Energy Production Demonstrator and Material Testing Station optimization for Megawatt proton beams

Journal Article · Thu Jun 15 00:00:00 EDT 2017 · Annals of Nuclear Energy (Oxford)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2017.06.004· OSTI ID:1459587

Pronskikh, Vitaly S. ^[1]; Mokhov, Nikolai V. ^[1]; Novitski, Igor ^[1]; Tyutyunnikov, Sergey I. ^[2]

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1. Fermi National Accelerator Lab. (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)
2. Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna (Russia)

A simulation study of the Energy Production Demonstrator (EPD) concept – a solid heavy metal target irradiated by GeV-range intense proton beams and producing more energy than consuming – is carried out. Neutron production, fission, energy deposition, energy gain, testing volume and helium production are simulated using the MARS15 code for tungsten, thorium, and natural uranium targets in the proton energy range 0.5–120 GeV. This study shows that the proton energy range of 2–4 GeV is optimal for both a ^natU EPD and the tungsten-based testing station for proton accelerator facilities. Simulation-based conservative estimates not including breeding and fission of plutonium suggest the proton beam current sufficient to produce 1 GW of thermal output power with the ^natU EPD while supplying a relatively small fraction of that power to operate the accelerator. The thermal analysis has been performed and has shown that the EPD with a parallel proton beam feeding the core has a potential problem due to a possible core meltdown. In conclusion, a scheme has been proposed with a beam steering on the outer surface of the target; its thermal analysis indicates that slicing the target in shorter parts and maintaining a temperature of 25 °C on their surfaces would to avoid the target meltdown.

• Research Organization: Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC02-07CH11359
• OSTI ID: 1459587
• Alternate ID(s): OSTI ID: 1701955
• Report Number(s): FERMILAB-PUB-17-677-APC-TD; 1653427; TRN: US1901575
• Journal Information: Annals of Nuclear Energy (Oxford), Vol. 109, Issue C; ISSN 0306-4549
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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