10 MW固态燃料钍基熔盐堆稳态物理-热工耦合

固态燃料钍基熔盐堆(Thorium Molten Salt Reactor-Solid Fuel,TMSR-SF1)作为第四代先进核反应堆堆型之一,继承了熔盐冷却剂和球形燃料元件的许多优点和技术基础,具有良好的经济性、设计上的固有安全性、钍铀燃料的可持续性和防核扩散性。本文以10 MW固态燃料钍基熔盐堆为模型,利用MCNP(Monte Carlo N Particle Transport Code)和ANSYS Fluent等模拟程序对其进行多物理耦合分析,同时利用C++语言编写了堆芯活性区的物理-热工耦合计算程序,实现了MCNP计算结果与Fluent程序的对接,并且通过对比耦合前后结果,分析了堆芯功率密度分布、有效增殖因子、温度分布等主要参数,为熔盐堆的设计、安全性评估和操作运行提供了参考依据。     

熔盐堆的安全性介绍

介绍了四代反应堆的分类与特点,简述了第四代反应堆中唯一使用液态燃料的熔盐堆工作原理。基于与其他使用固体芯块燃料反应堆的比较,主要简述了熔盐堆更高的固有安全性特点,以及熔盐堆在燃料供应、废料最小化、防止核扩散诸方面的安全性优点以及熔盐堆发展面临的问题和挑战。说明了由于熔盐堆较高的工作温度使用布雷顿循环,提高热效率的优点。...     

液态燃料钍基熔盐实验堆主体装置厂房总体布置研究

为实现2 MW液态燃料钍基熔盐实验堆（TMSR）主体装置厂房的合理紧凑型总体布置设计，本研究根据熔盐堆堆型特征、顶层设计和系统功能需求，确定了主体装置厂房总体设计特征，探讨了TMSR关键设备及物项的相对位置特点；同时通过合理规划厂房功能分区和设备布置，最终得到了该厂房的总体布置方案。通过本项目的实施，为实现TMSR的系统集成以及验证提供了基础平台，为小型模块化钍基熔盐示范堆的设计和建设提供技术支持及经验。     

熔盐实验堆备用停堆方案及其可行性分析

反应性控制系统的设计是反应堆物理设计的主要内容之一。熔盐堆采用熔融的氟化盐混合物作为燃料,由于核燃料的特殊性,熔盐堆在反应堆设计方面与传统固体燃料反应堆有着较大区别。本文鉴于熔盐堆的特殊性,针对2 MW液态燃料钍基熔盐堆(Thorium Molten Salt Reactor-Liquid Fuel,TMSR-LF1),提出多种停堆方式,包括排燃料盐、套管中注中子毒物、改变燃料盐成分、改变堆芯石墨栅元数,并进行了计算分析。分析结果表明:往套管中注入中子毒物是在控制棒失效的情况下很好的替换停堆方式;燃料盐成分可调,是熔盐堆本身具有的特点,因此往燃料盐中添加BF_3、LiF-BeF_2-ZrF_4、LiF-ThF_4,是调节堆芯反应性很好的方式;改变石墨栅元数也可以使反应堆停堆。本研究分析可以为熔盐堆停堆方式提供技术储备和理论参考。     

铅铋冷却氮化物燃料小型模块化快中子反应堆堆芯物理特性分析

国际原子能机构(International Atomic Energy Agency,IAEA)认为小型模块化反应堆具有很好提高核能安全性、经济性和防止核扩散的能力,是未来核能最具发展前景的堆型之一。为适应未来核能发展的需求,提出了一种铅铋冷却氮化物燃料小型模块化反应堆(Small Modular Pb-Bi Cooled Reactor with Nitride Nuclear Fuel,SMPBN)设计方案,并利用PIJ组件计算程序和CITATION堆芯计算程序对SMPBN的物理特性和安全特性,包括反应性系数及其随燃耗变化、卸料燃耗、功率峰因子、燃料转换比和停堆余量等进行了深入分析。通过分析,认为SMPBN在20年寿期内,具有很好的燃料转换能力,不需要换料,反应性波动很小,反应性系数均为负值,具有固有安全性,符合国际上第四代反应堆的要求。     

基于MCNP和ORIGEN的熔盐快堆燃耗分析计算

熔盐堆是6种第4代先进核能系统中唯一使用液态燃料设计的反应堆型,其堆芯一回路中循环流动的熔盐既是燃料,也是冷却剂。这一特征在省去燃料元件加工制造步骤的同时,也使得熔盐堆能进行在线处理和在线添料的操作。因此,传统固态反应堆燃耗分析程序不再适用于熔盐堆。本文以熔盐快堆(MSFR)为分析对象,基于物理分析程序MCORE(MCNP+ORIGEN),将上述熔盐堆特点考虑进去,开发出能进行熔盐堆燃耗分析的MCORE-MS。初步分析表明,233 U-started模式下,熔盐在线处理可有效降低堆芯熔盐中裂变产物的含量,提高中子经济性。MSFR运行过程中能够一直保持负的温度反应性系数。     

小型模块化熔盐快堆燃料管理初步分析

由于燃料随熔盐流动的特性以及可以进行在线添料与处理的特点,液态燃料熔盐堆的燃耗分析与燃料管理和传统固态燃料反应堆有很大不同,需要针对液态燃料熔盐堆的特点重新开发燃耗分析与管理程序。本文针对液态燃料熔盐堆的熔盐流动特性以及在线添料与处理功能,基于MCNP5和ORIGEN2.1燃耗耦合程序,开发了适用于液态燃料熔盐堆的燃料管理程序,并应用于一种小型模块化熔盐快堆的燃料管理和分析,对比分析了5种不同运行方案以及分批在线添料情况下,运行30年期间keff的变化情况及重要核素的演化情况。计算结果表明,采用不断调整添料率的连续在线添料运行方案和固定批量添料的运行方案,都可以让小型模块化熔盐快堆维持运行在一个较小的keff波动范围之内。开发的燃料管理程序适用于液态燃料熔盐堆的研究,同时可以为液态燃料熔盐堆的设计及燃耗管理和分析提供有价值的参考。     

快堆核燃料循环模式的经济性评价

以快堆核电厂的核燃料循环过程及核燃料循环模型为基础,利用注销法对2种核燃料循环方式进行经济性计算和分析;同时,也将快堆燃料循环经济性与压水堆(PWR)燃料"一次通过"的经济性进行对比。按目前价格水平计算,PWR"一次通过"的核燃料循环方式比快堆核燃料循环模式的经济性好,但随着天然铀价格的上涨以及燃料后处理技术水平的进步,快堆核燃料循环费用有望达到或低于PWR"一次通过"的核燃料循环费用。     

钍基熔盐堆燃料循环与启动策略研究

研究了熔盐燃料在堆内外循环以及考虑特殊核素的添加、提取等在线处理过程的熔盐堆燃耗计算模型，在多功能组件计算程序SONG的基础上开发了相应的燃料循环计算功能并进行了初步验证。在此基础上，分别针对氧化铍慢化的热谱熔盐堆和无慢化的快谱熔盐堆进行计算，并根据堆芯反应性长期稳定的基本要求，分析了利用²³³U和工业Pu启动熔盐堆时配套的在线处理方案以及相应的易裂变核添加要求。通过对核素添加、提取以及燃料内核密度的平衡计算，分析了不同的在线处理方案与启动策略对钍-铀燃料循环效率的影响，并据此提出了初步的熔盐堆燃料循环技术路线。结果表明：压水堆乏燃料提取的工业Pu较²³³U更适宜用于钍铀燃料循环启动，因工业Pu启动的快谱熔盐堆的²³³U产率明显高于²³³U启动熔盐堆，而当有了足够的²³³U积累后，²³³U启动的热谱熔盐堆是更好的选择，因其燃料倍增时间更短且燃料初装量也小得多。     

熔盐增殖堆初步安全分析

熔盐堆是第四代核能论坛确定的6种先进四代堆型之一,在固有安全、燃料循环、小型化、核资源的有效利用和防止核扩散等方面有其特有的优点。美国橡树岭国家实验室基于熔盐实验堆(Molten Salt ReactorExperiment,MSRE)设计、建造和运行经验,完成了熔盐增殖堆(Molten Salt Breeder Reactor,MSBR)概念设计。本文对MSBR进行初步的安全分析,为进一步改进和优化熔盐堆安全特性提供参考。根据MSBR的概念设计,建立了一个采用耦合简化传热机制点动力学的安全分析模型,并通过MSRE实验数据进行了验证。应用该模型模拟计算了MSBR在阶跃反应性和线性反应性引入后的堆芯热功率、堆芯石墨和堆芯熔盐温度瞬态。结果表明:在引入不超过500 pcm反应性情况下,无需采取任何措施,不会出现温度过高、堆芯结构材料融化事故;若需采取控制措施,线性引入反应性比阶跃引入反应性更易于控制,且应尽量避免短时间内引入反应性。     

Neutronics assessment of the use of thorium fuels in current pressurized water reactors

The use of thorium fuel in current PWRs in a once-through fuel cycle is an attractive option due to potential advantages such as high conversion ratio and low minor actinide generation. The current neutronics assessments indicate that the thorium fuel cycle could supplement the current uranium–plutonium fuel cycle to improve operational performance and spent fuel consideration in current PWRs without core and subassembly modifications. Neutronics safety parameters in the PWR cores with the thorium fuels are within the range of current PWRs.The PWR cores with thorium fuels have significantly higher conversion ratios which could enable efficient fuel utilization. Further, it is shown that the use of thorium as a fertile material can reduce minor actinide generation and the radio-toxicity of spent fuels. In considerations related to proliferation resistance, the results of the current analyses show no significant difference between the studied thorium fuels and the standard oxide fuel for the assumed characteristics and burnup levels.     

Dynamic analysis of a thorium fuel cycle in CANDU reactors

The thorium fuel recycle scenarios through a Canada deuterium uranium (CANDU) reactor have been analyzed for two types of thorium fuel: homogeneous ThO₂UO₂ and heterogeneous ThO₂UO₂–DUPIC fuels. The recycling was performed with dry process fuel technology which has a proliferation resistance. For the once-through fuel cycle model, the existing nuclear power plant construction plan was considered up to 2016, while the nuclear demand growth rate from the year 2016 was assumed to be 0%. After setting up the once-through fuel cycle model, a thorium fuelled CANDU reactor was modeled to investigate the fuel cycle parameters. In this analysis, the spent fuel inventory as well as the amount of plutonium, minor actinides and fission products for the multiple recycling fuel cycle were estimated and compared to those of a once-through fuel cycle.     

Transition toward thorium fuel cycle in a molten salt reactor by using plutonium

The molten salt reactor(MSR), as one of the Generation Ⅳ advanced nuclear systems, has attracted a worldwide interest due to its excellent performances in safety, economics, sustainability, and proliferation resistance. The aim of this work is to provide and evaluate possible solutions to fissile 233 U production and further the fuel transition to thorium fuel cycle in a thermal MSR by using plutonium partitioned from light water reactors spent fuel. By using an in-house developed tool, a breeding and burning(BB) scenario is first introduced and analyzed from the aspects of the evolution of main nuclides, net 233 U production, spectrum shift, and temperature feedback coefficient. It can be concluded that such a Th/Pu to Th/~(233)U transition can be accomplished by employing a relatively fast fuel reprocessing with a cycle time less than 60 days. At the equilibrium state, the reactor can achieve a conversion ratio of about 0.996 for the 60-day reprocessing period(RP) case and about 1.047 for the 10-day RP case.The results also show that it is difficult to accomplish such a fuel transition with limited reprocessing(RP is 180 days),and the reactor operates as a converter and burns the plutonium with the help of thorium. Meanwhile, a prebreeding and burning(PBB) scenario is also analyzed briefly with respect to the net 233 U production and evolution of main nuclides. One can find that it is more efficient to produce 233 U under this scenario, resulting in a double time varying from about 1.96 years for the 10-day RP case to about 6.15 years for the 180-day RP case.     

The utilization of thorium for long-life small thermal reactors without on-site refueling

Thorium cycle has many advantages over uranium cycle in thermal and intermediate spectrum nuclear reactors. In addition to large amount of resources in the world which up to now still not utilized optimally, thorium based thermal reactors may have high internal conversion ratio so that they are very potential to be designed as long-life reactors without on-site refueling based on thermal spectrum cores. In this study preliminary study for application of thorium cycle in some of thermal reactors has been performed.

We applied thorium cycle for small long-life high temperature gas reactors without on-site refueling. Calculation results using SRAC code show that 10 years lifetime without on-site refueling can be achieved with excess reactivity of about 10% dk/k.

The next application of thorium cycle has been employed in long-life small and medium PWR cores without on-site refueling. Relatively high fuel volume fraction is also applied to get relatively hard spectrum, small size, and high internal conversion ratio. In the current study we have been able to reach more than 10 years lifetime without on-site refueling for 20–300 MWth PWR with maximum excess reactivity of a few %dk/k.

The last application of thorium cycle has been employed in long-life BWR cores without on-site refueling. Relatively high fuel volume fraction is applied to get relatively hard spectrum, small size, and high internal conversion ratio. In the current study we have been able to reach more than 10 years lifetime without on-site refueling for 100–600 MWth BWR with maximum excess reactivity of a few %dk/k.     

Evaluation of implementation of thorium fuel cycle with LWR and MSR

In order to construct a sustainable society, it is necessary to consider fairness beyond generations and between countries. It is expected that Asian countries continue growing their economy and will result consuming more energy. More CO₂ emission is not acceptable.Nuclear power has many advantages for reducing CO₂ emission. However, it still has concerns of nuclear proliferation, radioactive waste and safety. It is necessary to overcome these concerns if nuclear power is expanded to Asian countries. Thorium utilization as nuclear fuel will be an opening key of these difficulties because thorium produces less plutonium, less radioactive waste. Safety will also be enhanced. The use of molten-salt reactor (MSR) triggered by plutonium supply from ordinary light water reactor (LWR) with uranium fuel will allow implementation of thorium fuel cycle with electricity capacity of about 446 GWe around at 2050.The other important sector in a view of sustainability is transportation. Transportation is essential for economy growth. Therefore it is inevitable to reduce CO₂ emission from transportation sector. Electric vehicle (EV) will be used as a major mobility instead of gasoline engine cars. Rare-earth materials such as neodymium and dysprosium are necessary for producing EV. These materials are expected to be mined from Asian countries. It is often obtained with thorium as by-product. Thorium has not been used as nuclear fuel because it is not good for nuclear weapon and it does not have fissionable isotopes. Recent global trend of nuclear disarmament and accumulation of plutonium from uranium fuel cycle can support starting the use of thorium.Thorium utilization will help both to provide clean energy and to produce rare-earth for clean vehicle. These will create new industries in developing Asian countries. An international collaborative framework can be established by supplying resource from developing countries and supplying technology from developed countries. “THE Bank (THorium Energy Bank)” is proposed here as one part of such a framework.     

The feasibility study on perfect burning reactor system

The system of 100% natural uranium burning with once-through fuel cycle is defined as the Perfect Burning Reactor System (PBRS). This kind of nuclear system can be expected to have some good characteristic such as resource efficiency, radiotoxicity reduction, proliferation and nuclear safety. Therefore, the feasibility of the concept is studied in this paper. The preliminary results show that the system of 100% natural uranium burning with once-through fuel cycle is physically possible with a plenty supply of external neutron, and that the system demands no activities concerning with fuel cycle such as uranium enrichment, fuel fabrication, spent fuel reprocessing and radioactive waste treatment. The study also quantitatively clarifies the external neutron source strength, the nuclear criticality safety, the demanded accelerator performance and the energy balance. In addition, the more precise analysis is requested for well understanding and improving the characteristic and economical rationality of the system.     

压水堆平衡堆芯钍铀燃料循环初步研究

建立WIMSD5-SN2-CYCLE3D和CASMO3-CYCLE3D物理分析系统作为钍铀燃料循环研究工具.以大亚湾第1机组压水堆为参考堆型,不改变反应堆栅元、组件和堆芯的结构与几何尺寸,设计出含36根钍棒、4.2#5U富集度的新型含钍组件,并对含钍组件和3.2%富集度的铀组件进行中子学计算和分析.模拟并分析了大亚湾压水堆12个月换料从初始循环到铀钚平衡循环的换料过程.再从平衡铀堆芯出发,逐步加入含钍组件代替铀组件,对铀钚平衡循环到钍铀平衡循环的换料过程进行了模拟与分析.计算结果表明:钍铀平衡循环比铀钚平衡循环每天节省裂变核素质量约18.4%,并减少了长寿命放射性核废料的产生.不利因素是使得循环长度减少90EFPD,缩短了换料周期,增加运行费用,并给燃料管理、安全控制以及乏燃料的处理带来困难.建议提高组件的235U富集度,在压水堆上进行钍利用研究.     

熔盐堆选址源项确定方法评价研究

选址源项的种类成分、形态、数量、释放方式和释放时间、影响范围等参数是反映反应堆安全的重要指标。我国现行核安全法规对于反应堆选址源项仅有原则性规定,且多基于压水堆,不能完全适用于固态燃料熔盐堆。熔盐堆采用了不同于压水堆的设计、燃料、冷却剂和系统结构,因此,固态燃料熔盐堆的选址源项及其确定方法也与压水堆有很大不同。本文将结合核电厂选址相关的法规标准和核安全审评要求,对固态熔盐堆所采用的新设计理念、新燃料和结构系统特点进行分析,并对其选址源项及确定方法进行评价,为将来固态熔盐堆核电厂选址评价及有关核安全法规标准修订完善提供建议和参考。     

Evaluation of uranium thorium and plutonium thorium fuel cycles in a very high temperature hybrid system

In recent times, there is a renewed and additional interest in thorium because of its interesting benefits. Thorium fuel cycle is an attractive way to produce long term nuclear energy with low radiotoxicity waste. In addition, the transition to thorium could be done through the incineration of weapons grade plutonium or civilian plutonium. Th-based fuel cycles have intrinsic proliferation-resistance and thorium is 3–4 times more abundant than uranium. Therefore, thorium fuels can complement uranium fuels and ensure long term sustainability of nuclear power.In this paper, the main advantages of the use of fuel cycles based on uranium-thorium and plutonium-thorium fuel mixtures are evaluated in a hybrid system to reach the deep burn of the fuel. To reach this goal, the preliminary conceptual design of a hybrid system composed of a critical reactor and two Accelerated Driven Systems, of the type of very high temperature pebble-bed systems, moderated by graphite and cooled by gas, is analyzed.Uranium-thorium and plutonium-thorium once-through and two stages fuel cycles are evaluated. Several parameters describing fuel behaviour and minor actinide stockpile are compared for the analyzed cycles.