GIF MSR systemDevelopment Status

of

13th GIF-IAEA Interface Meeting

IAEA Headquarters, Vienna. 18-19 March 2019

Presented by Victor Ignatiev, RF

Ignatev_VV@nrcki.ru

Status of MSR development 1

2

Different Reactor Concepts using Molten Salt are Discussed at GIF MSR pSSC Meetings

• Within the GIF, research is performed on the MSR concepts, under the MOU signed byAustralia, Euratom, France, Russian Federation, Switzerland and USA.

• China, Canada, Korea, and Japan contribute as observers• Two fast spectrum MSR concepts are being studied, large power units based on

homogeneous core with liquid fluoride-salt circulating fuel: MSFR design in France,Euratom and Switzerland as well as MOSART concept in the Russian Federation. R&Dstudies are on-going in order to verify that fast spectrum MSR systems satisfy the goals ofGen-IV reactors in terms of sustainability, non-proliferation, safety and waste management

• The US is focused on liquid fueled MCFR (Molten Chloride salt Fast Reactor) as well assome other solid (FHR) and liquid fuel fluoride based designs

• China and Canada, as observer in the pSSC of the MSR, are working on thorium - uraniumliquid fuel fluoride salt designs, respectively TMSR and IMSR

• 27rd GIF MSR pSSC meeting, was held at ANSTO (Australia) in March 2019

Status of MSR development

Status of expressions of interest

Most of the MSR pSSC members and observers have expressed their interest in the different PAs.

Interest among PAs is quite “balanced” Observers should also join the SA

pSSC Members Observers

Australia Euratom France Russia US Switzerland China Japan Korea

Canadian Consortium

TEI CNL

L. Edwards Materials X X X X X

O. Bennes Salt properties X X X X X X X

J. Krepel System Integration X X X X X X X X

27rd GIF MSR pSSC meeting, ANSTO 10-15 March 2019• Tuesday• Wednesday• Thursday RSWG Workshop• Friday ANSTO Technical Tour

• Institutional projects with Direct funding - Gen IV policy support to EU commitments- Member states support

• EU HORIZON2020 project (Indirect funds)- SAMOFAR project (ends 08/2018)- SAMOSAFER from 1/10/2019 (4 year project granted by EU)

• Collaboration agreements with Member States- Netherlands – TUD, NRG (SALIENT01 irradiation - ~3M€)- Fuel preparation of SALIENT03 irradiation (followed by PIE)- Italy, Czech Rep., France, Slovakia

• Collaboration agreements with International partners- US (I-NERI) - CNSC- Terrestrial Energy (Q-A work)

Collaborations: Europe

MSR Activities at JRC• Synthesis of An-fluoride salts

• Physico-chemical properties investigation

• Thermodynamic Database of F- salts

• Pyrochemical reprocessing of the fuel salt

• PIE of fuels

Status of MSR development 8

Czech activities in 2018 – 2019• The main activities in the period from last pSSC MSR meeting to present days were

focused on the preparation of the future measurement of the FLIBE neutronicparameters at the temperature range between 500 °C to 750 °C.

• To realize these measurement at LR-0 experimental reactor, the new inserted zonewith hot liquid FLIBE salt was calculated, predesigned and is now ready formanufacture. The new zone will be significantly bigger than the previous zone usedfor the measurement at room temperature. The zone will be preheated outside thereactor, then placed into insulation case and finally put into the reactor formeasurement.

• The other activities related to the development of Czech MSR program continued inagreement with the Czech national project on MSR technology development. Theseactivities cover the FLIBE loop program (change of gaskets in loop flanges,preparation of the ŠKODA pump for the installation in the loop etc.), blade designoptimizations of the ŠKODA impeller, continuation of the electrochemical studies ofAn/FP separation from fluoride salts and continuation of the long-term MONICRcorrosion experiments in FLIBE.

• Moreover, in the frame of collaboration between the Research Centre Řež and NRGPetten related to the irradiation experiments, both the MONICR samples forirradiation and the capsules of FLIBE salt with UF4 and ThF4 were prepared in Řežand now they are ready for shipment to Petten.

Irradiation tests NRG Petten• SALIENT-01:

• 78LiF-22ThF4 in graphite crucibles

• 12 out of 18 cycles completed (end of irradiation: September 2019)

• Preparations for post-irradiation examination are underway:• Gamma spectrometry• Fission gas release by puncturing / mass spectrometry• SEM/WDS: Noble metal particle size, salt-graphite interaction,

FP diffusion and vaporization-condensation

• SALIENT-03:

• Design completed:• 75LiF-18.7ThF4-6UFx-0.3PuF3 in welded Hastelloy N / GH3535 capsules• Electric heaters, to avoid radiolysis• In-pile monitoring of pressure and redox potential

• Projected start of irradiation: Q4 2019

• Gamma irradiation of fresh saltsamples (LiF, BeF2, UF4, ThF4, 71.7LiF-16BeF2-12.3UF4) • Radiolytic gas production:

pressure vs. dose• Sample synthesis and fabrication

finished at research Center Rez• Start of irradiation scheduled Q3 2019

Progress in Italy

500WNo fan

500WNo fan

• Institutional projects with Direct funding - Gen IV policy support to RF commitments

• 2018 Rosatom MSR related Awards: KI, VNIITF, VNIINM, MCC, OKBM, NIKIET1. R&D needs for closure of the nuclear fuel cycle for all actinides with MSR at MCC site2. Development of the methods for actinides fluorides production as applied to MSR3. Conceptual development of the fast U-Pu MSR

• Collaboration agreements with International partners- EU (SAMOFAR - KI) - SINAP (China)1. Key physical & chemical properties for different coolant compositions;2. Combined materials compatibility & salt chemistry control; 3. Development and experiments with component molten salt test facilities

2018 Collaborations in Russia

2018 DOE-NE Industry Awards• Modeling and Optimization of Flow and Heat Transfer in Reactor Components for Molten

Chloride Salt Fast Reactor Application• Elysium Industries USA - $3,200,000

• Fluorination of Lithium Fluoride-Beryllium Fluoride Molten Salt Processing• Flibe Energy & PNNL - $2,627,482

10

• in situ Measurement and Validation of Uranium Molten Salt Properties at Operationally Relevant Temperatures

• University of Connecticut (CFA-18-15065) - $799,979

• Development of an MC&A toolbox for liquid- fueled molten salt reactors with online reprocessing

• University of Tennessee (CFA-18-15061) - $799,207

• Determination of Molecular Structure and Dynamics of Molten Salts by Advanced Neutron and X-ray Scattering Measurements and Computer Modeling

• MIT (CFA-18-15093)- $800,000

• Corrosion Testing of New Alloys and Accompanying On-Line Redox Measurements in ORNL FLiNaK and FLiBe Molten Salt Flow Loops

• Georgia Institute of Technology (CFA-18-14977) - $800,000

Test Demonstration Centre for UNF reprocessing

(commissioning in2021)

UNFCentralized wet and dry storage

facilities

Underground research laboratory

(commissioning in2024 )

VVER-1000 UNF – since 2016

Modernization of the HLW management infrastructure BN-800 MOX-fuel fabrication

PuO2

Partitioning and isotopes production

UNF infrastructure in RussiaFacilities of Test Demonstration Centre being built at the site of the Mining and Chemical Combine after 2020 will startreprocessing of UNF from VVER-1000, providing a recovered fissile materials for recycling in thermal and fast reactors.

In accordance with today TDC flowsheet, the HLW, containing Am and Cm is the subject for vitrification

TDC will become the reference basis for the large-scale RT-2 plant, which will provide an environmentally and economicallyacceptable system of VVER-1000/1200 UNF recycling both in Russia and abroad.

Reprocessing

ILW disposal

MSR

Production

Enrichment & fabrication

VVER

Uranium

Fresh fuel

Used fuel

U, Pu TRU

ILW

Waste conditioningFuel salt, mole% LiF-BeF2+1TRUF3

Temperature, оС 620-720Core radius/height, m 1.4/2.8Core specific power, W/cm3 130Container material HN80MTY alloyRemoval time for soluble FP, yr 1-3

Solvent, mole %

FeedMA/TRU

Loading (EOL), t

TRU/MA,kg/yr

73LiF-27BeF2 0.1 3.9 730/73

73LiF-27BeF2 0.35 13.9 730/260

73LiF-27BeF2 0.45 23.2 730/330

Introduction of MOSART into nuclear power help to solve the problem of long-lived actinides

12

R&D work packages 1. Development of container material for fuel and intermediate circuit2. Development of flowsheets for the preparation and processing of fuel salt3. Development of structural materials for the fuel salt processing unit4. Conducting physico-chemical studies5. Development of analytical methods for monitoring the fuel salt and intermediate

coolant6. Justification of reactor safety7. Development of technologies for auxiliary components and systems8. Ensuring maintainability and organization of equipment maintenance 9. Development of control and measuring systems10. Creation of an electrically heated mock up11. Design development for the 10-50 MWt experimental reactor 12. Design development for a 2.4 GWt MOSART

The construction of a large power MOSART is proposed to be precededby the construction of 10 MWt test MOSART unit to demonstrate thecontrol of the reactor and fuel salt management with its volatile andfission products with different TRU loadings for start up, transition toequilibrium, drain-out, shut down etc.

14

2019

Program plan for R&D needsPre-conceptual studies of the reactor plant and processing unit must be performed to establish the MSR viability (reactor and fuel salt clean-up unit to be optimized together)

2020

Experimental infrastructure (radiation damage tests and integral forced convectionsalt loops) are required to proceed further in the mastering of fuel / coolant salts and materials technology

2025

Designdocumentation ofthe 10 MWt MSR for burning TRU’s from SNF at the MCC site

2028

Development of technologies and equipment for transmutation of radwaste at the experimental infrastructure

2033

Test 10 MWt MOSART-E.Full - scale MOSART detailed design

There are opportunities to further improve the efficiency of minor actinidesburning in MOSART, which will be justified by the results of the experimental setup

• Corrosion Resistance and Mechanical Stability of Nickel Alloys in Molten-Salt Nuclear Reactors, Atomic Energy,124, 1, pp 43-49, 2018

• Accidental resistance of molten salt reactor, Atomic Energy, 124, 6, pp 371-378, 2018• Molten salt reactor as the necessary element for the closure of the nuclear fuel cycle for all actinides, Atomic

Energy, 125, 5. pp 251-255, 2018• Measurement of the kinematic viscosity for the molten 73LiF-27BeF2 salt mixture and effect on its the viscosity

of cerium trifluoride and zirconium tetrafluoride additives, Atomic Energy, 125, 2, pp 91-94, 2018• Analysis of the fuel circuit characteristics for the molten salt reactor with homogeneous core, Atomic Energy, 126,

2019• Effects of silicon carbide on the corrosion of metallic materials in molten LiF-NaF-KF salt, Corrosion Science, 143,

pp 157-165, 2018• Effect of exposing duration on the interaction between nickel-based alloy and SiC in molten LiF-NaF-KF salt, J. of

NUCLEAR MATERIALS, 515, pp. 276-283, 2019• Voltammetric measurements on the [U(IV)]/[U(III)] couple and embrittlement of high nickel alloys in fuel LiF-BeF2-

UF4 salt with tellurium addition in application to molten salt reactor, Corrosion Science, 2019• Neutronic benchmark of the molten salt fast reactor in the frame of the EVOL and MARS collaborative projects,

EPJ Nuclear Sci. Technol. 5, 2, 2019• Effect of the [U(IV)/U(III)] Ratio on Selective Chromium Corrosion and Tellurium Intergranular Cracking of

Hastelloy N alloy in the LiF-BeF2-UF4 Salt, EPJ Nuclear Sci. Technol., Special issue, 2019

MSR related papers’ 2018-2019

U.S. MSR* Development Activities Include Government Support, Industry, and Regulatory Modernization

• Department of Energy (DOE)-Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) MSR technical campaign continues into FY’19

• Core R&D through national laboratories• University research (20% of campaign)• Small business opportunities• Gateway for Accelerated Innovations in Nuclear (GAIN) vouchers to provide private

company access to national laboratory resources• Multiple industry awards

• Additional government activities are more broadly classified as support for advanced non-LWRs

• Office of Science and Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA-E) projects• Nuclear Regulatory Commission is developing a technology-neutral,

performance-based, risk-informed regulatory framework

16

*MSR support includes both solid (aka FHRs) and liquid fueled concepts

Several Projects Related to FHR R&D Have Been Completed in the US Covering a Number of Areas• “Integrated FHR Technology Development: Tritium Management,

Materials Testing, Salt Chemistry Control, Thermal Hydraulics and Neutronics, Associated Benchmarking and Commercial Base”

• MIT-ANP-TR-18 • Summarizes three years of work done at four universities (MIT, UC-Berkley, U

of Wisconsin, and U of New Mexico

• “Integrated Approach to Fluoride High Temperature Reactor Technology and Licensing Challenges (FHR-IRP) IRP-14-7829 y3

• 3-year, multi-university study led by Georgia Tech

2015 DOE-NE Industry Award - Cost-Sharing R&D With Industry on a Molten Chloride Fast Reactor

• First U.S. Government liquid-fueled MSR funding in 40 years

• Award made following a competitive process

• $40M of government funding over 5 years with a substantial private match (>20%)

• Southern Company Services is the lead for the program

• TerraPower, ORNL, EPRI, and Vanderbilt University are the supporting institutions

• ORNL is R&D lead

Early validation

• Completed by 2019• Supported jointly by

U.S. Government and Southern Nuclear Services led consortium

Critical test reactor

• Mid 2020s

Commercial prototype

• By 2035

Image courtesy of TerraPower

2018 DOE-NE Industry Awards• Modeling and Optimization of Flow and Heat Transfer in Reactor Components for Molten

Chloride Salt Fast Reactor Application• Elysium Industries USA - $3,200,000

• Fluorination of Lithium Fluoride-Beryllium Fluoride Molten Salt Processing• Flibe Energy & PNNL - $2,627,482

19

• in situ Measurement and Validation of Uranium Molten Salt Properties at Operationally Relevant Temperatures

• University of Connecticut (CFA-18-15065) - $799,979

• Development of an MC&A toolbox for liquid- fueled molten salt reactors with online reprocessing

• University of Tennessee (CFA-18-15061) - $799,207

• Determination of Molecular Structure and Dynamics of Molten Salts by Advanced Neutron and X-ray Scattering Measurements and Computer Modeling

• MIT (CFA-18-15093)- $800,000

• Corrosion Testing of New Alloys and Accompanying On-Line Redox Measurements in ORNL FLiNaK and FLiBe Molten Salt Flow Loops

• Georgia Institute of Technology (CFA-18-14977) - $800,000

Three Vendors Have Announced Plans for Commercial US MSR Deployment by Early 2030s

20

TerraPower

• Separate effects tests (now)

• Integrated effects test (2019)

• Test reactor – 30-150 MWth – Class 104 License (2023-2028)

• Commercial prototype reactor – 600-2500 MWth – Class 103 License (early 2030s)

Kairos Power

• Pre-conceptual design – March 2018

• Conceptual –December 2020

• Preliminary – Before 2025

• Detailed – Before 2030• US demonstration by

2030• Rapid deployment

ramp up in 2030s

Terrestrial Energy USA

• Conceptual design –mid-2016

• Vendor phase 1 design review (Canada) –October 2017

• Vendor phase 2 design review (Canada) –2020 (starting 4Q2018)

• Commercialization before 2030

ORNL Liquid Salt Test Loop (FLiNaK) Restarted in 2018

• Forced-flow loop for component testing• Conducted a number of activities to restart loop

• Re-cleaned FLiNaK• Worked with company to design new pressure

transducer• Added heaters to ultrasonic flowmeter• Re-calibration of pressure relief valves, gas

pressure transducers, mass flow controllers• Worked with GT on corrosion test setup

Forced Flow FLiBe Loop Thermal Image, Operating 700°C Hot Side, 650°C Cold Side

March 2019

FLiBe Natural Circulation Loop, Dimensions, Picture, Thermal Image During Operation

The DOE and NRC MSR Campaigns Have Produced a Number of R&D Reports• Molten Salt Reactor Salt Processing – Technology Status - INL/EXT-18-51033

https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1484689-molten-salt-reactor-salt-processing-technology-status

• Status of Metallic Structural Materials for Molten Salt Reactors - INL/EXT-18-45171https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1467482-status-metallic-structural-materials-molten-salt-reactors

• A Systems Processing Model for Molten Salt Reactor - INL-EXT-18-45007https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1467477-systems-processing-model-molten-salt-reactors

• Thermochemical and Transport Properties Important to Molten Salt Reactor Operation: Off-Gas Performance under Normal Operation and Fission Product Mechanistic Source Term - ORNL/TM-2018/958https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1479742-thermochemical-transport-properties-important-molten-salt-reactor-operation-off-gas-performance-fission-product-mechanistic-source-term

• Phenomena Important in Modeling and Simulation of Molten Salt Reactors – BNL-114869-2018-IRhttps://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML1812/ML18124A330.pdf

• A Safety and Licensing Roadmap to Identify the Research and Development Gaps of Commercial Molten Salt Reactors -ORNL/TM-2018/944https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1474561-safety-licensing-roadmap-identify-research-development-gaps-commercial-molten-salt-reactors

• Regulatory Gap Analysis of Select NUREG-0800 Chapters for Applicability to Molten Salt Reactors - ORNL/TM-2018/976https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1476402

• SiC/SiC Composites Technology Gap Analysis for Molten Salt Reactor- ORNL/TM-2018/842https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1462858-sic-sic-composites-technology-gap-analysis-molten-salt-reactors

25

TMSR Program in China2MWt TMSR-LF1 demonstration by the end 2020

• High purity FLiNaK batch production, characterization and purification

• Synthesis of FLiBe and beryllium control method

• Establishing FLiBe-Th-U fuel salts thermodynamics database

- Synthesis technology of nuclear grade FLiBe with boron equivalent < 2 ppm

- Purification technology of high purity FLiNaK with total oxygen < 100 ppm

- High purity FLiNaK batch production of 10 tons per year- Capability of fluoride salt physical properties

measurement

Fluoride salt FLiBe SaltSalt production of 10 tons per year

Fluoride Salts Production and Purification

22

• Technologies for the smelting, processing, and welding of a Nickel-based alloy, UNS N10003, China standard GH3535

- Smelting 6 tons of alloy, developedtechnologies for processing and welding,performance is comparable to Hastelloy N

- Deformation processing technologies for nickel-based alloys with high Moly, manufactured largeUNS N10003 seamless pipes

Pipe processingHot extrusion ComponentWelding

Production of Nickel-based Alloy

23

- Industrial production of ultrafine-grain nuclear graphite NG-CT-50- Pore < 1 μm, ensured better FLiBe salt infiltration resistance than existing nuclear graphite- Establishing performance database for NG-CT-50 graphite- Participating in the international standards development of MSR nuclear graphite

• Development of the ultrafine grain nuclear graphite for MSR, involved in the establishment of ASME code of MSR nuclear graphite

FLiBe salt infiltration

Ultrafine grain nuclear graphite

Parameters NG-CT-50 IG-110

Pore Dia. (mm) 0.74 2

Boron (ppm) < 0.05 0.1

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

燃料球基体石墨

PB

6atm 8atm 10atm

NG-CT-50NG-CT-10NBG-18

浸

渗量

(wt.%

)

FLiBe--700oC, 20h

IG-110

Production of Low Porous Nuclear Grade Graphite

24

Developing Corrosion Control TechnologiesInvestigating Corrosion Mechanism

• Control the structural material corrosion by alloy composition optimization, salt purification and surface treatment

FTD Coating

Without FTD Coating

GH3535 exposed to impurity FLiNaK

GH3535 exposed to high purity FLiNaK

Corrosion

Oxidation

Composition Optimization (Cr)

- Optimize the composition of alloy, diffusion of Cr- Improve purification technology, minimize

impurities- Fluoride salt thermal diffusion coating

- Salt impurities- Elements diffusion- Mass transfer

Material Corrosion Control

The corrosion attack was heavier in testcoupons electric contacted (right) withgraphite container than that of the isolatedone (left)

25

• Fluorination and distillation of fluoride salts in cold experiments• Developing fluorides electrochemical separation techniques

- Fluorination for U recovery: Verification of process with in-situ monitoring, use of frozen-wall technique to mitigate corrosion,derived from high temperature, F2 and liquid fluorides melt.

- Distillation for carrier salt purification: Demonstration of a controllable continuous distillation device, the distillation rate isabout 6 Kg per hour, and the DF is > 102 for most neutron poisons.

- Fluorides electrochemical separation for U recovery: Electro-deposition of U metal from FLiBe-UF4 melt and recovery > 92%

Frozen-wall testFluorination experimental set-up

Electrochemical experimental set-up

Distillationexperimental set-up

Pyroprocessing Techniques

27

Tritium stripping with bubbling

Tritium separation with cryogenics

Tritium alloy storage

On-line tritium monitoring

Bubble-size control,

degassing efficiency > 95%

Kr\Xe < 1 ppb and H2 < 1 ppm in the off gases

Zr2Fe alloy(Hydrogen partial

pressure ratio< 0.1 ppm )

On-line monitoring of HTO, HT, K and Xe,

• On-line tritium monitoring• Tritium stripping using bubbling, tritium separation with cryogenics, and tritium storage

Tritium Measurement and Control

GH 3535 Creep testing in molten FLiNaK salt

SEM

Euler Map

Cr

Australian MSR Materials Research

• GR3535 alloy, FLiNaK salt, 1017 ions/cm2 He+• He+ ion irradiation increases the thickness of the corrosion layer in the irradiated and

corroded sample to more 30 times than in the un-irradiated sample

Effect of Ion Irradiation on Corrosion

Evidence of preferential grain boundary attack32

33

Canadian Nuclear LaboratoriesFocuses on: Thermophysical Properties of Molten Salts, Reactor Accident Phenomenology, Accident Consequence Evaluation, Advanced ModellingAnd Economics

New MSR related projects (2018-2019):• Sensor monitoring of remote and underground northern structures• Passive safety and heat transport technologies• Corrosion of materials in molten salts• Human performance factors related to operations• Predictive tools to assess safety margins for heat pipe reactors• Development of actinide molten salt fuel synthesis• Evaluation of safety margin to failure conditions for fuel• Methodological basis for transport criticality and radiation safety analysis• Exploring capabilities for ZED-2 as a Physics Test Facility to support MSR design

Thank you for your attention

34