Italian situation and prospects - Nucleus 2... · NPP – FC • ENEL: Italy’s largest power...

Presenter Marco Ciotti

INPRO Dialogue Forum on Global Nuclear Energy Sustainability:

Long-term Prospects for Nuclear Energy in the Post-Fukushima Era

27-31 August 2012

Seoul, Republic of Korea

Italian situation and prospects

Authors:

A. Alemberti (Ansaldo);

M. Tarantino, I. Di Piazza, P. Gaggini, A. Del Nevo, A. Ciampichetti, P. Agostini , A. Luce, M. Ciotti (Enea);

G. Cattadori (Siet).

Outline:

• History and present status;

•The italian commitment towards Lead Fast Reactor

-Lead characteristics

-Facilities and experiments

-The Alfred demonstrator;

•Heat exchange facilities

•Conclusion

27-31 August 2012 5th INPRO Dialogue Forum

• Italy was a pioneer of civil nuclear power and in 1946 established the first national scientific body to pursue this aim. In 1952, it established the National Committee for Nuclear Research (now ENEA).

• The first nuclear reactor started to produce electricity in May 1963;

• In the 80’s four working reactors and 1960 MWe under construction.

• In 1987 referendum following the Chernobyl accident lead to phase-out.

• In 2009 the government intended to have 25% of electricity supplied by nuclear power by 2030 (13 GWe), but this decision was rejected at a new referendum in June 2011 (influenced by the Fukushima events).

• Some 14% of its imported electricity is now from nuclear (2008 total consumption 340 TWh). Italy is the first electricity importer of the world.

History


Government Support to scientific/technological research innuclear fields (fission+fusion): •IV generation (lead); •Safety; •Waste disposal.

Research • ENEA: 250 employers, from a total of 2700, dedicated to activities in the nuclear energy. Operates 2

research reactors. • CIRTEN: Interuniversity Consortium for Technological Nuclear Research. Six of the major Italian

universities. • SIET: Integral simulators of PWR, Steam separators, Safety systems, etc.

NPP – FC • ENEL: Italy’s largest power company. It is an integrated player, active in the power and

gas sectors. ENEL today operates in 40 countries worldwide, has over 97 GW of net installed capacity (5.5 GW NPP) and sells power and gas to around 61 million customers.

• ANSALDO: Supply of components for new NPPs, EPC activities. Service, decommissioning and radioactive waste management. Deeply involved in Gen IV research.

• SOGIN: is the state-owned company charged with the decommissioning of the Italian nuclear facilities and of the safe management of the radioactive waste.

Overall situation


Strong commitment towards LFR: Why?

Lead is a low-moderating medium and has a low-absorption cross section

Fast neutron spectrum: operation as burner of MA and improve resource utilization (Sustainability)

Long Life Core: unattractive route for the plutonium procurement (Proliferation resistance and physical protection)

Large fuel pin lattice (opened/closed): enhanced the passive safety (Safety and Reliability)

Lead does not interact vigorously with air or water Steam Generators installed inside the Reactor Vessel

Improve Simplicity and Compactness of the Plant and reduce the risk of plant damage (Economics)

Increase the protection against acts of terrorism (Proliferation resistance and physical protection)

5 27-31 August 2012 5th INPRO Dialogue Forum

Lead has a high boiling temperature, high shielding capability and very low vapor pressure

Un-pressurized primary system (Safety and Reliability, Economics)

Enhancements in passive safety (Safety and Reliability)

Lead has a high heat transfer, specific heat, and thermal expansion coefficients

Decay heat removal by natural circulation (Safety and Reliability)

Lead has a density close to that of fuel, and retains fission products

Reduce the risk of re-criticality and vessel damage in the case of core melt (Safety and Reliability)

No need of off-site emergency response (Safety and Reliability)

6

How lead coolant improves the FR design?

How “Engineering” improves LMFR design?

No intermediate loops is the key for compactness of a LFR plant layout but…… it should be demonstrated that it is possible to design a competitive and safe nuclear reactor using simple engineered features.

Short-height vessel and compactness improves resistance to seismic loads

Primary pumps integrated with SG, innovative and compact SG placed in the upper part of the vessel, refueling machine outside the liquid metal (extended FA), make compact the primary system

Feed water and steam collectors outside the vessel avoid the risk of catastrophic primary system pressurization

Double wall SG mitigate the effect of SGTR

Internals removable increase the investment protection

Innovative, simple and reliable (passive) DHR increase the safety (post-Fukushima era!) 7

LEAD - AN EXAMPLE OF CLOSED FUEL CYCLE

LFR can be operated as “adiabatic”: Waste only FP, feed only Unat

Pu vector slowly evolves cycle by cycle MA content increases and its composition drift in the time LFR is fully sustainable and proliferation resistant (since the start up) Pu and MA are constant in quantities and vectors Safety - feedback and kinetic parameters vs max MA content - OK

Fabrication LFR “Adiabatic”

Reprocessing

All Actinides (Expected MA: 1% of which 20% Cm)

first load inventory (U:82.5%; Pu: 17.5%)

Unat : 1g/MWD

+ reintegration of losses

FP: 1g/MWD

+ losses

MOX equilibrium (U: 82%; Pu: 17%; MA: 1%)

Some feature of the European Lead Fast Reactor system

Which facilities… 1-lead

9

HLM Thermal-Hydraulic Experiments

Fuel Bundle Thermal Hydraulic

Mixing & Thermal Stratification in pool system

Chemistry Control

Natural Circulation Characterization

Component qualification & characterization

HLM Safety Experiments

HLM/water interaction

Gas Migration & Bubbles trapping

SGTR investigation in large scale experiments


Integral Circulation Experiment

10

Investigate the transition from forced to natural circulation in a HLM

pool-type system (accidental scenario requiring the DHR system

intervention) which leads a dangerous increase of the peak cladding

temperature that is the main figure-of-merit for the safety evaluation

Characterize (preliminarily) the fuel bundle thermal-hydraulic

behaviour in a HLM pool under forced and mixed convection

Investigate the mixing and thermal stratification into the pool in

steady state and transient condition

Support the qualification of CFD codes and models for the simulation

of in-pool phenomena (convection patterns, thermal stratification and

fluid-structure thermal exchange)

Support the assessment of thermal-hydraulic system codes for the

simulation of system dynamics in buoyancy influenced flow conditions


Parameters Value

Outside Diameter 1200 mm

Wall Thickness 15 mm

Material AISI 316L

Max LBE Inventory 90000 kg

Electrical Heating 47 kW

Cooling Air Flow Rate 3 Nm3/s

Temperature Range 200 to 550 °C

Operating Pressure 15 kPa (gauge)

Design Pressure 450 kPa (gauge)

Argon Flow Rate 15 Nl/s

Argon Injection Pressure 600 kPa (gauge)

11

CIRCE Facility



• Thermal Power: 800 - 925 kW

• LBE mean T: 300 - 350 °C

• Core ΔT: 100 °C

• Core velocity: 1.0 m/s

• LBE Flow Rate: 55.2 kg/s

Assembly: Hexagonal

F: 8.2 mm

p/F: 1.8

Latt: 1000 mm

Nh: 37

q”: 100 W/cm2

Ph: 26 kW

12



13

HTC measurement in fuel bundle under

forced and natural circulation

Hot spot factor measurement on the fuel

bundle spacer grid


33 TCs into the Fuel Bundle


14


15


NACIE (Natural Circulation

Experiment) allows to perform

experimental campaigns with HLM in the

fields of

• Thermal-hydraulics;

• Fluid-dynamics;

• Chemistry control;

• Corrosion protection.

Features

• Height: 8 m;

• Width: 1 m;

• Pipes O.D.: 2.5”;

• Material: Steel AISI 304;

• Working Fluid: LBE;

• HLM capacity: 1000 kg;

• Working Temperature: up to 500 °C.

16

NACIE Loop


Features:

• 19 pins (triangular lattice);

• d = 6.55 mm, Lactive = 600 mm;

• Lentry 500 mm;

• p/d = 1.28;

• q” = 1 MW/m2 , uniform (≈ 235 kW);

• wire spaced (d = 1.75 mm).

• Configuration relevant for MYRRHA

2·l = 45.434 mm 17

NACIE Loop


Instrumentation

• 11 pins instrumented;

• 5 subchannels instrumented;

• data on:

1. wall temperature;

2. bulk temperature;

3. heat transfer coefficient;

4. thermal stratification;

5. (thermal entrance length);

6. eventual hot spots.

• pins instrumented with:

a) Embedded-wall TCs;

b) subchannel TCs.

2·l = 45.434 mm

18

NACIE Loop


HELENA is a Heavy Liquid Metal Experimental Loop for Advanced Nuclear Applications

The aim of the facility is to:

Investigate the thermal hydraulic behavior of heavy liquid metal coolant

(i.e. heat exchange under forced convection)

Characterize structural material when working in lead (i.e. AISI 316L, T91, 15-15 Ti, coated steels)

Qualify prototypical components (i.e. centrifugal pump, ball valve)

Develop and test suitable instrumentations for HLM applications

Support the CFD and system code validation when employed in lead cooled system

The conceptual & detailed design has been completed, and the procurement is started (start-up on March 2013)

19

HELENA Loop


HELENA Loop Main Features

Working Fluid: Pure Lead

Design Pressure/Temperature: 10 bar / 550°C

Circulation Pump: Centrifugal with opened impeller (coated steel)

Pump Performance (BEP): 35 kg/s, 3.5 bar

Piping Dimension: 2,5” - extrastrong

Piping Material: AISI 316L

Power Heating Section: 250 kW

Main length: 8000 mm

Main height: 4000 mm

Lead Inventory: 1.6 ton

Heat Exchanger: tube in tube doubled wall, counter flow type

Secondary fluid: pressurized water (100 bar) 20

HELENA Loop


21

HELENA Loop


S4 – Storage tank

LBE

LBE

S2

Water

S1 - Interaction vessel

V24

Ar supply

V1

Wa. ½’’

S3

Pb – LBE 2'’

Drainage

D1

Gas / LBE 3'’

V13

V11

V3

V4 V14

V5

V6

V16

V1

5

V9

V7

TC-S4V-01

PC-S4V-01

Discharge

V20

V22

Ar gas

PC-S1V-01 LC-S1V-01

V21

Argon Argon

MT-S2L-01

Drainage

coriolis flow meter

Level

Gauge

Housing

LIFUS5/Mod2THINS configuration 2012

V2

3

Discharge

Vacuum pumpAir circuit

PC-AUX-01

V19

CompressorPC-AUX-02

Wa. 2’’

Wa. 1/2’’

LT-S2V-01

PC-S2V-01

PC-S2V-02

PT-S2L-07

TC-S2L-01

TC-S2V-01

PT-S2V-06

TC-S2V-02

PC-S3V-01

Water

TC-S3L-01

Discharge

Discharge

PT-S1V-05

PT-S1V-03 PT-S1V-02

TC-S1V-02

SG-S1V-03 SG-S1V-02

TC-S1V-01

V25

Discharge

22

LIFUS5 facility : HLM/water interaction


23

Pressure evolution detected in gas phase followed the same trend as in LBE but the first sharp peak was not present.

• Liquid metal temperature: 350 °C

• Water injection pressure: 6 bar

• Water temperature: 130 °C (sub-cooling of 28 °C)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000

Time [ms]

Pre

ss

ure

[b

ar]

LM

Gas

past experimental program

LIFUS5 facility : HLM/water interaction


24

LIFUS5 facility: instrumentation

High temperature strain gauge

Level gauge

# Device No. Inst. Type

1.1 Thermocouple

71 1mm

1.2 70 3mm

2.1 Dynamic

pressure sensor 7 Max P=250 bar

3.1

Absolute

pressure sensor

2 P=0 – 250 bar

3.2 2 P=0 – 250 bar

3.3 1 Vacuum pump

3.4 1 P=0 – 16 bar

4.1 Strain gage 6 Other 9 strain gages

available

5.1 Coriolis flow

meter 1

Error 0.52% @ 0.2 kg/s

and 0.20% @ 0.8 kg/s

6.1 Level gauge

1

Resolution 5mm;

Max T=350°C; Max

P=200 bar

6.2 1 On/off

Fast pressure transducer


25

LIFUS5 facility: ongoing activities

THINS test section: 70 TC FP7 EC THINS Project: the objective of the experimental tests is to provide experimental data

1.for developing and validating physical modeling and

2.for improving and qualifying computer codes

The objective is pursued by means of a test section having an axial-symmetric configuration

of the reaction vessel (S1),

of the instrumentation, and

of the injection system

easier to be simulated by computer code

Injection nozzle

Water injection LBE injection and

discharge


26

Next activities

In the frame of the SGTR studies, the following activities will be carried out:

Tests in Circe facility simulating a

SGTR event in a mock up of MYRRHA primary heat exchanger (MAXSIMA project).

Bubbles characterization and detection in case of coolant leak in SG (MAXSIMA project).

Design and construction of a new liquid metal facility to perform large scale experiments in order to evaluate the consequences related with a SGTR accident in LFR (ATHENA).

ATHENA

Multipurpose Facility

SG-HX thermal-hydraulic characterization (up to 10 MW)

Reliability test and components qualification (primary pump, DHR-HX, SG, etc..)

Safety Assessment (flow blockage, SGTR, flow induced vibration, control rod insertion, etc..)

Integral Test (FA thermal-hydraulic, SG-PP-core coupling, etc..)

Main Vessel (S100)

Lead Inventory: 58.5 m3 (600 ton)

Height: 9085 mm

Diameter: 3200 mm

Vessel Thickness: 30 mm

Design Pressure: 18 bar

Design Temperature: 520°C

Material: AISI 316 LN

European LFR Activities

The on going EU-FP7 LEADER project generated:

The ELFR configuration based on the solution of the main ELSY issues

The configuration of the LFR demonstrator ALFRED (300 MWth)

Passive Safety Systems used extensively for both reactors design

ELFR and ALFRED safety analysis started – Results expected end of 2012

ALFRED is the main step of the EU Road Map for the development of LFR technology

The HeLiMNet project organized an “International Workshop on Liquid Metal Fast Reactors:

respective issues and synergies” in Aix-en-Provence October 2011.

Main result is the number of possible synergies between SFR and LFR.

ANSALDO, ENEA and INR signed on February 22, 2012 a MoU

for the establishment of ALFRED Consortium.

Consortium open to organizations interested in ALFRED design, experimental activities and construction

Reference site for ALFRED is Romania

Contacts are on going for a technical exchange of information

between LEADER and BREST projects

ALFRED

Summary of 11th GIF – LFR Steering Committee

Main decisions/actions:

US accepted as observer of the GIF-LFR-SC activities

LFR-SC will develop a position paper on safety aspects of LFR

System Research Plan:

to be updated taking into account latest evolutions and Road Map timing

Reference concept of the SRP will be updated and BREST 300 added:

SSTAR 10-100 Mwe

BREST 300 300 Mwe

ELFR 600 Mwe

Updated System Research Plan available before GIF Symposium.

Enlargement of the GIF-LFR-MOU signature will be pursued by all members

Next meeting will be held in Japan November 2012.


2 independent passive shutdown systems

gravity driven system (only shutdown) passively inserted by a

pneumatic system (by depressurization) from the top of the core. In

case of failure of the pneumatic system, the safety rods are equipped

with tungsten ballast that forces the absorber down by gravity with a

lower velocity

control/shutdown system inserted from below the active core zone

using the strong buoyancy available in lead. The inadvertent ejection

from the core active part is avoided by means of a mechanical device

in the core upper part to stop the control rod, once inserted, at the end

of the active zone.

Some feature of the ELFR System

ELFR – Control and Shutdown systems


Some feature of the ELFR System

ELFR – Decay Heat Removal Systems strategy

One non safety-grade system, the secondary system, is used for the normal decay heat removal following the reactor shutdown Two INDEPENDENT, DIVERSE, PASSIVE and REDUNDANT safety-grade Decay Heat Removal systems (DHR N1 and DHR N2): in case of unavailability of the secondary system the DHR N1 system is called and in the unlike event of unavailability of DHR1 the DHR N2 is used to evacuate the decay heat

DHR N1: 4 Isolation Condenser Systems connected to 4 secondary systems DHR N2: 4 Water Decay Heat Removal System in the cold pool (dip cooler)

DHR Systems features

Independence: two different systems with nothing in common Diversity: two systems based on different physical principles Redundancy: three loops sufficient to remove decay heat Passive: Active actuation (independent from grid), Passive operation


SIET is located inside a power station

in Piacenza (60 km from Milan)

THE SIET COMPANY able to test Power Plant components at the real

operating conditions

SIET Shareholders:

ENEA 44%

ENEL 42%

Others 14%

Finmeccanica, Ansaldo Energia, Politecnico di Milano, Tectubi raccordi

SIET was founded in 1983 by ENEA e CISE

31

Which facilities… 2-Heat exchange

www.siet.it

http://www.siet.it/

STEAM 8 kg/s (10 MPa, 500 °C)

WATER: 200 kg/s (16 MPa, 330 °C)

12 kg/s (20 MPa, 370 °C)

AIR: 0.01 m3/s (10 MPa)

0.15 m3/s (0.7 MPa)

ELECTRIC

POWER: 7 MW DC (70 kA)

GEST Facility Vessel ( 45 m3 )

32

SIET FACILITY CAPABILITIES

[ Fluids and Energy for Experiments ]

Thermal-Hydraulic Experimentation for Nuclear

Power Plants Main R&D Tools

SPES

Power: 7 MW, Pressure: 20 MPa

Integral test facility for simulation of accidents in PWR and

for code assessment

GEST


GEST-GEN: Studies of the PWR Steam Generators TH GEST-SEP: Tests on both BWR and PWR SG Separators and Dryers GEST- PANTHERS / PERSEO: Tests on Heat Removal Systems

IETI


Experimentation on NPP components

Critical Heat Flux Experiments for both nuclear fission and fusion technology

R&D on Steam Jet Pumps


SPES FACILITY

SPES facility

(Simulatore Pressurizzato per Esperienze di Sicurezza)

SPES facility is a large scale simulator of a PWR primary circuit

During the nineties the SPES facility was used for carryng out the certification program of the Westinghouse AP-600 reactor


SPES FACILITY

Integral Tests on SMR (generation

III+ integral type reactor) by using

the new facility SPES-3

Full scale in elevation

1:100 volume scaling factor

35

THE

REACTOR THE FACILITY

SPES-3


GEST FACILITY

TESTING ON NUCLEAR POWER PLANT COMPONENTS

SBWR – GE Isolation Condenser

(Heat Transfer Rate: 22 MW)

Steam Water Separator for

Toshiba ABWR


IETI FACILITY

37

THERMAL-HYDRAULIC EXPERIMTATION

ON GENERATION III+ NUCLEAR REACTOR

HELlCAL SG TUBES OF IRIS REACTOR


leakeage tests

thermal shock

set pressure opening &

capacity for safety valve

endurance tests

structural tests

Tests performed at SIET LAB :

VALVE TESTING


HEAT EXCHANGER TESTING

Typical HX parameters measured

at SIET LAB :

Heat Transfer Rate

Efficiency

Pressure Drop

Tube Vibration

Heat Transfer Coefficient


CONCLUSIONS

Italy has a very long and suffered history in the nuclear field

LFR represents a strong commitment

Thanks to favourable combination of lead inherent characteristics and plant design features, using extensively passive safety systems as a basis for design, resulting in a very robust and forgiving design, even in very extreme conditions. No need of off-site power and passive system once actuated are operated by basic phenomena (gravity, condensation)

The Alfred project is progressing, while general interest for lead rectors is coming from many countries


ENEA has one of the most relevant EU R&D infrastructures for HLM technological development, and it is strongly involved in the main research programs worldwide supporting the development of sub-critical (ADS) and critical lead cooled reactors (LFR - Gen. IV)

In these frames a large experimental program ranging from HLM thermal-hydraulic to large scale experiment has been implemented

ENEA is able to cooperate with other laboratories in order to promote the

growth and diffusion of the technology for nuclear application.

SIET facilities withstands the need of heat exchange, components testing and full size safety experiments

41

Conclusions


3. ITALIAN expectations for global Nuclear Power development in the 21st century

• National anticipation in the next 100 years are at the moment impossible;

• Anti nuclear policy from pseudo-environmentalists influences politicians;

• Country competitiveness negatively influenced by high energy costs;

• Economic crisis hinders large investment;

• Long construction time implies need for man of vision;

• Large availability of shale gas decreases need of other sources;

27-31 August 2012 5th INPRO Dialogue Forum 42

3. ITALIAN expectations for global Nuclear Power development in the 21st century

• Large spread of intermittent energy with priority dispatchement hinders the use of large capital cost plants, as nuclear, due to reduced load factors;

• Public opinion easily leaded by media;

• European treaties on CO2 reduction forces towards no fossil fuel usage; according to scenarios studies difficult/impossible to avoid nuclear;

• At the moment Italy is the first electricity importer of the world, around 40 TWh (mainly from France) produced by nuclear;

• Possible for companies to be attracted to construct nuclear power plants along the neighbouring countries borders to avoid public acceptance problems.

27-31 August 2012 5th INPRO Dialogue Forum 43

Italian situation and prospects - Nucleus 2... · NPP – FC • ENEL: Italy’s largest power...

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