 2010…

2012

♦ The least construction cost - $100M - will be in Russian conditions: the

proposed reactor module could be placed in the reactor building of the

shut down second unit of the Novo-Voronezh NPP

CONCLUSION



international conference on fifty years of nuclear power lead-bismuth reactor technology conversion:...

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