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The Jules Horowitz Reactor (JHR ) Project

Experimental capabilities

TRTR-2005 / IGORR 10 Joint Meeting

September , 12-16 2005 , Gaithersburg,Maryland - USA

stephane.gaillot@cea.fr

Authors :C.Pascal (AREVA),Y.Demoisy (AREVA), X.Bravo (CEA),S.Gaillot (CEA), F.Javier (CEA).

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Outlines

• Introduction

• Irradiation experiments requirements

• JHR capabilities

• Conclusion

TRTR-2005 / IGORR 10 Joint Meeting

September , 12-16 2005 , Gaithersburg,Maryland - USA

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Introduction

he Jules Horowitz Reactor (JHR) is a modern experimental capability for studying materials

and fuels behaviours under irradiation:

-upports to Nuclear Power Plants of generations II and III,

-evelopments for future generations of reactors (Gen IV,Fusion),

Radio-isotopes production for medical applications.

•The conception takes into account :

• Fast flux performances in the core able to perform important damages on materials,

• Thermal flux performances in the reflector to reach high power on fuel samples,

• Integration of equipments allowing carrying out complete experimental irradiations operations.

TRTR-2005 / IGORR 10 Joint Meeting

September , 12-16 2005 , Gaithersburg,Maryland - USA

4TRTR-2005 / IGORR 10 Joint Meeting

September , 12-16 2005 , Gaithersburg,Maryland - USA

Experiment process phase

Experiment managementExperiment design ,Licensing process

Experiment operation , data acquisition and management

Irradiation report

Facility equipment

Customer’s

experimental

requirements

Irradiated samples

and irradiation reports

Support function processes

Inputs Outputs

Irradiation experiments requirements

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JHR capabilities

Four hot cells : Pre-and post irradiation operations (conditioning,examinations), Alpha cell for experiments with contamination risks.

Dosimetry laboratory: Quick access of the fluence integrated by the samples.

A driver core An experimental area:located around the core, 14 experimental cubicles, I&C rooms surfaces on 2 floors, 11 penetrations penetrations with the reactor pool.

Reactor

Building

Nuclear

Auxilliary

Building

(NAB)

Support

BuildingsDifferents utilities supports (workshops) Experiments preparation with limital external transports.

TRTR-2005 / IGORR 10 Joint Meeting

September , 12-16 2005 , Gaithersburg,Maryland - USA

9 pa lettess ur 3 n iv eaux h auteur 4 .5m

8, 65m² d ’en trepos age(1t par p al ette)

DI SPOSI TIF NEUF Diam.350 x 6.5m

10,0

0m

6,3 m

Préparatio n Métaux liquide

8 m²

ZONE POUROUTILLAGES

15m²

BUREAU M AGASIN1 personne

10m²

6,3 m6, 00m

Magasin produits chimiquessurface d’entreposage 23 m²

surface au sol : 40 m²H : 2,5 m

2 pal et tess ur 3 n ivea ux hau te ur

4.5 m5,8 m² d’en trep osage

9 pa lette ss ur 3 n iv ea ux h au te ur 4 .5m

8,65m² d ’en trepos age(1t par pal ett e)

Ch

ar io

t

ele

va te

ur

(larg

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t ra vé

e

3.6 m

)

9 pal ett essur 3 n iveau x hau teu r 4.5m

8,65m ² d’en trep os age(1t par pale tte)

9 palet tessur 3 n iveau x hau teu r 4. 5m

8,65m ² d’en tre pos age(1t par pa lette )

9 palet tess ur 3 n iv eaux h auteu r 4. 5m

8, 65m² d’e ntre posage(1t pa r p al ette)

6,5

0m

9 pal ette ssur 3 n iveau x h auteu r 4.5m

8,65m² d’entrepo s age(1t par palet te)

hau t

L ocal Electriquedu bâtiment

6 m²

Park

ing

Char

iot E

leva

teur

Zone de réceptionH. 5m

5,80m

2,9

5m

MAGASIN Pièces derechange

su rface entreposa ge : 58 m²volume d’entreposage : 60 m3

surface au sol : 120 m²H. 5 m

Zone destockage

30 m²H : 5m

Seuil derétention

Entreposage Métaux liquide

8m²

Conteneur ISO 20'to it ouvert

Conteneur ISO 20'toit ouver t

SASH.uti le : 9 m

Puit demontage

Seuil derétention

SAN ITAIRES

Ateliermécanique

30 m²

Stockagemécanique

20 m²

Vestiaires Rdc

Bureaux 2 p. Niv 1

Ventilation Niv 2

Hall A telier Fro id EAF~ 80 m²

H.utile : 9 m

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Phase 1, Reception and preliminary tests

 

Irradiated samples (fuels and materials) : Back zone of the cells: • Vertical and horizontal connections,Storage pool of components:• Possibility to accept casks for

underwater loading.

Devices :Cold workshop: • Final assembling, • Controls, • Test benches.Hot workshop: • New fuel loading operations,• Device transfer in the facility, • Recovery of irradiated components for re-using.

TRTR-2005 / IGORR 10 Joint Meeting

September , 12-16 2005 , Gaithersburg,Maryland - USA

Vertical casks connections:

Horizontal casks connections Back zone

Front zone

Hot cells

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Phase 2, Irradiation phase (1/3): Driver Core

 

• Reference core configurationHigh fluxes requirements for high dpa

irradiation (up to 16 dpa/y).

• 10 irradiations inside the core 7 small (32mm)in the center of fuel

element3 large (50mm) instead of a fuel element

• 6 in the reflector on displacement systems• 6 in the reflector on fixed positions• 9 radio isotopes production devices in the

reflector

Main design features: • Pool reseach reactor operating up to 100MWth.• Cooling and moderate by forced ciculation of light water

in pressurised circuit.• Surrounded by a modular reflector of beryllium cooled

by the pool water.• Fully compatible with radial power ramps on the fuels

samples in the reflector.

Aluminium housing

Zy gamma screens

Beryllium reflector

DE2: PWR standard deviceDE1: Material standard device

Aluminium

R=719mm

R=347mm

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Phase 2, Irradiation phase (2/3): Irradiation devices

 

• Displacement systemsPerformances:

• Maximal linear power : 600 W.cm-1

(1% U5 fuel enrichissement)

• Power ramps:200 to 600 W.cm-1.min-1

In pile experiment connections

out of pile components

Fluid utilities (cubicles) ,

experimental measurements

(PF,…)

Fuel power = F( location) analytical studies

0200

400600800

10001200140016001800200022002400

0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35Position x(m) / core

P (W

/cm) 1.00%

2.25%

4.00%

6.00%

8.25%

6 systems around the core

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Phase 2, Irradiation phase (3/3): Experimental area

 

• A Fission products laboratory

FP activities measurements in water :- Following on line the releases of FP of non tight fuels

rods,

FP activities measurements in gases : (high levels countings):- On line fission gas releases, - Activity release in case of accidental scenario ,…

FP fission gases measurements (low activities) :- Fission gas releases from HTR or GFR during stable or

specific transients,

Post-experiments measurements :- Activities of liquid and fission samples during a long

period (few days to few months),

Cells for liquid FP measurements

Cell for gaseousFP measurements (high activity)

Glove box for gaseous FP measurments (low activity)

Glove box for Post-experiments measurements

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Phase 3, Recovery of the samples

 

• Hot cells One for radio-isotopes recuperation and

conditioning. Two polyvalent hot cells for experiments

on materials and not damaged fuels, Alpha cell.

• Alpha cell Fuel experiment with clad failure in

normal conditions (alpha device), Fuel experiment in degradated situation

(standard device – non alpha), Devices dismantlement with contamination

risks, Re-use of some parts of the alpha device

(sample holder, device envelopes).

                          

Cell for Radio-isotops conditionning

Polyvalent cells for

Material and fuels Alpha cell

Recovery of the sample holder

in the alpha cell

Specific tight-interface at the inlet of the cell,

Decontamination systems inside the cell

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Phase 4: Non Destructive Examinations (NDE)

 

• In the pools,

NDE equipments in the hot cells

Control of the global aspects of the fuel rods or material samples after the transport or after irradiation sequences,

Burn-Up & Fission Products inventory determination, Fission gas releases determination in the top of the device (LOCA experience), Verification of REA qualities,…

• In the hot cells,

Gamma-scanning Neutronography,

Visual,

Microscopy,

Eddy curents,…

CORE

Collimateur

device

Displcement and rotation system

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Conclusion:

The Jules Horowitz Reactor ,

modern and performant has the capabilities to :

Manage multiple and various experiments,

Offer global prestations and equipments adapted with the customers needs.

Equiped with specific alpha cell and on-line fission products laboratory allowing to drive and characterise experiments on non tight samples,

With a international users-facility vocation,

the JHR will statisfy the irradiations requirements

of the MTR community in the next decades.

TRTR-2005 / IGORR 10 Joint Meeting

September , 12-16 2005 , Gaithersburg,Maryland - USA