Fast reactor and sustainable nuclear energy development in China

XU Mi       
                (China Institute Atomic Energy, Beijing 102413, China)

Abstract: The sustainable supply of energy is the base of stabilization, development and safety of a country. Nuclear energy, a member in our national energy family, is now under rapid development due to its environment-friendly, safe, reliable and economy-acceptable and it could be used in large scale. It is envisaged that it will become the main energy in China. When nuclear energy based on thermal reactors to be used in large scale it has to consider the limitation of uranium resources economically exploited and the potential risk to environment by long-lived high radioactive wastes. With fast reactor, the second step of the strategy for nuclear energy development in China, to realize thermal reactor-fast reactor matched with closed nuclear fuel cycle will ensure a sustainable development of nuclear energy, thanks to its unique characteristics in which the fissile material could be bred and long-lived high radioactive nuclides could be transmuted. As the start up of fast reactor engineering development, the China Experimental Fast Reactor with a power 65MWt is now under commissioning testing stage; 800-900MWe China Demonstration Fast Reactor (CDFR) is just in application. Based on the recent program of PWR development, it is suggested to quicken the development of fast reactor and related closed nuclear fuel cycle for realization of three strategic targets: (1) to operate CDFR type plants in batches for increasing the nuclear capacity before 2030; (2) to increase the nuclear capacity up to around 240GWe, sharing 16% of the total electricity capacity production in 2050; and (3) to realize the replacement of fossil fuel by nuclear and the decrease of CO2 emission in large scale.

Key  words：fast reactor；sustainable development of nuclear energy；Breeding; transmutation

1 Foreword
With sustainable and high speed development of national economy, primary energy production also is accelerated. Table 1 shows situations of primary energy production of China from 2001 to 2006. The sustainable and safe supply of energy is the base of stabilization, development and safety of a country. Nuclear energy is new in China’s energy structure. Experiences from home and abroad prove that it is safe, reliable, and clean and it can be economically receivable and widely used. In 2006, Government has decided to operate 40GWe nuclear power by 2020 and 18GWe nuclear plant is under construction. After completion of China Energy Demand by 2050 made under National 836 Program 15 years ago, and 8th –Five-Year -Plan and Ten –Year- Plan made IN 1990 by Nuclear power Office of State Council, State Planning Commission, State Science and Technology Commission, Energy Ministry, Mechanic and Electronic Ministry, and CNNC (China National Nuclear Corporation), Nuclear team of the State Council has organized a national demonstration and report on future energy forecast made by CAE (China Academy of Engineering) states that nuclear power development can reach 240GWe by 2050, which account for 16% to 20% of total electric power. It is assumed that by 2050 to 2100, nuclear energy can widely replace fissile fuel in order to curb CO2 emission. Thousands of GWe nuclear power capacity is needed.

Table 1 Primary Energy Production in China

 

year	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006
Primary energy（million tons standard coal） Annual increase rate（％）	14.3	15.2 6.3	17.5 15.0	20.3 16.0	22.3 10.0	24.6 12.0

 

 

2 Sustainable development of nuclear energy
As a large developing country, sustainable development of nuclear energy of China is different from France, which is saturated when nuclear power capacity reaches 58GWe -60GWe. Therefore, sustainable development of nuclear energy of China is not only considerable but highly increased.
2.1 To develop Fast Reactor and eliminate anxiety about uranium resources shortage caused by wide application of nuclear energy
Natural uranium which is prone to fission is Uranium -235 and it accounts for 0.71%. Thermal reactor adopted Uranium -235 can gain high neutron economic performance. As far as 1000GWe nuclear plant is concerned, pressurized water reactor (PWR) can be operated by using half quantity of Uranium -235 which is adopted in Fast Reactor construction. Therefore, nuclear energy development begins with Thermal neutron reactor. However, utilization ratio of uranium is low in pressurized water reactor (PWR). Only about 0.45% uranium can be used if the fuel passes through in a time. If the spent fuel is processed and the incomplete born-out uranium -235 can be taken out and plutonium (Pu) converted from uranium -238 can be reused in the reactor and infinite cycles. Only 1% uranium can be used in terms of mathematics, but it cannot achieve by neutronics.
Therefore, if fuel passes through in one time, a 1000 MWe PWR with 60 years lifetime can totally consume 10,000 tons natural uranium. Large scale development of uranium should consider limitation of recoverable uranium resources and uncertainty.

Fig.1 Relation of Uranium Utilization Rates with Converter or Breeding Ratio
Fast Reactor is the second step of nuclear development of China. The average speed of neutron caused fission chain reaction of fast reactor is faster than that of Thermal neutron, nearly 1000 times. When the fast reactor begins generating electricity, it will consume fissile fuel on one hand; on the other hand, it will generate new fissile fuel which is more than consumption. The fissile fuel breeds, so the fast reactor is called fast-breeder reactor (FBR). The uranium -238 is consumed in fast-breeder-reactor.
Theoretically, uranium utilization can be increased to 100% during fast reactor development and    unlimited fuel cycle. As figure 1 shows that utilization rate can reach 60%-70%, taking fuel reprocessing and loss during production. Comparing to sole development of PWR, uranium utilization can be increased to 60-70 times, even 130-150 times.
c is suitable to be used for fast reactor fuels because of its good neutron economy. Uranium -235 can be used as fuel of PWR and Plutonium (Pu) generated by PWR is used as primary fuel of fast reactor. The fast reactor can achieve self- breeding, so the natural uranium can be fully used by closed cycle. This perfect match can provide country with inexhaustible and sustained supply of fission nuclear energy. Therefore, the basic strategy of nuclear development of China is Thermal reactor-Fast reactor and Fusion reactor.
2.2 Long-lived high radioactive nuclides could be transmuted and burned in a bid to protect environment during fast reactor development
Nuclear development should consider whether the nuclear fuel can support large scale installed capacity, but also should consider long-lived high nuclear wastes of spent fuel. Table 2 shows Long-Lived Nuclear Wastes Produced by PWR.

Table 2 Long-Lived Nuclear Wastes Produced by PWR

    Note:   A:  PWR UO2 loading

B: PWR MOX loading; fuel consumption is 33MWd/kg

These Long-Lived Nuclear Wastes can be degraded to radioactive toxic level similar to natural uranium after 3 to 4 million disintegration.
With development of installed capacity of nuclear plant, Minor Actinides (MA) and Long life fission products (LLFP) can post potential threats to environment. The best way to discharge the waste is transmutation.
Fast reactor is run by fast neutron and these MA can be burned as fission fuel. Foreign studies [2-5] show that a large scale fast reactor with 1000MWe-1500MWe can transmute MA produced by 5-10 PWR with similar power. In addition, it can transmute LLFP in high-throughput thermal neutron irradiation zone established in fast reactor reflector layer. Transmutation ability of Accelerator driven system (ADS) becomes stronger and it will reduce deep-buried wastes quantity.
3 The proposed fast reactor development planning
Sodium-cooled fast reactor is a new nuclear technology. In order to reduce technical and economical risks of project, it is proposed that the fast reactor engineering development will mainly divide into three steps: Experimental fast reactor (CEFR), Demonstration fast reactor (CDFR) and Demonstration fast breeder fast reactor (CDFBR) followed by deployment as shown in Table 3.
Two possibilities should be considered after CDFR: one is to participate into nuclear development of China, namely, promoting CDFR nuclear plant with modularization and one site multi-actors, which is referred to as CCFR-B (Breeder reactor nuclear power plant). The other one is that if MA separation technology is good enough for MA transmutation and Long life fission products experiments and if the ADS technology is immature, one site multi-actors, which is referred to as CDFR-F Burner Plant (Demonstration fast reactor) can be promoted.
Fig. 2 shows 600MWe fast burner could be deployed by 2020-2030 and main theoretical transmutation results based on PWRs development scenario of 32 GWe and 50 GWe. CDFR with 800GWe to 900MWe has higher burning efficiency.

Table 3 Fast Reactor Development Strategy Study in China

Table 3 Fast Reactor Development Strategy Study in China

 

Fast reactor	Thermal power/Electric power（MW）	Design beginning	Construction beginning	Commission
1．  CEFR 2．  CDFR CCFR 3．  CDFBR CCFBR	65/20 2000－2250/800－900 n×2000－2250/800－900 2500-3750/1000-1500 n×2500-3700/1000-1500	1990 2007 2015 2015 2020	2001 2012 2023 2021 2025	2010 2018 2030 2028 2032

 
Fig.2 Transmutation Strategy                 Fig.3 Envisaged Electricity Capacity Development in China

 

 

 

 

(Data exclude nuclear power adopts Consultation report of energy development of China)
Therefore, the 1st strategic target is to build 800GWe to 900 GWe Demonstration fast reactors (CDFR) by 2020 and one site multi-actors should be promoted by 2030, such as 5 or 6 commercial fast reactors with 800 GWe to 900GWe. The most practical solution for MWe or above that level during large scale nuclear development is to use PWR and Fast reactor and finally realize closed fuel cycle. In event that:
(1)PWR should be developed to 40GWe to 60GWe by 2020-2030 respectively.
(2) Demonstration fast breeder fast reactor (CDFBR) can adopt Uranium, plutonium and zirconium alloys and its fuel parameters can refer to table 4.
(3)Closed fuel cycle can be equipped in appropriate time.
Table 4 Parameters of Fast Reactor Fuel Cycle

 

Fuel Power Load factor Consumption of fuel cycle Out-pile cycle time

Uranium, plutonium and zirconium alloys 1GWe 0.75 1％ 1a

reactor core（primary installation） circulation fuel Annual net plutonium production Proliferation gain System- doubling time

2488kg Pu 3732kg Pu 416kg Pu 0.582 6.2a

It is analyzed that if CCFBR (Uranium, plutonium and zirconium loading) can be constructed by 2030. Plutonium accumulated for fast reactor and self breeder of fast reactor, in theory, can allow nuclear plant installed capacity reaching 353GWe by 2050. Fig.3 shows prediction of electric installed capacity, namely, single fast reactor can reach 240GWe.
Therefore, the second step is to realize installed capacity of 240GWe by 2050.
Fig. 3 also shows the total electric installed capacity will reach 1650GWe by 2050. CCFBR development makes the fuel annual increase rate over 10%. In theory, the total installed capacity will be increased by 5% year on year from 1650GWe in 2050 to 2100(fig.4). It is significant to CO2 reduction.

Fig.4 Estimated Development National Global and Nuclear Capacity

4 Conclusions 
Fast reactor experiment experiences over 40 years from primary research to project development. Main technology has been selected, including experiment fast reactor, demonstration fast reactor and commercial fast reactor. China experiment fast reactor carries the features of prototype fast reactor and it lays solid foundation for self-design and self –construction. Fast reactor development target includes sustainability, economy, safety, reliability, environmental friendly and nuclear proliferation prevention, which is coherent with International 4th generation nuclear system. The safe, economic, environmental friendly and large scale sustainable development of nuclear energy can be realized by combination fast reactor development, closed fuel cycle with PWR development.

Bibliography
[1] Status of Liquid Metal Cooled Fast Breeder Reactors. TRS.246 IAEA 1985,P.4
[2] A.N.Shmelev et. al., Radio-wastes Transmutation in Nuclear Reactors, IAEA- TECDOC-693, IAEA, 1993, P.77
[3] L.Koch, Status of Transmutation, IAEA-TECDOC-693, IAEA, 1993, P.13
[4] H. Sztard et. al., Minor Actinides recycling in an EFR type fast neutron reactor, IAEA-TECDOC-692 IAEA, 1993,P.25
[5] T.Mukaiyama, Partitioning and Transmutation research and development program (OMEGA), IAEA-TECDOC-693, IAEA. 1993, P.30
[6] Fast Breeders, Report of INFCE Working Group 5, IAEA VIENNA, 1980, P.178

(Note: This article had been reported on Annual Session of 2008 Nuclear Energy Association. Small modification had been made. )

Source:

This article was published on CHINA NUCLEAR POWER (No. 2 - 2009), in which the following articles are included

New progress in advanced nuclear energy technology study    -by Ouyang Yu
The relation between maturity and sophistication shall be properly dealt with in nuclear power development    -by Li Yong Jiang
Optimized operation of the primary loop coolant purification system     -by Wang Yuzhou
Manufacturing process and mechanical properties of forged clean steel tubesheets for 1000MW nuclear power plant  
                                                                                                                    -by Deng Lintao, Liu Zhiying, Wang Tao
Technology development tendency and R&D idea of NPP radiation monitoring system     -by Liu Jie, Sun Ming
Management and improvement of fire protection operation in Qinshan Ⅲ    -By Yu Ting
Containment ventilation radioactivity monitoring of WWER-1000 reactors   -by Xie Jiangshan, Yang Haoran
Optimization of technical renovation project management in QNPP    -by Dong Li-dong
Analysis and control on road transportation of nuclear power equipment     -by Bao Wei-dong, Liu Ying-qi
Comparison and analysis on the differences between AP1000 and EPR engineered safety system  -by Guo Jing-ren, Yang Meng-jia
Localization and indigenization of China nuclear power industry   -by Zhang  Xing-fa
The important role of information resources in nuclear power development of China  -by Wu Jie
Technical evolution of leading nuclear power reactor types in the world  -by Zhang Rui-ping, Zhang Xue, Zhang Lu-qing

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