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FISSION DRIVEN BY ACCELERATOR AND ISOTOPE TRANSMUTATION. (FACET)
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General Data
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Departamental Web
  Facet
Objetives
The goal of the project is the study of the nuclear waste transmutation, with close attention paid to their implementation based on accelerator driven systems, ADS. The project, carried out in collaboration with ENRESA, has two main research lines. The first one is dedicated to the development of concepts, designs, operation models and computer simulation tools characteristic of this type of systems. The second line includes the participation on the design, construction and data analysis of the most advanced experiments in this field of research.
Current Status
The experimental research line is focussed in two fields. First MUSE4, the 4th phase of an experimental programme developed at Cadarache (France) and leaded by CEA. The MUSE experiment is financed under contract within the 5th EU Framework Programme. The experiment studies the neutronic response of a subcritical fast system, with a fuel with high plutonium content, to an external neutron source (deuterium accelerator plus a deuterium or tritium target), checking in this way the basic phenomena of the ADS. MUSE4  covers both the static and kinetic aspects of the subcritical systems physics and practical applications like the monitoring and control of the subcriticality level. The second experimental research line is the nTOF experiment at CERN (PS213), also financed by the 5th EU Framework Programme. The proposal consists in a large campaign of measurements of neutron cross sections relevant to the ADS physics and their applications, as well as to other research fields. These measurements take place at a neutron time of flight installation coupled to a pulsed spallation source, driven by the CERN PS accelerator. The large intensity and the 20 GeV/c momentum of the PS proton beam allows reaching instantaneous intensities well above the largest values available at other existing installations. In addition, there is the preparation and follow-up of several experiments performed in Russia and Bielorussia as external collaborators of ISTC financed projects (SAD, YALINA, …).
In the area of simulation, the latest versions of the most advanced computer codes for the Monte Carlo simulation of neutronic systems have been installed on the CIEMAT computers. They include high-energy simulation codes (LAHET and FLUKA) as well as intermediate and low energy simulation tools, mainly MCNP (versions 4C and MCNPX). The later is used in single processor version and in a parallel version adapted for CIEMAT´s SGI-JEN50. Furthermore, the latest versions of the different evaluated nuclear data bases (ENDF B6, JENDL 3.2, EAF, ...) have been installed, as well as the necessary data handling codes (NJOY). An ADS specific simulation tool, EVOLCODE, has been developed by interfacing these codes and the nuclear materials depletion calculation code ORIGEN, also installed at CIEMAT. EVOLCODE was and is being validated with available experiments and by the comparison with other codes within international benchmarks.
In parallel, there is a wide evaluation program of different ADS models and their application strategies to nuclear waste management. The studies performed include several types of fast spectrum ADS, cooled with lead and fuelled with a thorium matrix, inert matrices or partially fertile matrices with 238U and high content of transuranic elements (plutonium included). Such studies are focussed at present time to the participation in the PDS-XADS project within the 5th EU Framework Programme, which has as objective to produce a pre-engineering design of the European eXperimental ADS.
Last but not least, there is an active participation in international groups of experts at the NEA/OCDE and IAEA and the ADOPT EU thematic network, where the application of different Partitioning and Transmutation strategies to nuclear waste management is discussed and guide lines of suggested for the European R&D in these fields.
Principal Results
The measurement of transmutation rates of Tc99 and 129I by epithermal neutrons at TARC.
The verification of nuclear models and nuclear databases used in spallation and neutron transport simulation in lead.
The preparation of a neutronic simulation system specially adapted to accelerator driven systems with fuel depletion calculation capability.
The evaluation of the actinide transmutation potentiality of a fast ADS, using lead as coolant and a mixture of thorium and transuranics, plutonium included, as fuel.
The evaluation of the actinide transmutation potentiality of a fast ADS, using lead as coolant and an inert matrix or partially fertile matrix with transuranics and high enrichment in minor actinides, as fuel.
The study of Detailed Phase-Out TRU Transmutation Scenarios based On Fast Neutron ADS Systems.
The Design of experiments and evaluation of configurations for the MUSE4 experiment.
The Experimental determination of kinetic parameters and response to fast pulses of external neutrons of the MASURCA subcritical assembly in MUSE4 configurations.
Participation in the setup and characterisation of the nTOF experiment.
The measurement of the 232Th, 151Sm, 209Bi and all Pb stable isotopes capture cross sections at nTOF.
The study of the neutron induced damage on the internal structures and of possible option for the reduction of the Po production in the Pb/Bi cooled XADS-80 of the PDS-XADS project and the general neutronic evaluation of the Myrrha concept (XADS-30).
Participation in the design of the experimental programmes of YALINA and SAD.
Scientific Investigators
- Álvarez Velarde, Francisco
- Blázquez Martínez, Juan
- Cano Ott, Daniel
- Embid Segura, Miguel
- Vicente Vicente, Mª del Carmen
References
(1). ABÁNADES, A. [et al.]. Results from the TARC experiment: Spallation neutron phenomenology in lead and neutron-driven nuclear transmutation by adiabatic resonance crossing. Nuclear Instru-ments and Methods, 2002, A478. p. 577-730.
(2). EMBID, M. [et al.]. Estudio preliminar de la experiencia MUSE-4 a través de simulaciones por Montecarlo con MCNP4b. DFN/TR-08/II-99.
(3). VILLAMARÍN, D. First measurements of the kinetic response of the muse-4 fast ads mock-up to fast neutron pulse. 7th International Exchange Meeting on Partitioning and Transmutation of the NEA/OECD. Jeju (Korea). Octubre 2002.
(4). THE NTOF COLLABORATION. nTOF status report. CERN/INTC 2001-021. Julio 2001, y GON-ZALEZ, E. on behalf of the nTOF collabortion. Neutron Cross-Section for P&T and ADS at the n_TOF Facility at CERN. 7th International Exchange Meeting on Partitioning and Transmutation of the NEA/OECD. Jeju (Korea). Octubre 2002.
(5). FERNÁNDEZ, R. [et al.]. Performance on actinide transmutation of lead-thorium based ADS. In 5th International Information Exchange Meeting on Actinide and Fission Product Partitioning and Transmutation, MOL (Bélgica). Nov. 1998. También Informes CIEMAT nº 920. 2000.
(6). PÉREZ-PARRA, A. [et al.]. Transuranic transmutation on partially fertile (U-Zr) Matrix Lead-Bismuth cooled ADS. CIEMAT-DFN/TR01/PC01. 2001.
(7). GONZÁLEZ, E [et al.]. Detailed phase-out TRU transmutation scenarios studies based on fast neutron ADS systems. 7th International Exchange Meeting on Partitioning and Transmutation of the NEA/OECD. Jeju (Korea). Octubre 2002.
(8). Accelerator-driven systems (ADS) and fast reactors (FR) in advanced nuclear fuel cycles. A com-parative study. Nuclear Development. NEA/OCDE. Mayo 2002.
(9). A European roadmap for developing accelerator driven systems (ADS) for nuclear waste incinera-tion. ENEA. April 2001. ISBN 88-8286-008-6. http://www.neutron.kth.se/TWG22.
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