Los Alamos Transmutation Research- Heavy Liquid Metal Coolant
Technology & AcceleratorDriven Materials Test Station
Ning Li*, Eric Pitcher
Los Alamos National Laboratory, USASept. 28, 2006

Outline• Heavy Liquid Metal Coolant Technology– Facilities, materials testing and coolant technology
development– Corrosion modeling and database• Materials Test Station (MTS)– Mission– Design– Outlook

Heavy Liquid Metal Coolant
Technology

Supporting AFCI and Gen IV Goals• AFCI (Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative):– Original goal: ADS spallation target and transmutationassembly - substantially met;
– Extended goal: reactor-based systems and Gen IV• Gen IV LFR (Generation IV Nuclear Energy Systems:
Lead Fast Reactor):– Near to mid-term: long-life LBE/Pb-cooled cores - long-term
corrosion performance under testing, modified materials
and/or surface treatment necessary– Long-term: high temperature Pb-cooled systems - newclasses of materials and coolant technology necessary• GNEP (Global Nuclear Energy Partnership)– Sodium as coolant for Advanced Burner Reactor (ABR)– Will SMR (small and modular reactors) carry LFR?

Gen IV LFR: 20 MWe SSTAR Concept
CLOSURE HEADCO2 INLET NOZZLE(1 OF 4)

CO2 OUTLET NOZZLE(1 OF 8)

Pb-TO-CO2 HEAT EXCHANGER(1 OF 4)

FLOW SHROUDREACTOR VESSELFLOW DISTRIBUTOR
HEAD

CONTROL ROD DRIVELINESRADIAL REFLECTOR
ACTIVE CORE AND FISSION GASPLENUM

DELTA Loop (DEvelopment of Lead-alloy
Technology and Applications)• Design in 2000
– 316L construction– ~100 kW power– Up to 15 m3/h forced
circulation with a 20 HP
pump, normally operated
below 2 m/s LBE flow intest section– Oxygen controlled• Loop construction
finished in 2002
• Operation and testingsince 2003

DELTA Loop in MPF-18, TA-53, LANLDELTA Loop Test Program• Large test matrix of materials, surface
treatment, and alloy modifications• Materials from other national labs,universities and international partners< 550°C< 2 m/s

Assembled sample
holders
Corrosion test specimens

After testing

Sample holders(slotted channels)

2005 DELTA Test Campaign• T=540oC, CO=10-6wt%, v=1m/s, t=200, 400, 600hrs• Stress Corrosion Cracking specimens(HT-9, EP823 U-bends
and C-rings)• Corrosion specimens:
ODS steels

MA957
MA956

Si + Xe+Y + Xe+14YWTO+

PM2000Ta + Xe+

SAM40

HCM12A, sputtered andimplanted

HCM12AY + Xe+SAM40X3O+

HVOF

Ta + Xe+

C22 HVOF
Mo, W coating

NF616

12YWT(JNC)
Amorphous coating on
316L

NF616, sputtered andimplanted

LaserLaser-peened

316L

MA957

EP823

EP823

HTHT-9HTHT-9T91

9Cr9Cr-1Mo

High Cr

1818-20%Cr

Stable Oxygen Control in DELTA via AutomatedDirect Gas Injection

Run Time [min]Pt_Sensor

French_Sensor

LANL_Bi_Sensor

8358

7892

7426

6960

6494

6028

5287

4355

3423

2491

1631

1398

1165

932699466233

10.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.100

Oxygen Sensor Outpu[V]

Oxygen Sensor Readings under Automatic Control

A Bypass in DELTA with a PbO Mass Exchanger toControl Oxygen Concentration in LBE

Investigate Effects of Oxygen Concentration inLBE on Heat Transfer and Wetting in DELTA

Fouling Factor: Increasing Oxygen
Concentration Reduces Heat Transfer

Fouling Factor [m2K/W]

1.0E-04

1.0E-05
1.0E-07

FF = 0.0002 Co
R 2 = 0.933

1.0E-06

1.0E-05

Oxygen Concentration [wt%]0.15141.0E-04

Lead Correlation Stand to Test Materials in Pb
for Temperatures up to 650-700oC• Design– ODS steel (MA956 –4.5%Al) construction– 0.25m/s natural circulation– Oxygen controlled• Loop construction finished• Auxiliary systems to beadded

TestSection

Expansion
Tank
CoolingHeatingMelt Tank

Lead Correlation Stand (LCS) in Support andContainment Structure (Next to DELTA)A Framework to Systematically Model Oxidation
and Corrosion of Steels in Lead-Alloys
Oxide
growthmodelSurface
Kinetics

System Corrosion Kinetics
ModelDissolution faster than mass transfer

Surface concentration atsaturation or local
equilibrium

Model transient
process

Equation in the masstransfer boundary layer

Simplifying
assumptions

Incorporate geometry
variations

Starting Point I(corrosion producttransport)

Kinetic corrosion for simple loop at
steady state. Solutions for corrosion
product concentration andcorrosion/deposition rate

Transport equationin the bulk flow

Model for Multi-Modular loop

Modeling Oxidation/Corrosion Based on First
Principles and Experimental Findings• Oxide scale:
experimentally observed structures• Mass transfer in liquid metals:
turbulence modelBenchmarking of Corrosion Model against JLBL-1(JAERI Lead-Bismuth Loop) Experiment•Calculated dissolution/precipitation rate foriron (solid line) and the temperature profile(dashed line) for JLBL-1 loop.

•Deposition zone (thick back line) in JLBL-1
experiment. The corrosion rate is between
0.03-0.1 mm at the highest temperature leg.

Universal Scaling of Reported LBE Loop Test
Data based on the System Kinetic Model
80

60

Fe-3.82%Si

Fe-1.24%Si

F22ODS

NF616

Batmann28

EM10(1)

T91(1)

T91(2)

Batman27

EM10(2)

OptiferHCM12A

HT-9EP823

410

316L(550)

316L(650)

Cr14Ni11Mo

Cr11Ni3Mo

Cr9NiMoW

Cr14Ni11Mo

1Cr1.5Si-MoV

15Cr11Ni3SiMoNb40

20

1Kinetic modelFe-3.82%Si
Fe-1.24%Si
F22ODS

0100

1000t(h)

10000

0.8

NF616
Batmann28
EM10(1)
T91(1)
T91(2)
Batman27
EM10(2)

0.6

Optifer
HCM12A
HT-9EP823
410
316L(550)

0.4

316L(650)
Cr14Ni11Mo
Cr11Ni3Mo
Cr9NiMoW
Cr14Ni11Mo
1Cr1.5Si-MoV
15Cr11Ni3SiMoNb

0.2

00.001

0.01

0.1t/tc110

Irradiation and Corrosion Experiment (ICE)
LBEconditioner
sensorGamma
detector

Ion Beam Materials Laboratory

SampleFilled withLiquid LBE

Ti safety
foil

LBE
reservoir

5 MeV p+beam

Cubicalinstrument
chamberthermocouple

Schematic sketch of the experimental setup.

LBE
collectiontankICE Device and Shielded Platform
Shielded Platform

LBE reservoir

Window/sample

ICE chamber

Extensive Collaborations•

University–––––––––•UNLV (TC-1, materials, corrosion testing, sensors, etc)
MIT (Si effects, oxygen sensor seals)
U Wisconsin (testing fusion alloys and modifications)Idaho Accelerator Center (oxygen sensor irradiation)
U Illinois U-C (corrosion probes)
U Michigan (irradiation effects on corrosion)
TAMU (nano-engineered coatings and materials)
Penn State U (oxide microstructure)
UC Santa Barbara (ODS steels)

International––––––

OECD/NEA HLMC Handbook projectEU (DEMETRA, MEGAPIE)CEA (coolant technology, materials testing, oxygen sensors)
SNU/KAERI (fuel cladding materials, oxygen sensors)
JAERI (ADS), JNC/TITech (FR)
IPPE (ISTC projects on TC-1, PbO-based oxygen control, oxygen sensors)

Lead-Alloy Coolant Technology and Materials
Readiness Level Assessment (2005)• For peak temperature < 550oC, and for short
to medium lifetime at high temperatures,technology readiness level (TRL) is at earlystages of “Proof-of-Performance”.
• For long-life core (20-30 years), and for highperformance and higher temperature (up to750oC), TRL is at “Proof-of-Principle”.
• For temperature higher than 800oC (e.g. forhydrogen production), TRL is at “Proof-ofConcept”.

Accelerator-Driven
Materials Test Station(MTS)The MTS is a fast spectrum irradiation facility
supporting fuels and materials development
for the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership• The U.S.A. has no fast neutron spectrum irradiation facility• There are a limited number of viable facilities abroad:– PHENIX (France, due to close by end of this decade)– JOYO (Japan)– BOR-60 (Russia)• The AFCI program has been successful in securing irradiation
services abroad, but the process– is time consuming– has risks associated with approvals outside of U.S. control• The MTS will provide a near term fast spectrum domestic irradiation
capability until the Advanced Burner Test Reactor is available circa
2019

MTS will be located in the 3,000 m2 LANSCE“Area A” experiment hall
Existing assets include:• 800-MeV, 1.35-mA proton linac• 30-T crane• 6 MW secondary cooling• Ktons of shield blocks• 12 MW electrical service

The LANSCE accelerator andArea A have a replacement costof $1B. Utilization of this unique
resource significantly reduces
MTS capital costs.

The MTS irradiation environment meets
programmatic objectives
Criterion
Neutron spectrum
Peak fast (>0.1 MeV)
neutron flux
Irradiation volumeAvailability
Prototypic fast reactor
environment

Design Requirement
Similar to that of a fast reactor≥1×1015 n.cm–2.s–1

Current Design
Meets requirement
1.3×1015 n.cm–2.s–1

Sufficient to achieve 360
W/cm linear heating in 20 cm
of highly enriched fuel≥3%/y burnup and ≥10 dpa/yin Fe in the peak flux region
Ability to accommodate liquid
metal coolants

Exceeds requirement
by factor of 104%/y burnup and18 dpa/y in Fe
Meets requirement

The MTS spallation target is split, with a“flux trap” irradiation zone located in between
622spallation
targetfuel pinsin flux trap

12 (activefuelheight)

1.5
proton beam
(800 MeV, 1.35 mA)
6Dimensions in cm.

The target assembly consists of a series ofnested inserts

Horizontal cross section at mid-planereflector

proton beammask
proton beammaterials samples
spallation target
fuel samples
spallation target
materials samples
reflector

backstop

protonbeam

The MTS beam line design includes a raster systemthat produces nearly uniform current density on target
21 mm wide
target facetarget position
backstreaming shield wall

15 mm nominal
spot width
Proton beamlet is
3 mm horizontal x
6 mm vertical(FWHM)
Vertical slew
covers 60 mm
nominal spot
height in 725
μsec macropulse

tuningbeam dump
raster magnets

The spallation target uses well establishedtechnology
Target material
Coolant
Beam energy (MeV)
Beam current (mA)
Current density (µA/cm2)

MTS
Ta-clad W
D2O
800
1.3575ISIS
Ta-clad W
D2O
800
0.2
1018 cm

MTS target

ISIS target

APT
SS-clad W
H2O
800
170

Proton flux distribution at target mid-planeNeutron flux distribution at target mid-plane

MTS neutron spectrum is similar to that of a fast
reactor with the addition of a high-energy tail
0.40
0.35

flux per lethargy (a.u.)

0.30

ABTR

0.25

Only 6% ofneutron fluxis >10 MeV

MTS

0.20
0.15
0.10
0.05
0.00
10-3

10-2

10-1

100

101

neutron energy (MeV)

102103

Compared to a fast reactor, the high-E tail of the MTS
spectrum causes greater He production in Fe
He production (appm/y)*
8.6
Atomic displacements (dpa/y)* 3.9
He/dpa2.2
Burnup (% /y)*
1.4
Neutron flux (1014 n/cm2/s)
5.1

226
17.9
12.64.616.7*Per calendar year (4,400 hours of full-power operation).

177
8.1
21.7
2.2
8.1

Burnup rate histogram, 864 fuel pellets(HEU-WGPu oxide fuel / Ta housing, H2O coolant)
Pellet dimensions: 5 mm diam x 5 mm highThe peak flux in MTS shows little dependence
on test fuel composition

*
1.43
1.28
0.880.69*From Jaecki, et al., Global 2005.

PHENIX 4th ring

1.92E+15

The schedule shows project completion near
the end of FY10
• Cleanout of Area A is estimated to take one year• The total construction/installation process is estimated totake three years• The actual completion date will depend on timely DOE
Critical Decision approvals and adequate funding• MTS Total Project Cost estimate is $73M, including 25%
contingency• Operating cost is $6M - $10M per year