COMMISSION STAFF WORKING PAPER Accompanying document to the Report "Operation of the High Flux Reactor in year 2009"
Date: 2011-07-18
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: fuel reprocessing, fundamental particle, nuclear fuel, nuclear reactor, nuclear safety, radioactive waste, research and development

EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Brussels, 18.7.2011 
SEC(2011) 929 final 

COMMISSION STAFF WORKING PAPER 

Accompanying document to the Report "Operation of the High Flux Reactor in year 
2009" 

{COM(2011) 444 final} 

 
 
 
 
  
 
COMMISSION STAFF WORKING PAPER 

Accompanying document to the Report "Operation of the High Flux Reactor in year 
2009" 

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1. 

INTRODUCTION 

This staff working document is a companion document to the Report from the Commission to 
The Council and the European Parliament "Operation of the High Flux Reactor in year 2009" 

The High Flux Reactor (HFR) Petten, managed by the Institute for Energy (IE) of the JRC of 
the  European  Commission,  is  one  of  the  most  powerful  multi-purpose  materials  testing 
reactors in the world. 

The  HFR  is  of  the  tank-in-pool  type,  light  water  cooled  and  moderated  and  operated  at  45 
MW. In operation since 1961, and following a new vessel replacement in 1984, the HFR has a 
technical life beyond the year 2015. The reactor provides a variety of irradiation facilities and 
possibilities in the reactor core, in the reflector region and in the poolside. Horizontal beam 
tubes  are  available  for  research  with  neutrons  and  gamma  irradiation  facilities  are  also 
available.  Furthermore,  excellently  equipped  hot  cell  laboratories  on  the  Petten  site  provide 
virtually all envisaged post-irradiation examinations possibilities. 

The close co-operation between JRC and the Nuclear Research and consultancy group (NRG) 
on all aspects of nuclear research and technology is essential to maintain the key position of 
the  HFR  amongst  research  reactors  worldwide.  This  co-operation  has  led  to  a  unique  HFR 
structure, in which both organisations are involved. Euratom is the owner of the plant (for a 
lease of 99 years) and the JRC the plant and budget manager. JRC develops a platform around 
HFR as a tool for European collaborative programmes. NRG operates and maintains the plant, 
under contract, for JRC and manages the commercial activities around the reactor.  

The  Mo-99  isotope  production  was  increased  to  a  level  around  180%  of  normal  production 
(exceeding  the  radiochemical  processing  capacity  available  within  the  European  supply 
network) to compensate the unexpected shutdown of the NRU Reactor in Canada. The HFR 
produced enough material to allow more than 50,000 patient scans per day to be performed 
worldwide which represented around 60% of the normal total world demand. 

As of February 2005 NRG has become the holder of the operation licence granted under the 
Dutch  Nuclear  Energy  Law.  Furthermore  each  organisation  provides  complementary 
possibilities  around  the  reactor  activities,  such  as  the  hot  cell  facilities  of  NRG  or  the 
experiment commissioning laboratory of JRC. 

During  the  last  three  decades  the  HFR  has  been  operated  from  Supplementary  Programmes 
regularly  discussed  by  the  European  Council.  On  25  May  2009,  the  European  Council 
adopted  a  three-year  supplementary  research  programme  to  be  implemented  by  the  Joint 
Research  Centre  for  the  European  Atomic  Energy  Community  (2009-2011)  concerning  the 
operation of the Community’s High Flux Reactor. 

The  present  document  aims  at  reporting  the  implementation  of  the  above  scientific  and 
technical objectives in 2009, first year of the current Supplementary Programme.  

The  report  also  provides  information  regarding  the  financial  contributions  received  for  the 
execution of the programme and the yearly contribution to the decommissioning fund that the 
supplementary programme provides to the Euratom, owner of the HFR. 

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1. 

HFR: REACTOR MANAGEMENT 

HFR Safety, Operation and Related Services 

The  HFR  reactor  is  operated  by  NRG.  It  has  an  operating  licence  granted  by  the  Dutch 
national regulator, the Kernfysische Dienst (KFD). As for nuclear power plants, the HFR is 
subject to legally required 10-year periodic reviews which are performed by NRG. The HFR 
has been also the subject of an independent IAEA INSARR (Integrated Safety Assessment for 
Research Reactors) review in March 2005, and the next is foreseen in 2011. 

At  the  start  of  2009,  all  the  investigations  and  inspections  of  the  bottom  plug  liner  showed 
clearly  that  a  safe  start  and  subsequent  operation,  under  strict  conditions,  of  the  HFR  were 
possible.  Due  to  increasing  shortage  of  radioisotopes  and  on  urgent  request  of  the 
radioisotopes  producers,  authorization  was  given  by  the  Dutch  competent  authorities  to 
operate  the  HFR.The  planned  operational  cycle  pattern  consisted  of  a  scheduled  number  of 
249 operation days and two maintenance periods of respectively 42.6 and 31.3 days. In 2009 
therefore, the HFR was in operation for 248 days. 

The reduction of operating time can be almost completely attributed to the investigation and 
inspections of the bottom plug liner which caused the extended shutdown and the later start of 
HFR  cycle  09.02.  After  deliberation  between  physicians  and  on  request  of  the  major 
radioisotope producers, the maintenance period between HFR cycle 2009-01 and HFR cycle 
2009-02 was extended to 31 March 2009. The objective of this change of cycle pattern was to 
ensure  the  availability  of  sufficient  irradiation  capacity  at  the  end  of  cycle  2009-02.  This 
corresponds  to  an  actual  availability  of  67.97  %  with  reference  to  the  scheduled  operation 
plan.  Nominal  power  has  been  45  MW,  with  a  total  energy  production  of  approximately 
11 135.21 MWd, corresponding to a fuel consumption of about 13.9 kg 235U. 

At the beginning of the reporting period, HFR operations were temporarily stopped due to the 
final part of the investigation and inspection of the bottom plug liner and the performance of 
the annual containment leak test. Nevertheless, all the 2009 cycles were started according to 
the  original  schedule.  During  the  summer  maintenance  period,  the  extended  reactor  vessel 
inspection of the bottom plug liner and several safety related modifications were successfully 
performed.  After  the  scheduled  end  of  each  cycle,  the  shut-downs  included  activities 
performed in the framework of the regular HFR operators’ training. 

The  detailed  operating  characteristics  for  2009  are  given  in  Table  1.  All  details  on  power 
interruptions  and  power  disturbances  are  given  in  Table  2.  It  shows  that  5  scrams  and  one 
manual power decrease occurred. Two of these scrams were due to manual intervention and a 
human error respectively. Two others were caused by loss of off-site power. The remaining 
scram was due to intervention of the reactor instrumentation devices to ensure safety. 

Besides the regular visits of international colleagues and relations with the medical world, a 
total of 914 visitors (divided over 162 tours) were guided through the reactor during 2009. 

In  2009,  the  maintenance  activities  consisted  of  the  preventive,  corrective  and  breakdown 
maintenance of all Systems, Structures and Components (SSCs) of the HFR as described in 
the annual and long term maintenance plans. These activities are executed with the objective 
to enable the safe and reliable operation of the HFR and to prevent inadvertent scrams caused 
by insufficient maintenance. 

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The  periodic  leak  testing,  as  one  of  the  licence  requirements  (0.2  bar  overpressure  for  24 
hours  duration)  and  the  extended  In-Service  Inspection,  including  measurements  on  the 
bottom  plug  liner,  were  performed  successfully.  As  part  of  the  HFR  Modification  Plan, 
several modifications were completed. 

All modifications were implemented after the revision of the plant description and operating 
instructions and following successful commissioning and testing. 

Table 1: 2009 operational characteristics 

Table 2 : 2009 full power interruption of HFR 

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Fuel Cycle 

During  2009,  due  to  the  shutdown  of  the  HFR,  only  5  Low  Enriched  Uranium  (LEU)  fuel 
elements and 4 control rods were inspected at the manufacturer’s site and delivered to Petten. 
Since May 2006, the HFR is running completely on LEU fuel. 

In 2009, two shipments with High Enriched Uranium (HEU) spent fuel took place in MTR2 
containers  to  the  Dutch  Central  Organisation  for  Radioactive  Waste  (COVRA);  in  total  66 
elements,  of  which  59  fuel  and  7  control  rods,  equivalent  to  two  positions  in  the  HABOG 
building for High Level Radioactive waste at COVRA. At the end of 2009, 26 positions out of 
the  48  positions  (including  the  6  reserve  positions)  are  vacant  in  the  HABOG.  The  last  18 
HEU elements, still present in the HFR pool, are planned to be shipped in 2010. 

The Gesellschaft für Nuklear-Service (GNS) carried out the compulsory 3 years inspection of 
the shock absorbers which are mounted around a loaded cask during a transport. The shock 
absorbers  needed  a  second  inspection  which  required  the  building  of  a  special  device  that 
prevents deformation during the pressure test. 

2. 

HFR SUPPORTING NETWORKING IN RESEARCH 

2.1. 

Network on Neutron Techniques Standardization for Structural Integrity (NeT) 

NeT, the European Network on Neutron Techniques Standardization for Structural Integrity, 
supports progress towards improved performance and safety of European energy production 
systems. To this end, the JRC, next to its role as manager of NeT, contributes to the scientific 
work  through  neutron  scattering  for  residual  stress  measurement  and  assessment  of  thermal 
material ageing effects, using its beam tube facilities at the HFR. In addition, in 2009, the JRC 
started  its  contributions  to  synchrotron  X-ray  diffraction  measurements  performed  at 
synchrotron facilities in France and Germany. 

About  35  organisations  are  actively  participating  in  the  work  of  NeT,  including  eight 
organisations from the new member states, three organisations from candidate countries, one 
from  Russia,  one  from  Japan,  one  from  Australia,  and  one  from  South  Korea.  In  2009,  the 
NeT Steering Committee met twice and significant progress has been made in carrying out the 
work  within  its  Task  Groups  (TGs).  In  November  2009,  an  Enlargement  and  Integration 
Workshop has been organised attended by about 15 scientists from the EU and Turkey. 

In 2009, the main experimental activities in NeT were within the newly established TGs 4 and 
5. TG4 focused on a 3-bead in a slot weld in a stainless steel plate while TG5 dealt with an 
autogenous  weld  along  the  edge  of  the  ferritic  steel  beam.  Several  contributors,  including 
JRC,  provided  experimental  assessment  of  welding  residual  stresses  and  welding  distortion 
for these specimens. 

Based on the work performed in TG1 on a single bead weld on a plate, a dedicated issue of 
the  International  Journal  of  Pressure  Vessels  and  Piping  has  been  published  in  2009.  It 
includes,  among  others,  14  papers  from  the  participants  of  NeT.  NeT  TG1  is  now  also 
becoming  an  example  case  in  the  weld  modelling  section  of  the  R6  defects  assessment 
procedure in the UK, and it has also been suggested to be considered as a sample case for a 
NAFEMS numerical analysis standard for welding residual stresses. 

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In  the  course  of  2009,  first  contacts  have  been  established  with  the  US  Nuclear  Regulatory 
Commission (NRC), to the IAEA and to the International Institute of Welding (IIW) with a 
view to assessing the possibilities for a future involvement of these organizations in NeT. 

The  HFR  irradiation  possibilities  were  used  to  perform  residual  stress  measurements  by 
neutron diffraction, as explained in the next chapter. 

2.2. 

FAIRFUELS, towards a more sustainable fuel cycle with less nuclear waste 

In  the  frame  of  the  EURATOM  7th  Framework  Programme  (FP7),  the  4-year  project 
FAIRFUELS  (Fabrication,  Irradiation  and  Reprocessing  of  FUELS  and  targets  for 
transmutation)  aims  at  a  more  efficient  use  of  fissile  material  in  nuclear  reactors  by 
implementing transmutation. Transmutation provides a way to reduce the volume and hazard 
of high level radioactive waste by recycling the most long-lived components. In this way, the 
nuclear  fuel  cycle  can  be  closed  in  a  sustainable  manner.  The  FAIRFUELS  consortium 
consists  of ten European  research institutes, universities and industry. The project started in 
2009 and is coordinated by NRG. Both NRG and JRC-IE work closely together on the HFR 
irradiations  that  are  scheduled  in  FAIRFUELS:  MARIOS  and  SPHERE  fuel  irradiations,  as 
described in the following chapters. 

3. 

HFR AS A TOOL FOR RESEARCH 

3.1. 

Residual Stress Measurements by Neutron Diffraction at the HFR 

In  2009,  the  HFR  facilities  for  residual  stress  measurement  by  neutron  diffraction  at  beam 
tubes  HB4  and  HB5  have  been  used  for  a  number  of  measurement  campaigns.  Three 
examples are outlined briefly, as follows: 

In  the  context  of  NeT  Task  Group  5  (see  above),  residual  stress/strain  measurements  have 
been performed across the width of a 10 by 50 mm2 cross section ferritic steel beam with an 
autogenous weld along one of its edges. These measurements are part of a TG5 residual stress 
measurement round-robin, where the experimental results shall aid the validation of numerical 
stress  prediction  procedures.  Indeed,  prediction  procedures  are  complicated  in  the  case  of 
such ferritic steels because of the involvement of phase transformations during various stages 
of the welding process. 

A  second  series  of  measurements,  performed  in  2009,  targeted  developments  of  improved 
measurement  procedures  for  multi-pass  welds  in  stainless  steel,  as  they  are  often  used  in 
assembling primary cooling systems in nuclear power installations. The inhomogeneity of the 
weld  material  and  the  sheer  size  of  such  components  complicate  significantly  the 
experimental  determination  of  the  welding  residual  stresses.  The  specimens  used  in  these 
measurements  were  slices  cut  from  a  bi-metallic  –  ferritic  to  austenitic  steel  –  piping  weld 
whereby,  in  this  case,  a  stainless  steel  clad  layer  was  applied  on  the  inner  surface  of  the 
ferritic  part  of  the  pipe.  Finally,  an  IAEA  driven  collaborative  research  project  (CRP),  with 
participation  of  the  JRC,  on  research  reactors  and  the  capabilities  for  residual  stress 
measurement  has  been  concluded  in  2009.  The  JRC  assumed  responsibility  for  the 
organization  of  ongoing  round  robin  exercises  to  benchmark  the  performance  of  the 
participating facilities. Nine or ten reactor based neutron sources are expected to participate in 
the round robin exercises within the coming one or two years. The contribution of the HFR to 
this  first  round  robin  exercise  (an  interference  fit  of  an  aluminium  ring  and  plug)  has  been 

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performed in spring 2009. This round robin reiterates a corresponding exercise in the context 
of VAMAS TWA20 in the late 1990’s (see also HFR annual report 1998), and the data from 
2009 are in good agreement with those measured at that time. 

In 2009, NRG has also continued to perform structural analyses by powder diffraction using 
the  diffractometer  of  beam  tube  HB3a.  Among  others,  materials  for  electricity  storage 
applications  have  been  investigated  upon  request  of  Leiden  University.  On  the  same 
instrument,  a  powder  diffraction  spectrum  of  lithium  hydride,  a  candidate  material  for 
hydrogen storage, was measured on behalf of the JRC Cleaner Energies Unit 

3.2. 

CRYO Experiment: Alpha-Emitters Radiotoxicity Reduction 

Research conducted to date tends to suggest that the decay half-life of alpha-emitting isotopes 
embedded in a metallic matrix may be reduced at cryogenic temperatures. If confirmed, this 
may ultimately contribute to the reduction of nuclear waste. 

To avoid any possible speculations, JRC is trying to verify the status/outcome of these studies 
by conducting an experiment in the HFR, called CRYO. The CRYO irradiation will produce 
210Po,  which  is  a  pure  alpha  emitter,  embedded  in  a  metallic  matrix  of  copper.  This  will  be 
achieved by the irradiation of eight copper – bismuth disks and transmutation of 209Bi. 

Irradiation of the CRYO experiment started on 22 December 2009, for a duration of one HFR 
cycle (~29 full power days). 

4. 

FUEL IRRADIATIONS IN THE HFR 

4.1. 

HELIOS Fuel Experiment: Americium Transmutation 

Americium  is  one  of  the  radioactive  elements  that  contribute  to  a  large  part  of  the 
radiotoxicity  of  spent  fuels.  Transmutation,  by  irradiation  in  nuclear  reactors  of  long-lived 
nuclides  such  as  241Am,  is  therefore  an  option  for  the  mass  and  radiotoxicity  reduction  of 
nuclear wastes. The Helios experiment, as part of the FP6 EUROTRANS Integrated Project 
on  Partitioning  and  Transmutation,  deals  with  irradiation  of  U-free  fuels  containing 
americium. The main objective of the HELIOS irradiation is to study in-pile behaviour of U-
free fuel targets, such as CerCer (Pu, Am, Zr)O2 and Am2Zr2O7+MgO or CerMet (Pu, Am)O2 
+Mo, in order to gain knowledge on the role of microstructure and temperature on gas release 
and on fuel swelling. During the irradiation, a significant amount of helium is produced by the 
transmutation  of  americium.  The  gas  release  study  is  of  vital  importance  to  allow  better 
performance of the U-free fuels. Two different approaches are followed to reach early helium 
release: 

1. Provide release pathways by creating open porosities, i.e. release paths to the plenum gas. 
Therefore,  in  the  HELIOS  test  matrix  a  composite  target  with  a  MgO  matrix  containing  a 
network of open porosity has been included. 

2. Increase target temperature to promote the release of helium from the matrix. Americium or 
americium/plutonium  zirconia  based  solid  solutions  along  with  CerMet  targets  have  been 
included in the test matrix to study the effects of the temperature. Adding plutonium allows 
for fission, which will increase the target temperature at the beginning of irradiation (BOI). 

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Irradiation  of  the  HELIOS  experiment  started  on  29  April  2009  and  lasted  about  250  full 
power days, i.e. until the HFR stop, on 19 February 2010. 

The start-up of the experiment has been flawless. During the first cycle, the experiment has 
showed a higher neutron flux than expected. Investigations are being  conducted and will be 
finalised  with  the  measurement  of  the  fluence  detectors  installed  near  to  each  test  pin.  This 
higher flux does not jeopardise the results of the experiment. As a matter of fact, it might even 
help as the experiment will receive more neutron fluence than expected. This will counteract 
the premature stop by raising the burn-up and helium production. 

4.2.  MARIOS Fuel Irradiation: Minor Actinide Recycling 

The  MARIOS  irradiation  programme,  as  part  of  FAIRFUELS,  is  a  series  of  irradiations 
dealing  with  heterogeneous  recycling  of  Minor  Actinides  (MAs)  in  Sodium-cooled  Fast 
Reactors (i.e. the MA-bearing-blanket concept). MAs, such as americium and curium, are not 
always  recycled  and  remain  key  elements  composing  the  waste.  The  aim  of  the  MARIOS 
irradiation is to investigate the behaviour of MA targets in a uranium oxide matrix carrier. For 
the  first  time,  americium  (241Am)  is  included  in  a  (natural)  uranium  oxide  matrix 
Am0.15U0.85O1.94. This irradiation will produce large amounts of helium within the targets. Its 
goal  is  therefore  to  study  the  fuel  behaviour  in  terms  of  helium  production  and  swelling. 
These  may  cause  significant  damage  to  the  material  under  irradiation.  The  MARIOS 
irradiation will start in autumn 2010 and will last for approximately 300 full power days. 

During  2009,  the  preliminary  design  of  MARIOS  was  finalised.  The  nuclear  analyses  have 
been concluded and the fission power generated by the fuel pellets has been calculated. The 
fuel pellets, made by CEA in France, are in preparation and will arrive in Petten during spring 
2010. 

4.3. 

SPHERE Fuel Irradiation: Safer Fuels 

Within  the  FP7  FAIRFUELS  project,  the  irradiation  SPHERE  has  been  planned  for  2011. 
SPHERE has been designed to compare conventional pellet-type fuels with so-called sphere-
pac  fuels.  The  latter  have  the  advantage  of  an  easier,  dust-free  fabrication  process.  When 
dealing with highly radioactive minor actinides, dust-free fabrication processes are especially 
essential to reduce the risk of contamination. 

To  assess  the  irradiation  performance  of  Sphere-Pac  fuels  compared  to  conventional  pellet 
fuel,  a  dedicated  SPHERE  irradiation  experiment  will  be  performed.  For  this  purpose, 
americium-containing fuel, both pellet and sphere-pac types, will be fabricated at JRC-ITU in 
Germany. These fuels will be irradiated in the HFR. This irradiation is the first of its kind, as 
no  minor  actinide  bearing  Sphere-Pac  fuel  has  ever  been  irradiated  before.  The  SPHERE 
irradiation will last for approximately 300 full power days. 

The  preliminary  design  for  the  SPHERE  irradiation  experiment  has  started  and  the  first 
fabrication trials have started. 

4.4. 

HTR Fuel Pebble Irradiation HFR-EU1 

After  a  pause  of  several  years,  after  the  end  of  the  German  fuel  qualification  programme, 
JRC-IE  resumed  in  2004  new  HTR  fuel  irradiations  in  the  HFR,  this  time  with  a  focus  on 
determining the limits of old and newly produced fuel in terms of temperature and burn-up for 
possible use in advanced pebble bed HTRs with very high coolant outlet temperature (up to 

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1000°C)  and  improved  sustainability.  A  first  experiment  with  5  German  AVR  fuel  pebbles 
(HFR-EU1bis) was completed in 2005 and followed by a second (HFR-EU1) to be completed 
in early 2010 which investigates higher burn-up tolerance of existing German pebbles and of 
newly produced Chinese fuel.  

In  the  HFR-EU1  experiment,  the  irradiation  targets  are  5  pebbles  irradiated  in  2  separately 
controlled capsules. Two of the pebbles were of recent Chinese production (INET), the other 
three of former German production (AVR). Both fuel types were tested to higher burn-up but 
at  lower  temperature  than  in  HFR-EU1bis.  Contrary  to  HFR-EU1bis,  in  this  test,  the  fuel 
surface  temperatures  were  kept  constant  at  900°C  (INET)  and  950°C  (AVR).  These 
conditions are more benign for the fuel, because increasing burn-up causes decreasing central 
fuel temperature with time. The initially targeted burn-up was 17% FIMA (INET) and 20% 
FIMA (AVR) which is significantly higher than the licence limit of the HTR-Modul (approx. 
8% FIMA). In the course of the experiment, this objective had however to be reduced due to 
excessive irradiation time requirements and technological difficulties, notably with premature 
thermocouple  drop-outs.  In  early  2008,  massive  thermocouple  failure  in  the  capsule 
containing AVR pebbles had put the experiment on hold for 1.5 years. 

The above failure meant that a new safety case had to be made and to implement and qualify 
new  safety  instrumentation  including  up-to-date  HPGe  gamma  spectrometry  for  fission  gas 
release analysis. This new installation allowed permanent fission gas release monitoring of the 
capsules.  So  far,  the  measured  release  over  birth  values  (R/B)  remained  consistently  low  in 
both capsules, thus hinting at the absence of particle failure even at the already achieved high 
burn-ups. 

The  irradiation  could  eventually  be  resumed  at  the  end  of  2009  with  a  foreseen  end  of 
irradiation in February 2010, just before the planned HFR outage. 

After termination of the experiment, the irradiation capsule will be dismantled and transported 
to JRC-ITU (Karlsruhe) for further PIE and safety testing. 

5. 

FUEL AND REACTOR STRUCTURAL MATERIALS 

5.1. 

PYCASSO experiments: for Tighter HTR Fuels 

Within  the  Raphael  (V)HTR  6th  Framework  EU-programme,  the  PYCASSO  experiments 
have  been  devised  to  investigate  coating  behaviour  under  irradiation.  Samples  have  been 
included from CEA (France), JAEA (Japan) and KAERI (Republic of Korea), which makes 
this irradiation a real Generation IV effort. 

PYCASSO-I has been removed after a very successful irradiation in April 2009. The complex 
dismantling started in autumn of the same year.  

During the autumn of 2009, the PYCASSO-II experiment has been introduced into the HFR 
the  already  excellent  performance  of  PYCASSO-I,  some 
reactor  core.  Based  on 
improvements have been introduced, which has resulted in an even more uniform temperature 
distribution in the different sections in the experiment. As in PYCASSO-I, the PYCASSO-II 
irradiation  targets  temperature  regions  of  900,  1000  and  1100°C,  and  contains  76  separate 
particle sample holders. For the CEA particles a larger fluence difference has been envisaged, 
which has been achieved by moving one CEA section lower in the experiment, and thus at a 

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lower flux level in the HFR core. This section is intended to receive a fluence similar to the 
maximum  fluence  in  PYCASSO-I,  for  reference,  whilst  the  other  sections  will  receive  a 
higher fluence by increasing the irradiation duration. 

The irradiation has been somewhat delayed by the HFR repair, and will continue with 2 or 3 
more cycles after the repair, hence ending at the end of 2010. 

5.2. 

Particle size assessment in ODS Steels using Small Angle Neutron Scattering 

Oxide  Dispersion  Strengthened  (ODS)  Steels  are  among  the  candidate  materials  for  use  in 
future generation nuclear power systems. The structural and fuel cladding materials in GEN 
IV  systems  are  confronted  with  more  aggressive  environments  than  in  current  light  water 
reactors. This concerns thermal loading, corrosive behaviour of the primary coolant, neutron 
dose  or  their  synergetic  effect.  Small  Angle  Neutron  Scattering  (SANS)  is  a  method  for 
analysing  material  inhomogeneities  in  the  1-1000  Å  scale.  The  scattering  data  furnishes 
information concerning size and size distributions of inhomogenities within materials. It can 
therefore be used to study effects of thermal and/or irradiation ageing in ODS, duplex or Cr 
rich ferritic steels. 

In  2009,  the  SANS  facility  at  the  HFR  has  been  used  to  collect  scattering  data  from  coarse 
grained ODS steels of grades MA6000, MA956, MA957 and PM2000. The analysis suggests 
an  average  size  of  embedded  oxide  nanoparticles  of  around  28  nm.  The  calculated  mean 
particle size is in good agreement with observations  made on  this  material  by  Transmission 
Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). 

5.3. 

HTR Core Structures: Graphite Irradiations 

Graphite  is  a  suitable  material  to  be  used  as  a  neutron  moderator  and  reflector  in  nuclear 
reactors.  Due  to  its  excellent  high  temperature  performance,  graphite  is  used  as  a  structural 
material  in  the  HTR  design  (High  Temperature  Reactor).  The  European  Commission  is 
supporting  research  projects  (RAPHAEL-IP)  for  the  development  of  HTR  technology  with 
the  aim  to  create  the  technological  requirements  for  designing  and  constructing  an  HTR  in 
Europe. To achieve this, new nuclear graphite grades need to be developed and qualified, as 
the previously used grades are not available anymore. The properties of graphite are changing 
significantly  and  non-linearly  under  neutron  irradiation.  Therefore  the  graphite  properties 
need  to  be  obtained  at  different  neutron  dose  levels.  The  property  curves  at  two  irradiation 
temperatures,  750ºC  and  950ºC,  are  produced  in  four  irradiation  experiments  conducted  by 
NRG at the HFR. A crucial part of the programme is the possibility to reload irradiated (and 
therefore  radioactive)  graphite  samples  in  new  experiments  to  be  able  to  measure  the 
properties  at  different  dose  levels.  This  requires  being  able  to  build  the  experiments  in  a 
shielded environment, i.e. a hot-cell. 

In  2009,  the  experiments  INNOGRAPH  1b  and  INNOGRAPH  2b,  loaded  with  irradiated 
material  from  the  previous  experiments,  have  been  further  irradiated.  The  experiment  at 
950ºC  started  in  2008,  with  samples  previously  irradiated  up  to  7  dpa  (displacements  per 
atom). An extra dose of 6 dpa is targeted, leading to a cumulative dose in these samples of 13 
dpa, to be achieved early 2010. 

The experiment at 750ºC, which started in 2007, is still in the HFR. This experiment will be 
completed by early 2010, after achieving an even higher dose of 23 dpa. 

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5.4. 

BLACKSTONE Irradiations: Investigation of AGR Lifetime Extension 

The UK has a fleet of Advanced Gas Cooled Reactors (AGRs) operated by British Energy. In 
order  to  extend  the  lifetime  of  the  AGRs,  graphite  data  at  high  dose  and  weight  loss  are 
required. These data allow the prediction and assessment of the behaviour of AGR graphite 
cores beyond their currently estimated lifetimes. Graphite degradation is indeed considered to 
be  one  of  the  key  issues  that  will  determine  the  remaining  life  of  the  AGRs.  The 
BLACKSTONE irradiations use samples trepanned from AGR core graphite and subject them 
to accelerated degradation in the HFR. The results are designed to enable the future condition 
of the AGR graphite to be predicted with confidence. 

The BLACKSTONE irradiations started in the first cycle after the HFR stop due to the BPL 
problem. The BLACKSTONE capsules will continue into 2010 to achieve an irradiation dose 
of approx. 7 dpa. 

6. 

FUSION REACTOR TECHNOLOGY 

The  HFR  irradiation  capabilities  are  used  for  screening  and  qualifying  fusion  materials, 
components  and  technology.  The  HFR  contributes  to  fusion  technology  development  by 
simulating ITER and DEMO conditions in terms of irradiation temperature and neutron load. 
Furthermore, the hot cell laboratories perform post-irradiation testing, subsequently providing 
experimental results on neutron irradiated materials. The main areas of interest are the ITER 
vacuum vessel, the development of high heat flux components and blanket structures, and the 
development of the reduced activation materials such as 9Cr steels and innovative materials 
such  as  fibre  reinforced  composites.  In  addition,  irradiation  behaviour  of  ITER  diagnostic 
instrumentation  and  the  in-vessel  parts  of  heating  systems,  which  require  dedicated 
assessment  and  testing  programmes,  are  of  great  interest.  As  part  of  the  qualification  of 
materials  supporting  the  licensing  of  a  future  reactor,  the  design  of  the  International  Fusion 
Materials  Irradiation  Facility  (IFMIF)  is  under  development.  The  HFR  provides  ample 
opportunity  to  qualify  specific  materials  for  the  IFMIF  target  section,  instrumentation  and 
mock-ups.  Presentations  on  ITER  and  DEMO  development  and  qualification  activities  and 
the  role  of  HFR  in  these  activities  have  been  delivered  at  the  regular  Fusion  Symposia  and 
Conferences. 

6.1. 

ITER Vessel/In-vessel 

In one of the European design concepts, the design of ITER first wall panels features PH13-
8Mo  steel  as  candidate  material.  After  an  irradiation  campaign,  the  final  report  on  the  Post 
Irradiation Examination (PIE) of PH13-8Mo has been completed. This report is comprised of 
the  results  of  the  irradiation  response  up  to  2  dpa  in  terms  of  yield  stress  hardening,  elastic 
fatigue resistance and fatigue crack propagation. 

Furthermore, a new  test  facility, called POSITIFE,  for  the  irradiation  of  ITER  primary  wall 
modules  is  under  construction.  This  facility  will  allow  close  simulations  of  thermal  fatigue 
and simultaneous neutron loading in the HFR Pool Side Facility (PSF). The manufacturing of 
the components for this irradiation experiment started in 2009. The irradiation will start soon 
after the repair of the HFR in 2010. 

NRG  also  developed  with  the  Netherlands  Organization  for  Applied  Scientific  Research 
(TNO)  alternative  manufacturing  routes  for  thick  tungsten  claddings  on  copper-base 

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substrates. Explosive forming of thick stainless steel sections was demonstrated by Exploform 
BV, in a joint effort with NRG and TNO to provide alternative manufacturing solutions for 
the  ITER  vacuum  vessel.  The  experimental  part  of  both  projects  on  the  cladding  and  the 
vessel were finished in 2008. Both final reports are now completed. The irradiation response 
of  ODS-Eurofer97  steel  at  low  and  medium  doses  has  been  investigated  by  performing 
irradiation in the SUMO-11 and SUMO-12 experiments. The PIE of the ODS Eurofer97 has 
been completed in 2009. The final report is expected in 2010. 

6.2. 

HIDOBE Experiments: Beryllium for Fusion 

The  two  objectives  of  the  HIDOBE  (HIgh  DOse  BEryllium  irradiation)  project  are  (i)  to 
quantify the long-term behaviour (in terms of swelling, creep and tritium retention for fusion 
applications)  of  beryllium  under  irradiation  conditions  and  (ii)  to  validate  models  for  the 
thermo-mechanical behaviour of beryllium under irradiation conditions and tritium kinetics in 
beryllium. Various grades of beryllium (in pebble and pellet form) and titanium beryllides are 
irradiated  in  the  HFR  for  2  and  4-year  periods,  in  two  separate  experimental  setups 
(HIDOBE-01 and 02). In the framework of the IEA agreement on Radiation Damage Effects 
in  Fusion  Materials,  partners  in  the  EU,  Japan  and  the  Russian  Federation  provided  these 
different  grades  of  beryllium  specimens.  The  experiment  contained  a  few  piggy-backs  of 
ceramic breeder pebbles, complementary to the shielded HICU case. 

Irradiation  of  HIDOBE-01  has  been  completed  in  2008,  with  achieving  its  target  dose  of 
3,000 appm helium. The dismantling has been successfully carried out in 2009 and up to 85% 
of  the  samples  have  been  recovered  without  problems.  Preparations  for  an  extensive  PIE 
campaign have been finished in 2009 and PIE will begin in 2010. 

The  HIDOBE-02  irradiation will continue in 2010,  after repair of the BPL, to accumulate a 
total dose of 6000 appm helium production in beryllium and is expected to finish irradiation 
in the second quarter of 2011. EXTREMAT: Materials for Extreme Environment (Fission & 
Fusion) 

6.3. 

EXTREMAT : Materials for extreme environment (Fission and Fusion) 

Within  various  subprojects  of  the  ExtreMat  Integrated  Project,  a  large  number  of  materials 
were  developed  for  use  in  extreme  environments.  Their  stability  under  neutron  load  is 
investigated  by  irradiations  in  the  HFR.  To  this  aim,  two  irradiation  capsules  have  been 
designed: A high neutron dose capsule (equivalent neutron dose in stainless steel of 5 dpa) in 
which specimens are irradiated at temperatures of 600°C and 900°C and a low neutron dose 
capsule, designed to reach a neutron dose of 0.7 dpa, at temperatures of 300°C and 550°C. 

Irradiation  of  both  capsules  started  in  2008  and  finished  in  2009.  Afterwards,  the  low  dose 
capsule  was  dismantled  and  the  PIE  started  and  will  continue  into  2010.  The  PIE  includes 
measurements  of  physical  properties  such  as  thermal  conductivity,  thermal  expansion  and 
dynamic Young’s modulus and mechanical properties such as tensile and flexural strength. 

6.4. 

ADS Material Development 

An  experimental  Accelerator  Driven  System  (ADS)  for  the  transmutation  of  Actinides  is 
under  development  in  Europe.  It  features  Liquid  Lead  Bismuth  Eutectic  (LBE)  as  reactor 
coolant.  Lead  Bismuth  has  a  low  melting  point  (135  ˚C),  but  has  corrosive  properties  to 
structural materials and welds. In addition, transmutation of Bi to the high radiotoxic 210Po is 

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a  safety  issue  in  the  design  of  the  ADS.  Materials  R&D  is  needed  to  test  the  corrosion 
behaviour of T91,  316L and weld specimens  during irradiation in contact with LBE, and to 
examine  the  deposition  of  210Po  in  the  irradiation  containers  and  on  the  specimens  after 
irradiation. 

The irradiation of the two capsules was completed after the first three cycles of 2009. Due to 
the HFR core loading,  the IBIS  experiment was moved from position G7  to  H6  for  the  last 
cycle.  Also  there,  the  target  temperatures  of  300  and  500oC  were  achieved.  IBIS  has  been 
irradiated in the HFR for 250 Full Power Days in total, to an irradiation dose ranging from 1 
(lower temperature) to 2 dpa (high temperature capsule). 

During 2009, the facility for specimen retrieval was commissioned and built in the Hot Cell 
Laboratory.  The  Fuel  Cell  line  of  the  HCL  was  selected  because  of  the  presence  of  alpha 
emitting  radionuclide  210Po.  To  assess  the  risk  on  handling  210Po,  a  HAZOP  study  was 
performed,  which  formed  the  basis  of  the  workplan  for  the  retrieval  of  specimens.  The 
procedure on the retrieval was performed on a container loaded with specimens and LBE that 
was  not  irradiated.  Almost  no  wetting  of  the  LBE  on  the  specimens  was  observed.  A 
dedicated tensile machine was also installed in this cell to test the irradiated specimens. The 
tensile  specimens  have  showed  no  effects  of  the  cyclic  heating  to  300oC  in  LBE  on  the 
elongation and the ultimate tensile strength. 

7. 

ISOTOPE PRODUCTION 

The  year  2009  was  again  a  year  of  high  contrast.  It  started  with  the  HFR  being  first  out  of 
operation, then operated only when justified by medical necessity and finally operated during 
the second half of 2009 at absolute maximum medical isotope production capacity. 

The HFR entered into operation in mid-February 2009, when it was allowed to operate, only 
upon  request,  for  medical  isotopes  production.  This  was  imposed  by  the  lack  of  alternative 
supply  options  in  Europe  and  elsewhere  in  the  world.  This  process  required  that  each 
operating cycle was individually justified and approved by the Dutch Government, leading to 
a series of discontinuous cycles of different operational length. These variations in operation 
reflect the non-availability of other reactors in the European supply network. Over this period, 
the HFR ran at relatively high medical isotope production levels, to palliate limited alternative 
supply options. 

In  mid-May  2009,  the  NRU  Reactor  in  Canada  (a  medical  isotope  producer)  unexpectedly 
went  out  of  operation  due  to  the  identification  of  a  heavy  water  leak.  It  remained  out  of 
operation  for  the  rest  of  2009,  triggering  a  continuous  worldwide  medical  isotope  shortage. 
The response of NRG was to reconfigure the production facilities and operating priorities of 
the  HFR  to  allow  the  absolute  maximum  production  levels  of  key  medical  isotopes  (in 
particular  the  production  of  Molybdenum-99  for  Tc-99m  Generators).  These  changes  were 
successfully implemented within 2 weeks after the notification of the NRU problem and Mo-
99  production  capacity  was  increased  to  a  level  around  180%  of  normal  production.  The 
reconfiguration  allowed  as  many  as  11  Mo-99  production  irradiations  to  be  performed  in 
parallel. It was estimated that during this period the HFR produced enough material to allow 
more than 50,000 patient scans per day to be performed worldwide. This represented around 
60% of the normal total world demand. 

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The extreme focus on medical isotope production was extended to all other medical isotopes 
which  were  produced  in  large  quantities.  This  had  unfortunately  negative  effects  upon 
industrial  isotope  production  and  in  particular  on  the  newly  developed  business  of  the 
irradiation of Silicon Ingots to produce Neutron Transmutation Doped (NTP) Silicon for use 
in  high  voltage  and  other  specialist  electronic  applications.  Production  of  NTP  Silicon  was 
suspended  until  further  notice,  but  it  is  anticipated  that  irradiations  for  this  market  will  be 
reintroduced during the course of 2010. 

During  the  year,  NRG  worked  closely  with  other  reactors  in  the  medical  isotope  supply 
network,  the  Radiopharmaceutical  Companies,  the  Medical  Community,  Governmental 
Departments  and  international  organizations  such  as  the  OECD/NEA  and  the  IAEA.  These 
actions  aimed  at  maximizing  coordination  and  cooperation  and  as  a  result  minimizing  the 
effects of shortages whenever possible. Once again, the year 2009 fully underlined the critical 
role  performed  by  the  HFR  and  the  supporting  infrastructure  within  NRG  to  ensure  the 
worldwide continuous and smooth supply of isotopes for essential medical services. 

8. 

FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS FOR THE EXECUTION OF THE PROGRAMME. 

In  2009,  the  following  financial  contributions  were  received  from  Member  States  for  the 
execution of the programme: 

- Belgium: 400,000 € 

- France: 300,000 € 

- The Netherlands: 8,223,000 € 

It  should  be  noted  that  these  contributions  cover  the  expenses  according  to  Annex  II  to 
Council Decision 2009/410/Euratom. These amounts have been calculated in order to balance 
the forecasted costs of the reactor on the period 2009 taking into account an expected level of 
commercial incomes. In no case does the Commission cover any operational deficit, including 
potential costs for maintenance or repair. 

From this amount the Commission received 800,000 € as provisions for the Decommissioning 
fund1 

Other expenditures incurred by JRC and paid from the supplementary programme budget:  

- Direct Personnel (e.g. for HFR Supplementary program Management): 276,000 € 

- Support HFR (e.g. Legal Advice): 24,000 € 

- Utilities (e.g., electricity, water, heating): 783,000 € 

- Spent Fuel Management: 1,741,000 €  

1 

The yearly contribution to the decommissioning fund has passed from 400,000 €/year to 800,000 €/year 
since 2004 due to a re-evaluation of decommissioning costs. This amount is taken from both the regular 
budget  of  the  supplementary  programme  and  by  the  gained  interest  on  the  bank  account  of  the 
supplementary programme (the amount of the interest over 2009 was € 374K and therefore, €426K was 
added from the regular supplementary programme budget of 2009). 

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Due to an unplanned investigation  and inspection period in the beginning of the year (period 
1/1/2009 to11/2/2009 – see Table 1), the net result for NRG for the operation of the HFR in 
2009 was a deficit of 1,090,000 €. 

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Glossary and Acronyms 

ADS 

appm 

CEA 

Accelerator Driven Systems 

atomic parts per million 

Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique 

COVRA 

Centrale Organisatie Voor Radioactief Afval 

DEMO 

Demonstration Fusion Reactor 

DG 

dpa 

EC 

ECN 

EU 

Directorate General 

displacements per atom  

European Commission 

Energieonderzoek Centrum Nederland 

European Union 

EUROTRANS 

European Transmutation 

FAIRFUELS 

Fabrication, Irradiation and Reprocessing of FUELS and target for transmutation 

FIMA 

Fission per Initial Metal Atoms 

FP or FWP 

Framework programme 

GIF 

Generation IV International Forum 

HABOG 

Interim storage centre for high level waste 

HAZOP 

Hazard and Operability 

HB 

HCL 

Horizontal Beam Tube 

Hot Cell Laboratories 

HELIOS 

Helium in Oxide Structure 

HEU 

HFR 

HICU 

High Enriched Uranium 

High Flux Reactor 

High-fluence Irradiation of breeder Ceramics 

HIDOBE 

High Dose Beryllium Irradiation Rig 

HTR 

IAEA 

IE 

IEA 

High Temperature Reactor 

International Atomic Energy Agency 

JRC Institute for Energy, Petten (NL) 

International Energy Agency 

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ITER 

JAEA 

JRC 

International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor 

Japan Atomic Energy Agent 

Joint Research Centre 

KAERI 

Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute 

KFD 

LBE 

LEU 

Kernfysische Dienst  

Lead Bismuth Eutectic 

Low Enriched Uranium 

MARIOS 

Minor Actinides in Sodium-cooled Fast Reactors 

NET 

NRG 

PBA 

Network on Neutron Techniques Standardisation for Structural Integrity 

Nuclear Research and consultancy Group 

Pebble Bed Assemblies 

PBMR 

Pebble Bed Modular Reactor 

POSITIFE 

Project Pool Side facility Thermally Induced Fatigue 

PYCASSO 

PYcarbon irradiation Creep and Swelling/Shrinking of Objects 

PSF 

R&D 

Pool Side Facility 

Research and Development 

RAPHAEL 

Reactor for Process Heat and Electricity 

RTD 

SANS 

Research and Technological Development 

Small Angle Neutron Scattering 

SUMO 

In-Sodium Steel Mixed Specimens Irradiation 

TG 

TN 

Task Group 

Technology Network 

TNO 
Organization for Applied Scientific Research) 

Nederlandse  Organisatie  voor  Toegepast  Natuurwetenschappelijk  Onderzoek  (Netherlands 

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