Versatile Test Reactor
Jordi Roglans, Acting Project Manager
Argonne National Laboratory

Fourth Symposium on US‐Japan
Nuclear Energy Research Cooperation
October 21, 2020
Note: Information regarding VTR site location is preliminary. The decision for site location isdetermined via DOE acquisition processes that have not yet been completed.

VERSATILE TEST REACTOR (VTR)
U.S. DOE PROJECT TO ESTABLISH A FAST SPECTRUM TESTING CAPABILITY

The DOE‐NE (Office of Nuclear Energy)
mission is to advance nuclear power
to meet nation’s energy,
environmental, and national security
needs.

Capability Gapthe US does not have the fastneutron spectrum testing capability
to move forward in thedevelopment of next‐generation
nuclear reactors.

VTR to support the deployment of advanced reactor
development and enable long term innovation• Irradiation capabilities to support development of:• Advanced fuels and materials• Instrumentation & sensors• Support development of advanced reactors:• Sodium‐cooled reactors• Lead/LBE‐cooled reactors• Gas‐cooled reactors• Molten Salt reactors• Continuous improvements in operations and economics beyond
initial demonstration• Support innovation for current reactor technologies

THE VTR PROJECT – DOE Process for Acquisition of Capital Assets
CriticalDecisions(“CDs”)

CD-0
Approve
MissionNeed

CD-1
Approve
AlternativeSelectionand CostRange

CD-2
Approve
Performance
Baseline (PB)

CD-3
Approve
Start ofConstruction

CD-4
Approve
Start ofOperations3

CD-0 approved by Deputy Secretary Brouillette February 22, 2019.
CD-1 approved by Deputy Secretary Menezes September 11, 2020.
3

VTR: KEY PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS
ParameterTarget

High neutron flux

≥ 4 x 1015 n/cm2‐sHigh fluence≥ 30 dpa/yr

High test volume inthe core≥7L(multiple locations)Representative
testing height

0.6 ≤ L ≤ 1 m

Flexible test
environment

Rabbit & Loops(Na, Pb, LBE, He, Salt)

Advance
instrumentation andsensors

In‐situ, real time data

Experiment life cycle

Proximity to otherinfrastructure

Driver fuel life cycle
management

Existing facilities asmuch as possible

REFERENCE TECHNOLOGY• Mature Technology: Sodium‐cooled pool type reactor,inherent and passive safety• Metallic alloy fuel• 300 MW; no electricity production
4

REACTOR BUILDING VIEW

VTR: TESTING CAPABILITIES
Irradiation tests are planned for the VTR using multiple
methods of inserting test materials and or/sensors into thecore.
1. Normal test assembly: A test assembly containing
fuel or other materials is substituted for a normal driver
fuel assembly.
2. Extended length test assembly: Extend through thereactor head and have instrumentation to record therelevant physical conditions of the test article. Thesetest assemblies may be cartridge loops that use a selfcontained coolant separate from the VTR primarysodium.
3. Rabbit test assembly: To insert and remove aspecimen-carrying capsule into the reactor core via apredetermined position for short-term irradiation during
reactor operation.
4. Dismountable Test Assembly: Same size and shape
as a fueled core assembly but contains a removable
test insert. It can be handled by the same equipment
6that handles other core assemblies.

THE VTR TEAM
Universities (includes co-PIs)
Abilene Christian111University2
3Fort Lewis CollegeGeorgia Institute
Of Technology

45

Illinois Institute
Of Technology

6

Massachusetts InstituteOf Technology
North Carolina
State University

7

University ofCalifornia, Berkeley

12Universityof Idaho, Idaho Falls13University ofMichigan

1415

University of
New Mexico

1681718

919

Universityof Utah
University ofWisconsin Madison
Virginia
Commonwealth
University
University of Houston

2534
825262728
29

530 927112129General ElectricLaboratories
National30 Argonne
Laboratory
31

Idaho National
Laboratory

32

3435

Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory
Savannah River
National Laboratory

1526

28
27
2022

18
733

24

3
11033

13

232
14

Industry
Bechtel Corporation
2021
22
24

1716

1023

612
31
4192335VTR TEAM ROLES• Management, Integration, Core, Fuel, Safety Analysis, Safety Basis, Probabilistic RiskAssessment (PRA), Support Facilities:
DOE Laboratories. INL Lead Laboratory• Design and Construction• Conceptual design, cost estimate• Engineering design, procurement, construction
Industry• Experiment Capability Development:

DOE Laboratories
Industry
Universities

8

JAPAN – US COLLABORATION ON VTR
The objective of this Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) is to establish a framework for the Participants
to collaborate on DOE's R&D and potential deployment of a versatile test reactor (VTR) to be used fortesting of advanced technologies needed to support future deployment of advanced fast reactors.

• JAPAN METI/MEXT and US DOE ‐ MEMORANDUM OF COOPERATION (MOC)• Signed in June 2019
• Executive Committee formed• Project Arrangement (PA) between JAEA and DOE is under development. Identifies collaboration
in following areas:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Reactor Design and Safety Analysis (includes component design, sodium fire mitigation, and PRA)
Fuel, cladding and materials
Modeling and simulation
Test Vehicles
Instrumentation and controls for reactor and experiments• PA is under review by METI and MEXT

Thank you!