Post on 29-Aug-2020
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ADVANCES IN REPROCESSING TECHNOLOGY IN INDIA
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PHWRSpent Fuel
Reprocessing
HLLW as Resource& Waste
Management
FBRReprocessing
THORIAReprocessing
Indian 3- stage Nuclear Power
Programme
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INDIAN NUCLEAR POWER PROGRAMME
• CLOSED FUEL CYCLE
PHWRNatural Uranium Fuel
STA
GE-
1
PHWRs -18BWR - 2PWR - 2
REPROCESSING
FBR ThTh
REPROCESSING PuPu
STA
GE-
2
233U
FBR FBTR-1PFBR-1
233UBREEDER
ThTh
REPROCESSING
233U233USTA
GE-
3
233U based reactor Kamini-1
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Reactor Type CapacityMW(e)
TAPS 1&2 BWR 2×160
TAPS 3&4 PHWR 2×540
RAPS 1&2 PHWR 100 & 200
RAPS 3-6 PHWR 4×220
MAPS 1&2 PHWR 170 & 200
NAPS 1&2 PHWR 2×220
KAPS 1&2 PHWR 2×220
KAIGA 1-4 PHWR 4×220
KNPP 1&2 VVER 2×1000
Operating Power Plants in India
Spent Fuel Storage facility
PHWR
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Power Plants under planning & Construction
Under Construction : 6
• Rajasthan -2 (PHWRs)• Kakrapar -2 (PHWRs)• Kudankulam - 2 (PWRs)
Under Planning : 36
• PHWR : 16• PWR : 20
Fast Breeder Reactor FBR : 1 (PFBR )
(Advanced stage of commissioning)Under Planning : 3
Advance Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR)
Under Planning: 1
Spent Fuel and Reprocessing
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Spent Fuel Reprocessing: PUREX Process
Reprocessing Plant, Tarapur
Reprocessing Plant, Kalpakkam
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TBP Based PUREX Extraction
Disassembly
& Dissolution
Spent Fuel PuDU
Fuel FF
Np
Tc
PHWR
Actinide Partitioning and
Group Separation
• Vitrified waste
• Deep Geological(under surveillance)
FBR/ADS
Based
P&T
Ln & Other FPs
HLLW
HAF
Minor Actinides
Oxide Fuel
Hulls and
Insolubles
129I as NaI
UU
Recovery of useful
radionuclide 137Cs, 90Sr, 106Ru, etc.
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Chopping of Spent Fuel
Robust Choppers with higher
throughput
Feed Clarification
Centrifuge and Ultrafilteration
Electrochemical In-situ U-Pu Partitioning
Development of Electrodes
Remote Replacement of Anode
Chemical reduction of U(IV) to U(IV)
using Adams catalyst
Performance of the Operating plants
to the Rated Capacities
Supply of Adequate Pu to FBR and
AHWR Programmes
Maximize the Recovery
Minimum Waste Generation and
Discharges to the Environment
Reduction in the Process Steps
Incorporation of Reliable and
Improved Equipment into Plants
Automation in Fuel Handling
operations
Development of Necessary Gadgets &
Retrofitting in the Existing Plants
11/27/2019 10नाभिकीय पुनश्चक्रण वर्गNuclear Recycle Group
FAST REACTOR SPENT FUELREPROCESSING
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Existing Challenges for FBR Reprocessing
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Dissolution of Fuels with high Pu/(U+Pu) Ratio
Size Limitation due to Criticality Problem
High Activity due to High Burnup (~200 GWd/t)
& Short Cooling Periods (~240 days)
Third Phase Formation and Polymerization of
Pu(IV) at Low acidities
U-Pu Separation for high Pu/(U+Pu) Ratio
Vacuum-Distillation Based Extractant and
Diluent Recovery
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• Modified PUREX process
• Higher homologous of TBP tested at Laboratory scale
• Use of Centrifugal Contractors
• Processing demonstration at Kg levels in Lead Mini Cells
• Engineering Scale adoption at CORAL Facility
FBTR Reprocessing : Present Scenario
Future Strategy • Processing of actual high burn up, short cooled spent fuel at engineering scale using
Higher homologues of TBP
Tri-Amyl Phosphate(TAP)
Tri-iso-Amyl Phosphate(TiAP)
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Molten Salt Electro refining Process.
Suitable for high burn up short cooled fuels
Laboratory Scale studies
Engineering scale facility in Glove box withprovision for manipulators
Feasibility of electro refining of UO2 established
Development of MgCl2 salt as alternateelectrolyte to CsCl-NaCl
Electrorefining of UO2 in MgCl2 Based electrolyteestablished.
Separation factors for Ce in this electrolytedetermined to be in the range 60-100 (EAEA-CRP- Project)
Pyrochemical Processing for metallic fuels
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THORIUM BASED IRRADIATED FUELREPROCESSING
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Thoria Fuel Reprocessing: Present Scenario
Fabrication
Thoria fuel for Research reactor
Thoria fuel bundles for PHWR
Thoria fuel assemblies for FBTR blanket
Irradiation
Research Reactor
PHWR initial flux flattening
FBTR blanket
Reprocessing Thoria Irradiated in Research Reactor and
PHWR.
Utilisation of U-233 KAMINI Reactor
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Flow-sheet for the reprocessing of AHWR
Concentration (g/L)
Th-stream Pu-stream U-stream
Th : 71.29 Pu : 0.8575 U : 4.42
U : 0.001 U : 0.01 Pu : 0.004
Pu : 0.0048 Th : 0.18 Th : 0.109
Laboratory Scale Mixer Settlers
FPs
Decontamination Factors
U Pu Th
137Cs 8.89 ×105 6.09 ×105 5.97 ×104
144Ce ~7.30 ×105 ~5.07 ×105 5.10 ×104
106Ru 1.22 ×106 8.36 ×105 9.11 ×104
90Sr 1.94 ×106 1.96 ×106 2.07 ×105
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Challenges Dissolution of Thoria Fuel with Corrosive chemicals
Criticality Problem
High activity due to High Burnup (~20 GWd/t +)
Third Phase Formation issues
233U-Pu Separation in U(VI)- Pu(IV)- Th(IV) System
Handling of 233U containing high burn up
11/27/2019 20नाभिकीय पुनश्चक्रण वर्गNuclear Recycle Group
HLW AS RESOURCE
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HLLW as source of Useful radionuclide
SLM Based 90Sr-90Y generator
106Ru plaque
2-Ethylhexyl 2-ethylhexyl phosphonic acid
Octylphenyl-N,N-diisobutyl CarbamoylMethyl Phosphine Oxide (CMPO)
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Operation : Process Flow-sheet for Recovery of Useful radionuclide from Historical Waste
HLLWTBP
U,Pu-TBP
To RP
U,Pu lean HLLW
Calix-Crown Cs-CC-6
U,Pu & Cs lean HLLW
An-Ln & Sr in TEHDGA
Cs- GlassPencils
TEHDGA
An/Ln & Sr
HLLWTreated as
LLW
Dil. HNO3
Dil. HNO3
Dil. HNO3
Partitioning of Actinides from PHWR-HLLW
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Actinide Separation Demonstration Facility (ASDF),Tarapur
Three step solvent extraction process-
Separation of residual Major Actinides (U,Pu) from HLLW using 30% TBP Bulk separation of An and Ln from U-lean HLLW using TEHDGA Separation of lanthanides from actinides using D2EPHA
• Effective removal of actinides from high level liquid waste substantiallyreduces radio-toxicity and also the requirement of long term storage
• Extends time for the repository requirements.
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• India has mastered Reprocessing Technology following PUREXProcess for PHWR spent fuel.
• Demonstration of FBTR reprocessing has also carried outsuccessfully using Modified PUREX process.
• TAP/TiAP are tested and will be used in future.• Thoria processing for PHWR irradiated fuel is demonstrated
successfully using THOREX process.• Waste is considered as resource for the recovery of useful
radionuclides.• 137Cs, 90Sr, 90Y and 106Ru are recovered and being used for
Societal applications.• Indigenously synthesised solvents are being adopted for
reprocessing as well as radionuclide partitioning from Waste. • Partitioning of actinides from HLLW is successfully demonstrated
at ASDF, Tarapur.
Summary and Conclusions
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• Nuclear Recycle Group- Fuel Reprocessing Division- Waste Management Division- Process Development Division- Technology Development Division
• Nuclear Recycle Board
• IGCAR, Kalpakkam
• Health, Safety and Environment Group-RSSD-HPD
• Regulatory Body
Acknowledgements
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