ALLEGRO - INTRODUCTION TO GFR

Petr DARILEK, Radoslav ZAJAC

VUJE, Inc., Okruzna 5, 918 64 Trnava, Slovakia
[email protected]

INTRODUCTION

Reactor ALLEGRO is projected concentrated on demonstration of energy producing gas cooled

reactor technology and instrument necessary for refractory fuel development. Review of main reactor
features is given in the paper. Project ALLEGRO for ALLEGRO reactor construction in central
Europe is characterized. Cooperation with other European projects is mentioned briefly.

GAS COOLED FAST REACTOR (GFR)

Concept of Gas cooled Fast Reactor (GFR) was developed at CEA France as realistic alternative to
Sodium Fast Reactor (SFR) [1,2]. Both reactors are suitable for closure of nuclear fuel cycle, leading
to the sustainability of nuclear energy production. At closed cycle fertile U238 is transmuted into
fissile Pu239 and in such a way utilisation of natural uranium is at least 50-times higher in comparison
with open cycle. By recycling of minor actinides radiotoxicity of high level wastes (HLW) from spent
fuel reprocessing is reduced significantly. Prolongation of inevitable storage of HLW in deep
repository is reduced down to cca 300 years in comparison with thousands of years for spent fuel from
open cycle. Existing resources of spent fuel from LWRs can be utilised in closed cycle as well.
GFR have important advantage in comparison with SFR. Generated high temperature helium offers
attractive applications as follows:

 production of hydrogen with efficiency at least 60 % (cca 25 % at classical

electrolysis)
 coal gasification
 feeding of energy demanding technologies – production of steel, ethylen, styren, ...
 electricity production with efficiency up to 48 %
 development of new high-temperature technologies

Recent parameters of proposed GFR industrial unit are as follows:

 thermal power 2400 MWth

 high power density 100 MW/m3
 cooling by He under 7 MPa pressure and with output temperature cca 850ºC
 refractory carbide fuel with SiC/SiCf cladding
 efficient electricity production by indirect combined cycle with 3 gas and 1 steam
turbines
 specific decay heat removal loops and guard containment for Helium capture during
accidents
 ALLEGRO – GFR DEMONSTRATOR

ALLEGRO is low power GFR reactor without electricity generation, dedicated to demonstration of
helium cooled high temperature fast reactor technology [3,4,5]. Pf special interest are development
and verification of refractory fuel and verification of reliable removal of decay heat after shut down
with loss of pressure.

Two different types of core loading are planned:

 starting MOX core, that enables to test operation of GFR technology with well
established fuel and simultaneously to test carbide fuel assemblies at 6 dedicated core
positions
 full carbide fuel core for broad test of new fuel design and GFR technology

Carbide fuel

plates pins

Two types of refractory carbide fuel are taken into account – in the form of plates and in the form of
pins. Main parameters of ALLEGRO cores with 3 different fuel types (MOX with steel cladding,
carbide plates and carbide pins) can be seen in following tables. The highest He output temperatures
can be reached with carbide plates. Problems with leakage of fission gases require metal liners in SiC
matrix plates and pins.
Main characteristics of ALLEGRO 75 MWth MOX core (1/2)

ALLEGRO MOX Core

Power(MW) 75

Power density (MW/m3) 100

Operating helium pressure (MPa) 7

Core Helium inlet/outlet temperature (°C) 260/530

Fissile Core mass flow rate(kg.s-1) 53.5

Fuel form (U, Pu)O2 pellets

Fissile core height (m) 0.86

Fissile core diameter (m) 1.12

Fissile core coolant fraction(%) 37.5

Pu/U+Pu(%) 25

Global power peaking factor 1.54

Number of fissile S/As 81

Main characteristics of ALLEGRO 75 MWth MOX core (2/2)

ALLEGRO MOX Core

Number of absorber S/As (shutdown+control rods) 10 (4+6)

Number of in core steel/experimental S/As 6/0

Number of reflector S/As 174

Cladding and reflector material 15-15 Ti steel

Fuel S/A Pins within hexagonal tube metallic structure

Number of fuel pins per S/A 169

Pin pitch(mm) under cold conditions (mm) 7.93
Under hot conditions (mm) 7.98
Pin diameter (mm) 6.55

Cladding thickness(mm) 0.45

Maximum cladding/fuel temperature (°C) in normal
562/963
operating conditions
Total S/A length including spike and head (m) 4

Core pressure drop (bar) (hot channel) 0.84

Main characteristics of ALLEGRO ceramic plate core (1/2)

ALLEGRO ceramic plate core

Power(MW) 75

Power density (MW/m3) 100

Operating helium pressure (MPa) 7

Core Helium inlet/outlet temperature (°C) 400/900

Fissile Core mass flow rate(kg.s-1) 28.1

Fuel form (U, Pu)C pellets in SiC matrix plates

Fissile core height (m) 0.89

Fissile core diameter (m) 1.12

Fissile core coolant fraction(%) 22.7

Pu/U+Pu(%) [29.5; 35]

Global power peaking factor 1.46

Number of fissile S/As 87

Main characteristics of ALLEGRO ceramic plate core (2/2)

ALLEGRO ceramic plate core

Number of absorber S/As (shutdown+control rods) 10 (4+6)

Number of reflector S/As 174

Reflector material ZrC

Fuel S/A Plates within hexagonal SiC structure

Number of fuel plates per S/A 15

Plate thickness(mm) 8.4

Clad thickness (mm) 0.85

Internal liner (μm) 40+10=50

Fuel pellet diameter(mm) 11

Maximum cladding/fuel temperature (°C) in normal
1012/1290
operating conditions
Total S/A length including spike and head (m) 4

Core pressure drop (bar) (hot channel) 0.5

Main characteristics of ALLEGRO ceramic pin core (1/2)

ALLEGRO ceramic pin core

Power(MW) 75

Power density (MW/m3) 92

Operating helium pressure (MPa) 7

Core Helium inlet/outlet temperature (°C) 400/800

Fissile Core mass flow rate(kg.s-1) 36.1

Fuel form (U, Pu)C pellets with SiC cladding

Fissile core height (m) 0.86

Fissile core diameter (m) 1.12

Pu/U+Pu(%) 27.5

Global power peaking factor 1.43

Number of fissile S/As 87

Number of absorber S/As (shutdown+control rods) 10 (4+6)

Main characteristics of ALLEGRO ceramic pin core (2/2)

ALLEGRO ceramic pin core

Number of reflector S/As 174

Reflector materia ZrC

Fuel S/A Pins within hexagonal tube SiC structure

Number of fuel pins per S/A 90

Pin pitch(mm) 11

Pin diameter (mm) 9.10

Cladding thickness including liners (mm) 1.08

Cladding material (mm) SiC/SiCf

Internal liner thickness 40μ (W - 14%Re) + 10μ (Re)

External liner thickness 30μ (SiC/SiCf provisionally)

Maximum cladding/fuel temperature (°C) in
863/1140
nominal operation
Total S/A length including spike and head (m) 4.20

Core pressure drop (bar) 0.36

ALLEGRO core is suggested with 6 experimental channels, 6 control and 4 shutdown rods and
reflector. Control rods with relatively complicated drivers are inserted from the bottom of the core.

Core design

Shutdown and reactivity control system

Produced energy will be thrown away into atmosphere except cca 10% for hydrogen production
development. Typical for ALLEGRO layout are decay heat removal exchangers, placed well above
main pressure vessel because of safety reasons.

ALLEGRO flow diagram

Decay heat removal system

.
ALLEGRO project

ALLEGRO project includes all phases, necessary for GFR technology demonstration by ALLEGRO
reactor [6]:

 preparatory phase
 licensing and construction of ALLEGRO reactor
 R&D
 operation of ALLEGRO
 decommissioning

Initial preparatory phase should provide basic documents, that can facilitate key decisions as follows:

 whether GFR is accepted in Europe as a complementary option of SFR

 whether the corresponding governments are ready to host ALLEGRO in the region
 selection of the site of the ALLEGRO reactor
Basic documents will cover all specifications, analyses, studies and data necessary for construction,
operation and dismantling of ALLEGRO reactor:

 General specification of the ALLEGRO project

 Licensing roadmap
 Preliminary design
 Preliminary safety analysis
 Spent fuel management strategy, analysis of required services
 Preliminary analysis of environmental impact
 Site studies, criteria of siting, rules of the site selection process
 R&D in the licensing & construction and in the operational phase
 Governance, financing analysis, identification of potential partners

Representative institutes from three central European countries joined their effort for the project
(confirmed by Memorandum of Understanding):

 Nuclear Research Institute, Řež, Czech Republic

 UJV, MTA KFKI Atomic Energy Research Institute, Budapest, Hungary
 Nuclear Power Plant Research Institute, Trnava, Slovakia – VUJE
Main technical support is provided by CEA France, that have developed ALLEGRO concept and
already have started transfer of know how to project participants. Company AMEC from Great Britain
will contribute to the project as well and institutes from Poland are recently in the position of
observers.

Timing is suggested as follows:

2010-2013 Preparatory phase

2013-2025 Licensing&construction phase
2026-2046 Operation of the ALLEGRO reactor
2046-2076 Decommissioning phase
 CONTRIBUTING EU FP7 PROJECTS

Three EU FP7 project can support the ALLEGRO project.

Project GoFastR – european Gas cooled Fast Reactor is oriented itself on development of gas-cooled
fast reactor. Main challenges in the project are connected with
 development of refractory fuel for operation at fast neutron flux, high temperature and power
density,
 decay heat removal during loss of flow and loss of coolant faults.
Project ADRIANA – Advanced Reactor Initiative And Network Arrangement concentrates on
mapping and gap analysis of research infrastructure in support of the European Sustainable Nuclear
Industrial Initiative. Project covers all three reactor technologies recently of interest – SFR, GFR and
LFR.

Proposal of project PALOMMAA – Properties And Laws Of Mox for Myrrha, Astrid and Allegro is
dedicated to the fuel data for licensing of EU Gen IV fast reactor start up MOX cores. Scientific
objectives of the project are as follows:

• update of European catalogue of properties of MOX fuel

• identification of missing data
• performance of experimental work programme

CONCLUSION

Gas cooled Fast Reactor was featured shortly by main advantages and main parameters. ALLEGRO
reactor as demonstrator of GFR technology was characterised including planned development of the
core. Project ALLEGRO of three central European countries with support of CEA, targeted on reactor
construction, was described. Supporting EU FP7 projects were mentioned.

Future of ALLEGRO project and reactor depends on economical support from governments of three
central European countries and from EU.

REFERENCES

[1] Jacques Rouault: The Gas-cooled Fast Reactor (GFR)

Objectives and basic design features, ALLEGRO meeting with Central Europe Consortium
(AEKI, UJV, VUJE) – February 11th, 2010 – CEA Saclay
[2] P. Richard - Y. Péneliau - M. Zabiégo: Reference GFR 2400 MWth core definition at start of
GOFASTR, Deliverable D1.1-1, CEA/DEN/CAD/DER/SESI/LC4G DO2 26/03/10
[3] Christian POETTE: GFR Demonstrator ALLEGRO Design Status, GFR/ALLEGRO , SACLAY,
February 11, 2010
[4] Gérard COGNET, János GADÓ: Ideas on ALLEGRO, General Assembly meeting of the
Hungarian Nuclear Society,Budapest, May 19, 2010
[5] C. Poette, N. Alpy, C. Bassi, F. Morin, S. Dardour, F. Bentivoglio, N. Tauveron: ALLEGRO 75
MW system definition at start of GOFASTR (Deliverable D1.2-2),
CEA/DEN/CAD/DER/SESI/LC4G/NT DO XX du JJ/MM/AA
[6] ALLEGRO PROJECT PREPARATORY PHASE ROADMAP, august 2011