Impact of spectral transition zone in reference ENIGMA configuration.
The gas-cooled fast reactor (GFR) is one of six advanced nuclear energy systems being studied under the auspices of the Gen IV International Forum (GIF). In a bilateral International Nuclear Energy Research Initiative (I-NERI) project French and U.S. national laboratories, industry, and universities are collaborating on the development of the GFR. This effort is led by the ANL in the U.S. and the CEA in France. Some of the attractions of the GFR include: (1) Hard spectrum and core breeding ratio, BR {approx} 1. These features allow minimal waste production, improved transmutation capability, optimal and flexible use of natural resources, potentially better economy (because of use of higher power density relative to current thermal gas-cooled systems), and improved non-proliferation (no fertile blanket); (2) Temperature resistant fuel and structure elements that are favorable to tight fission product confinement and system operation at high temperature; (3) High temperature and transparent helium (He) gas coolant that allows a high thermodynamic conversion efficiency, other energy applications (e.g., hydrogen production), and ease of in-service inspection and repair; and (4) Possible direct energy conversion cycle leading to a simpler design, increased conversion efficiency, and lower investment costs. The French strategy for advanced systems includes the development of the GFR and sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) to levels that allow industries to be able to make an informed choice of the fast spectrum system that would provide a sustainable nuclear energy generation option for the future. Current planning calls for the construction of a small experimental research and technology development reactor (ETDR) around 2009 (first operation in 2015) at CEA-Cadarache, France. This would be followed by the construction of a GFR industrial prototype, around 2025. In support of the GFR development efforts, a new physics experimental program (called ENIGMA, Experimental Neutron Investigation of Gas-cooled reactor at Masurca) is being planned for Cadarache. This new experiment would provide better understanding of GFR neutronic features and will be the basis for the extension of current neutronics code validation domain (particularly, the ERANOS code system in France) to the analysis of GFRs. Experimental planning and decisions are ongoing for ENIGMA. One of the items that have been evaluated is the feasibility of obtaining different flux spectra in the ENIGMA reference configuration, giving the flexibility of simulating a large series of proposed gas-cooled fast systems with harder or softer spectra. In order to achieve this goal it was proposed to use a spectral transition zone in the center region of the ENIGMA core configuration. Another goal of the study is to evaluate the impact of the graphite cross-sections on the performance characteristics of the MASURCA configurations. The work was supported by ANL, through the residence of one of the authors at CEA-Cadarache in 2005. In this report, the impacts of the transition zone on the core physics parameters of the reference ENIGMA configuration are summarized.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31-109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 861622
- Report Number(s):
- ANL-GENIV-053; TRN: US0600745
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- ENGLISH
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Related Subjects
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
BREEDING RATIO
CEA CADARACHE
CONFIGURATION
CROSS SECTIONS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
FAST REACTORS
FISSION PRODUCTS
GAS COOLED REACTORS
IN-SERVICE INSPECTION
NUCLEAR ENERGY
POWER DENSITY