Advanced Reactor Developments andGIF (Generation IV International Forum) Activities
Hideki KAMIDEJAEA Fellow
Sector of Fast Reactor and Advanced Reactor R&D
Japan Atomic Energy Agency

Sector of Fast Reactor and Advanced Reactor Research and Development

Sustainability of Energy Supply: Environmental Burden Construction foot print
Light Water Reactor (LWR) site
 1.0 GWe
 0.6 km2 (example)

Mega Solar site
 0.1 GWe
 2.2 km2 (example)*2*1

WasteThermal Power Plant Large amount of waste
 Green House Gas

Nuclear Radioactive waste Geological disposal ofHigh Level Waste(HLW)*3*1; Image by Kurt K. from Pixabay, *2: by skeeze, *3 : by Rebecca Human

Sector of Fast Reactor and Advanced Reactor Research and Development

1

Sustainability: Waste Management of Nuclear
Nuclear Reactions in LWR Cycle
FissionRadiotoxicity (Sv/TWhe)

ThermalNeutron

U-235
U-235

U-238

Pu-239Fission Products (FP)
Enriched U Fuel
3-5% of U-235
97-95% of U-238

Pu-240Pu-241Natural U
0.7% of U-235
99.3% of U-238

byFast
neutron reactors
Radiotoxicityof Spent Fuel

Am-241
Depleted U (U-238)

Fast
NeutronPu-239Pu-239Fission
Products
(FP)

U-238

Pu-239Pu-240

Am-241Time (years)

Pu
and Uplutonium,
mixed Fuel
(MOX)
• Beyond
waste
toxicity dominated by Minor
• Pu
~
20%
Actinides MA (Am, Cm, Np), ~17.5kg/y for 1GWe Reactor•• Depleted(U-238)AmericiumU(Am)
is also major source of Heat.
• Minor Actinides (MA) 0 ~3%
https://www.radioactivity.eu.com/site/pages/Minor_Actinides.htm

Sector of Fast Reactor and Advanced Reactor Research and Development

2Genesis of Generation IV Concept
 In 1999, low public and political support for nuclear energy
Oil and gas prices were low USA proposed a bold initiative in 2000


The vision was to leapfrog LWR technology and collaborate withinternational partners to share R&D on advanced nuclear systems

9 Countries and EU joined USA in developing the initiative

Oil prices jumped soon thereafter Gen IV concept defined via technology goals and legal framework
Technology Roadmap released in 2002







2 year study with more than100 experts worldwideNearly 100 reactor designs evaluated and down selected to 6 mostpromising concepts
First signatures collected on Framework Agreement in 2005; firstresearch projects defined in 2006
“This may have been the first time that the world came together to decide on afission technology to develop together.”William Magwood IV, First Chairman of the Generation IV International Forum

Sector of Fast Reactor and Advanced Reactor Research and Development

3

GIF Goals for Generation-IV Reactor Systems
 Sustainability
 Long term fuel supply
 Minimize waste and long term stewardship burden Safety & Reliability
 Very low likelihood and degree of core damage
 Eliminate need for offsite emergency response Economics
 Life cycle cost advantage over other energy sources Financial risk comparable to other energy projects
 Proliferation Resistance & Physical Protection
 Unattractive materials diversion pathway Enhanced physical protection against terrorism

Sector of Fast Reactor and Advanced Reactor Research and Development

4Gen-IV Nuclear Reactor Systems

Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (SFR)

Lead-cooled Fast Reactor (LFR)

Supercritical Water cooled Reactor(SCWR)

Very High Temperature Reactor(VHTR)

Gas-cooled Fast Reactor (GFR)

Molten Salt Reactor (MSR)

Sector of Fast Reactor and Advanced Reactor Research and Development

5Comparisons of Major Specifications
NeutronSpectrum

Coolant

Outlet temp.
(Degree C)

Fuel cycle

Fast

Sodium

500-550

ClosedLead-cooled Fast Reactor (LFR)

Fast

Lead

480-570

ClosedGas-cooled Fast Reactor (GFR)

Fast

Helium850

ClosedMolten Salt Reactor (MSR)

Thermal/Fast

Fluoride/Chloridesalts

700-800

Open/
ClosedSupercritical Water-cooled Reactor(SCWR)

Thermal/
Fast

Water

510-625

Open/
ClosedVery High Temperature Reactor(VHTR)

ThermalHelium

900-1000

Open

System
Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (SFR)

Sector of Fast Reactor and Advanced Reactor Research and Development

6

Current Missions of GIF
 Market Opportunities and Challenges for Deployment•

Enhanced interaction with industry, incl. with SMR vendors Safety and Regulation••

Increased interaction with the regulators, e.g. in the frame of the NEA Working Group on
Safety of Advanced Reactors (WGSARWGNT) and IAEA
Development of system-specific Safety Design Criteria (SDC) and Guidelines (SDG) Enhancement of R&D cooperation•

Use of R&D infrastructures to improve international collaboration

 Improved communication of GIF Results to Citizens, Policy makers, Regulators,
Industry•

Network with CEM (NICE Future Initiative), IFNEC, WNA….

 Education & Training as well as Knowledge Management

Sector of Fast Reactor and Advanced Reactor Research and Development

7

GIF Organization
Policy Group (PG)

Expert Group (EG)Senior Industry Advisory Panel

Methodology / Opportunity
Working Group (WG)
Risk and Safety WG (RSWG)
Proliferation Resistance and PhysicalProtection assessment methodology
WG (PRPPWG)
Economic Modelling WG (EMWG)

Policy Director and Technical Director
Technical Secretariats

System Steering Committees
Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor(SFR)
Very High Temperature Reactor(VHTR)

Education & Training WG (ETWG)
Advanced Manufacturing and Material
Engineering WG (AMME-WG)

Task Force (TF to solves
specific issue)
Non-Electric applications of Nuclear
Heat TF (NEaNH-TF)

Supercritical-water-cooled
Reactor (SCWR)
Gas-cooled Fast Reactor (GFR)

Project Management Boards••••

System Integration Assessment
Advanced Fuel
Safety and Operation
Component Design & Balance-Of-Plant

•
•
•
•
•

Fuel and Fuel Cycle
Code Verification
Materials
Hydrogen Production(System Integration Assessment)•••

Thermal-hydraulics and Safety
Water Chemistry and Materials(System Integration Assessment)••

Conceptual Design and Safety(Fuel and Core Materials)

Lead-cooled Fast Reactor (LFR)
Molten Salt Reactor (MSR)

Sector of Fast Reactor and Advanced Reactor Research and Development

8

•

•

•
•

Most active GIF system (together with VHTR) with four R&D
Projects running:o System Integration and Assessment (SIA)o Safety and Operations (S&O)
o Advanced Fuel (AF)o Component Design and Balance of Plant (CD&BOP)
Five SFR Design Concepts:
o Loop Option (JSFR Design Track)o Pool Option (KALIMER-600, ESFR, and BN1200 Design
Tracks)o Small Modular Option (SMFR-ANL Design Track)
World: Construction of two pilot SFR units (CFR-600) is ongoing in
China
Europe: Euratom collaborative project ESFR-SMART focuseson enhancing the safety of Generation-IV SFRs
https://www.gen-4.org/gif/jcms/c_95916/gif-sfr-safetyassessment-20170427-final
https://world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/China-starts-building-second-CFR-600-fastreactor http://esfr-smart.eu/

Thermal Diffusivity (m2/s)

Highlights related to SFR

Temperature(K)

Thermal diffusivity measurements of (U,Am)O2-x
at JRC Karlsruhe

Sector of Fast Reactor and Advanced Reactor Research and Development

9Highlights related to VHTR
• Four active VHTR “pre-competitive” Projects
Materials: Graphite, metals, ceramics - corrosion, joining, irradiations
Fuel: Fabrication, characterisation, qualification, waste management
Hydrogen Production: Iodine-Sulphur (850C), Copper-Chlorine(530C), High temperature electrolysis (650C)o Computer Tools for Design and Licensing: Thermal-hydraulicanalysis (CFD), Neutronics and nuclear cross-section data,
Radioisotope chemistry and transport, Reactor and plant dynamics
Development of VHTR Safety Design Criteria on the basis of
IAEA TECDOC and in cooperation with RSWG
World: HTTR of High Temperature engineering Test Reactor restarted inJapan. Hydrogen production using HTTR is planned.
Demonstration HTR-PM reaches full power in China
Europe: Euratom collaboration project GEMINI+ project is ongoing, inwhich partners are working together towards the demonstration of hightemperature nuclear cogeneration.
o
o
o

•
•

•

H2 plant

HTTR

Chemical
reactor

Test Plan of HTTR-heat application

https://www.gen-4.org/gif/jcms/c_103659/gifvhtr-safety-assessment-finaldec2018
https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/JAEA,-MHI-team-up-for-HTTR-hydrogen-project
https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/China-s-demonstration-HTR-PM-reaches-full-power
http://www.gemini-initiative.com/geminiplus/

Sector of Fast Reactor and Advanced Reactor Research and Development

10Highlights related to MSR
•

•
•

•

•
•

A large interest around the MSR technology, with morethan 40 concepts of a large variety being developed
worldwide
Collaborations of the MSR system are carried out under the Memorandumof Understanding (MoU) as basic technology developments
Three (3) Project Arrangements are under development:o Fuel and coolant salt properties
o Materials and components
o System integration and cross-cutting issues
Safety aspects have been identified as a key driver for the R&D Roadmap
 ongoing interactions with GIF RSWG to create Task Force on the MSR
safety approach
World: Prototype MSR - TMSR-LF1 - is under construction in China
Europe: Euratom collaborative project SAMOSAFER focuses ondevelopment of DiD approaches, development of theoretical models forsafety-relevant phenomena, as well as related experimental setups
https://samosafer.eu/

Successful synthesis of UCl4 at JRC Karlsruhe

Sector of Fast Reactor and Advanced Reactor Research and Development

11

Task Force: Non-electric Application of Nuclear Heat (NEaNH)
Task Force of NEaNH for higher Flexibility to cover all Gen-IV systems and required R&Ds
 Heat application will be a key for Nuclear to contribute to the Carbon Neutral

Reactor Types

Applications

Reactor Size

 Cogeneration
application

Power Reactor
X
SMR
Micro Reactor

X Hydrogenproduction
 Seawater
Desalination
 Process heat Synthetic Fueland Chemicals

SFR, LFR, GFR
VHTR, MSR, SCWR(High Temperature Systems)

Matrix of 6 x 3 x 6

 Cooling
application+ Heat Storage

Sector of Fast Reactor and Advanced Reactor Research and Development

12

GIF Methodologies
 RSWG – Risk and Safety WG
 Develop “Basis for the Safety Approach for Design andAssessment of Generation IV Nuclear Systems”
 Developed white papers on Integrated Safety
Assessment (ISAM) implementation & safety systems

QS-Review
Phenomena-IRT
OP-Tree

PSA & DPA Safety Design Criteria (SDC) Develop SDC and Safety Design Guidelines (SDGs) for thesodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR)
 Reviewed by IAEA, OECD/NEA (WGSAR), and Regulatory
Bodies of several countries (US NRC, France IRSN….)

 Extension to other GIF systems (LFR, VHTR, MSR…)
https://www.gen-4.org/gif/jcms/c_93020/safety-design-criteria
for “SFR SDC” & “Safety Approach and Design
Conditions, SFR SDGs”

Sector of Fast Reactor and Advanced Reactor Research and Development

13

GIF Methodologies
 EMWG – Economics Modelling WG
 Developed the G4ECONS software (freely available)

Assess the costs of Gen IV designs and identify cost drivers

 Approaches on life-cycle cost reduction
 Financial Issues on Gen-IV systems deployments•

Report on Nuclear Energy: an ESG Investable Asset Class
https://www.gen-4.org/gif/jcms/c_9364/economics for “Cost Estimating Guidelines”,“Impact of Increasing Share of Renewables”, and "Nuclear Energy: An ESG
Investable Asset Class"

Benchmarking (G4ECONS vs. IAEA NEST) PRPPWG – Proliferation Resistance andPhysical Protection WG
 Through a case study, developed a methodology toevaluate & facilitate the introduction of PRPP features atthe earliest possible stage of design
 With SSCs, white papers on the six GIF systems
https://www.gen-4.org/gif/jcms/c_9365/pr-pp for “Evaluation Methodology Report”,“Workshop materials”,Sector
and “Caseof ESFR”
of FastStudy
ReactorReportand Advanced
Reactor Research and Development

14

GIF Methodologies
 AMME-WG; Advanced Manufacturing and Material Engineering Working Group•

Workshop

AMME is a key for cooperation with Industry (SMR Vendors…)– Innovation for Safety and Economy of construction, operation,and maintenance, inspections. AI is also significant issue•

Advanced Manufacturing Workshop held at NEA in Feb. 2020•

AMME-WG was launched based on its Task Force activities.
– Qualification, Demonstration and Deployment•

New approaches and methods for qualification are key to thedeployment of advanced manufacturing. The first focus is to identify
these commonalities in qualification across different reactor systems.

Small Group discussions– Design and Modelling•

Meeting the need to capture and share processes and methodologies
for ensuring product quality by a) collecting experience, b) sharing,and c) benchmarks (including data driven AI approaches).

– Sessions of AMME in G4SR-4, Toronto Canada, 2022

Sector of Fast Reactor and Advanced Reactor Research and Development

15

Enlargement of Cooperation with world Organizations
Inside GIF

Outside GIF
Private sectors
Multi national
SMR developers

GIF-IAEA interface
meeting includingInterface with
GIF Partners

Non-electricalapplications & Hybrid
energy systems Field

International Whole
Nuclear Developer
especially safety
standards

GIF-IAEA Cooperate Matrix for Reactor
Non-electricalapplications & Hybrid
energy systems Field
A dialogue on the role that nuclear energy can play inclean energy systems of the future. To bring nuclear energy
from traditional, nuclear-only fora to a broader, cross-sectoral

Fields (FR, HTR, MSR, SCWR), Nonelectrical applications & Hybrid energy
systems Field, Economics Field, Safety
Field, PR&PP Field, Education andTraining Field, Research and Development
Infrastructure Field, Modelling and
Simulation Field

GIF as6 types of Gen IV systemdeveloper

discussion on clean energy at the ministerial level.
Interface with
GIF Partners

Interface with
GIF Partners(Potential partner)
International organization that represents the global
nuclear industry.
More than 177 vendors/utilities, promoting understandof nuclear energy, developing common industry
positions, and contributing to the energy debate.

Other energy sources

Gen III+AMME-WG

AMME technology
developments

Intergovernmental agency that facilitates cooperation in nuclear safety, technology, science,
environment and law.
Especially market, SMR, innovation, NI2050& regulation needs.
(including WGSARWGNT)International Standards Organizations

Regulators

Sector of Fast Reactor and Advanced Reactor Research and Development

16

Cooperation with IAEA
 GIF-IAEA Interface meeting 2021 July: The IAEA and the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) have agreed to expand
their cooperation, nuclear heat applications and advanced manufacturing. (IAEA Website news)
 2022 April: GIF-IAEA-NEA Joint Webinar on “Role of Nuclear Energy in Reducing CO2
Emission”

 Regulatory issues of Gen-IV
systems
 GIF-IAEA LMFR safety workshop
 Reviews of SFR SDC/ SDG and LFR
SDC by IAEA

 SMR safety documents development
in IAEA SMR Regulators Forum GIF members have joined several
consultancy meetings
iaea_smr_safety_webinar_presentation_29_october.pdf,
Page 8
Sector of Fast Reactor and Advanced Reactor Research and Development

17

Education & Training WG Activities
https://www.gen-4.org/gif/jcms/c_82831/webinars
Web search by GIF and Webinar

GIF Webinar in 2023
 Series 75: Advanced Reactor Safeguards and Materials
Accountancy Challenges 30 March 2023
Dr. Ben Cipiti from Sandia National Laboratories, USA
 Series 76: Overview of Nuclear Graphite R&D in Support ofAdvanced Reactors 5 April 2023
Dr. Will Windes, INL, USA
 Series 77: Graphite-Molten Salt Interactions, 24 May 2023
Dr. Nidia Gallego, ORNL, USA
 Series 78: International Knowledge Management andPreservation of SFR, 21 June 2023
Panel Session: Cal Doucette, Clean Energy, Canada; Joel
Guidez, retired from CEA, France; Hiroki Hayafune, JAEA,
Japan; Patrick Alexander, Terrapower, USA and Ron Omberg,
PNNL, USA Series 79: Off-gas Xenon Detection and Management in
Support of Molten Salt Reactors, 26 July 2023
Hunter Andrews, ORNL, USA and Praveen Thallapally PNNL,USA

Sector of Fast Reactor and Advanced Reactor Research and Development

18

GIF Webinar Guide

https://gif.jaea.go.jp/webinar/index_eng.html

Structured Indexof past webinar

Sector of Fast Reactor and Advanced Reactor Research and Development

19

Each page of GIF Webinar Guide

Summary;
Authorintroduction,
Major contents
These contents are available.

Sector of Fast Reactor and Advanced Reactor Research and Development

20

Guide Book of GIF Webinar

Sector of Fast Reactor and Advanced Reactor Research and Development

21

Pitch Your Generation IV Research, 2023
Encourage Young Researchers for innovative Generation IV reactor technologies
Total of Applications: 47
14 papers were selected for video
competition

Schedule
April 1, 2023 - Popular voting begins
April 30, 2023 - Popular voting ends
End of May 2023 – Three Winners
were announced with Video

Sector of Fast Reactor and Advanced Reactor Research and Development

22

Examples of SMRs / Non-light water Reactors
Organizations

Project or Reactor

Coolant

Characteristics

NuScale PowerVOYGR

Light Water

PWR base, Multi units in a pool

GE-Hitachi

BWRX-300

Light Water

BWR base

ROSATOM

Akademik Lomonosov

Light Water

PWR base, Floating power unit

CEA, EDF,…

NUWARD

Light Water

PWR base

MSIT

SMART

Light Water

PWR base

Oklo

AURORA

Heat Pipe

Fast Reactor

TerraPowerNATRIUM

SodiumFast Reactor

ARC Clean Energy

ARC-100

SodiumFast Reactor

Westinghouse

Demo. LFR

Lead

Fast Reactor

X-energy

Xe-100HeliumHigh Temperature gas cooled Reactor (HTGR)

USNC

MMR

HeliumHTGR

U-Battery

U-BatteryHeliumHTGRTerrestrial Energy

IMSR

Fluoride Salt

Molten Salt Reactor (MSR), Thermal Reactor

TerraPower

MCFR

Chloride Salt

MSR, Fast Reactor

Sector of Fast Reactor and Advanced Reactor Research and Development

23

GIF Industry Forum with G4SR-4 conference
G4SR-4: 4th International Conference on Generation IV
and Small Reactors
organized by Canadian Nuclear Society (CNS)
Toronto, October 3-6, 2022
 Report the achievements of GIF collaborative research on
advanced nuclear energy systems.
 Explore collaboration opportunities between private and public
sectors to accelerate the demonstration of Gen IV systems.

Topics identified for collaboration with GIF
 Range from specific technology to design/methods sharing Willingness to engage with Projects
Discussion of a new Project on SFR with Private Sectors
is ongoing.

Sector of Fast Reactor and Advanced Reactor Research and Development

24

Progress of Research & Development: SFR in Japan
ARKADIA as a Digital Triplet for Reactor Design
 Support evaluation of various innovative reactor concepts represented by a sodium-cooled fast reactor
 Optimize plant lifecycle of an advanced reactor automatically by using state-of-the-art simulation
technologies and knowledge
ARKADIA

ARKADIA-Design

optimizes core design, plant structure
design, and maintenance program
Example coupled simulation by VLS(Neutronics, thermal hydraulics, structure)

AI*-aided platform[C]

ARKADIA-Safety
provides design satisfying requirements ofsafety and economics from SA* simulation
Example SA simulation by VLS(loss of rector level)[¢/cm3]*Artificial
Intelligence Virtual Plant covering its life cycle
 Knowledgebase of Experiment,
Simulation, Design, Maintenance...

 Design optimization with AI
 VLS: Virtual plant Life System,
 KMS: Knowledge Management System,
 EAS: Enhanced and AI-aided design
optimization System

Temperature

Deformation Reactivity

Leaked debris

Pipe break* Severe Accident

Components
for Design
and Safety
Evaluations
Sectorof Fast Reactor of
andVLS
Advanced
Reactor Researchand Development

25

Sodium experiments on Safety Issues
 In-vessel retention of Core melt
Accident

 Sodium Water Rection
SWAT-3R Facility:
Sodium-water reaction (SWAT-3R) test
simulating high temperature and pressure
steam-water jets into sodium in SG

MELT facility:
Utilized for experimental studies to clarify themolten-core material behavior during severe
accidents of SFR

Water
injectionlevel

X-ray images of melt behavior in sodium

Example of Test: Penetrating failure tubes

Sector of Fast Reactor and Advanced Reactor Research and Development

26

Nuclear Innovation: 3D Printing Ceramic Fuel Technology
SFR Fuel Development Goals :• Fuel cycle synergy for SFR and HTGR
• Enable advanced fuel features• Enhance safety and economics

3D Printing fuel manufacture process

SiC-Graphite composite
material printing
Particles

SlurryPrinting

Sintering

Fuels of various shapes
and compositions

Research on 3D Printing CAE Simulation and V&V(Computer-Aided Engineering) Particles and slurry
Complex behavior re-produced by CFD
 Stereolithography printing
 Spark plasma sintering Irradiation performance

HTGR Fuel

Joyo

Advanced aqueous
reprocessing facility

HTTR

Velocity Magnitude and Vectors

Breakage ofslurry spread

CAE will greatly accelerate
deployment of 3D printing fuels
SlurryProcess
SectorSpreadingof Fast Reactor
and Advanced Reactor Research and Development

27

Summary• Sustainability of Nuclear Energy Use– Efficient use of Uranium– Reduction of waste; Greenhouse Gas and volume/ toxicity of High Level radioactive Waste• Potential of Generation IV Reactor Systems thanks to fast neutron and hightemperature output (> 500 degree C)• International Cooperation of Gen-IV development by GIF– 6 Reactor Systems; SFR, LFR, GFR, SCWR, VHTR, and MSR– Safety design criteria and guidelines– Non-electric Heat Application, Advanced Manufacturing– Webinar of Gen-IV Technologies and Knowledge Management• Synergy of GIF and SMR developments
This presentation material includes some of the results of the “Technical development program on a commercialized FBR plant” and“Technical development program on a fast reactor international cooperation, etc.” and “Technical development program on a commonbase for fast reactors” entrusted to JAEA by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in Japan (METI).

Sector of Fast Reactor and Advanced Reactor Research and Development28