Государственный научный центр Научно-исследовательский институт атомных реакторов Alexander V. Bychkov Director Research Institute of Atomic Reactors Dimitrovgrad, Russia 2010 Experience on Fast Reactor MOX fuel dry reprocessing for Closed Fuel Cycle

New Technological Platform Na-related topic: BN-350, BN-600 (all facilities reactor-years) Pb-related topic: floating reactors (Pb-Bi) on nuclear submarines Mixed uranium-plutonium fuel SNF reprocessing Place of “fast reactor” in energy production/FC Selection of coolant Selection of reprocessing technology Complementary to VVER Base for new construction Light-metal (Na) Heavy-metal (Pb) “Aqueous” “Dry” Beloyarsk 3, BN-600 Basic paths to arrange the architecture of Closed Fuel Cycle (CFC) with fast neutron power units Integral economics and ecology of electric energy production and FC

New Technological Platform 2014* 2014 BN-800 and MOX fuel production startup Selection of base fast reactor technology and decision on VVER upgrade 2017 Establishment of “dense” fuel production 2019 Start of research reactor MBIR (RIAR) operation 2018 Startup of SNF industrial reprocessing and RW disposal prototype 2020 Construction of power unit prototypes 2026 Scaling of new technological platform Consolidation of competence and responsibilities for NTP Model of new power engineering architecture in economic logics Confirmation of technological readiness for industrial scaling Development of prototypes of CFC infrastructure key elements in Russia Fast reactor power unit SNF reprocessing unit Dense fuel VVER upgrade, power range

Key technologies of the Fast Reactor closed fuel cycle with MOX fuel (first stage) Pyroelectrochemical reprocessing (recycling through molten salt) Vibropacking technology (crystalline particles with getter) Remote controlled automated technologies for fuel pins and fuel assembly manufacturing

Implementation Pyroprocess for BN-800 Fuel Cycle Combination of pyroprocess and vibropacking technology is the basis for BN-type MOX fuel production and recycling in different scenarios. Depleted U (oxides) Pu storage (weapon or civil) PuO 2 (civil) Metal Pu (weapon) BN-800 reactor Granulated MOX-fuel BN FAs Pyro-process module – MOX production Module for vibropacking and assembling On site NPP pyro-reprocessing facility BN Reactor BN spent FAs BN FAs In future (second stage): For BN and BREST For MOX and (U,Pu)N RIAR Dimitrovdrad MCC Krasnoyarsk

Current status of pyrochemical development for oxide fuel Fundamental research Properties of U, Pu, Th, Np, Am have been studied. Knowledge of physical chemistry and electrochemistry of basic FP is sufficient for processes understanding and modeling. The needed research lines – study of Cm and Tc chemistry. Development of nitride fuel recycle methods is carried out. Development work All technological steps and equipment have been developed for the oxide fuel reprocessing and fabrication processes. The process was tested more than to 7400 kg of fresh fuel for different reactors and up to 40 kg of BN- 350 and BOR-60 irradiated fuel. The essentials of technology have been elaborated and feasibility study has been completed for the BN-800 large- scale CFC plant. More than fuel pins and more than 1000 FAs Industrial implementation As the readiness of technology is high, work is underway on industrial implementation of U-Pu fuel. The BOR-60 operates on vi-pack fuel. The design of the CFC facility is in progress. 30 FAs have been tested and irradiated in BN-600. These technologies are under implementation as basic for BN-800 industrial MOX fuel production.

Pyrochemical processes Basic research of the molten salt systems allowed for the development of technological processes for production of granulated uranium and plutonium oxides and mixed uranium and plutonium oxides. A distinctive feature of the pyrochemical technology is a possibility to perform all the deposit production operations in one apparatus - a chloriator-electrolyzer Pyrochemical reprocessing consists of the following main stages: Dissolution of initial products or spent nuclear fuel in molten salts Recovery of crystal plutonium dioxide or electrolytic plutonium and uranium dioxides from the melt Processing of the cathode deposit and production of granulated fuel

DDP (Dimitrovgrad Dry Process) MOX  PuO 2 flow sheet Cathode (pyrographite) Stirrer UO 2 2+ O2 O2 Pu 4+ PuO Pu 4+ UO 2 2+ UO 2 PuO 2 UO UO 2 + NpO 2 Cl 2 Ar (Cl 2 )Cl 2 +O 2 +Ar Stirrer Cathode Na 3 PO 4 + Fuel chlorination 700 о С pyrographite bath, NaCl - KCl Preliminary electrolysis 680 о С Precipitation crystallization 680 о С Electrolysis- additional 700 о С Melt purification 700 о С UO 2 2+ PuO 2 Cl - (MA,REE) RW 4 UO 2 MA,REE NpO 2 + Cathode (pyrographite) Stirrer UO Pu 4+ UO 2 2+ UO 2 PuO 2 Cl 2 Cl 2 +O 2 +Ar Stirrer Cathode Na 3 PO 4 Fuel chlorination 650 о С pyrographite bath, NaCl -2CsCl Electrolysis- additional 630 о С Melt purification 6500 о С Cl - (MA,REE) RW 4 MA,REE UO UO 2 + NpO 2 Ar (Cl 2 ) + Preliminary electrolysis 630 о С NpO 2 + DDP MOX  MOX flow sheet UO MOX Cl2+O2+Ar + Main MOX electrolysis 630 о С PuO 2 + MOX

Cathode (pyrographite) Stirrer UO 2 2+ O2 O2 Pu 4+ PuO Pu 4+ UO 2 2+ UO 2 PuO 2 UO UO 2 + NpO 2 Cl 2 Ar (Cl 2 )Cl 2 +O 2 +Ar Stirrer Cathode Na 3 PO 4 + Fuel chlorination 700 о С pyrographite bath, NaCl - KCl Preliminary electrolysis 680 о С Fast Precipitation crystallization 680 о С Fast Electrolysis- 700 о С Melt purification 700 о С UO 2 2+ PuO 2 Cl - (MA,REE) RW 4 UO 2 MA,REE NpO 2 + Stirrer Pu 4+ UO 2 2+ UO 2 PuO 2 Cl 2 Fuel chlorination 650 о С pyrographite bath, NaCl -2CsCl DDP Double Salt flow sheet Stirrer Na 3 PO 4 Melt purification 6500 о С Cl -, UO MOX Cl2+O2+Ar + Main MOX electrolysis 630 о С PuO st salt 2 nd salt After accumulation of impurities during some cycles Draft purification from captured salt

RIAR experience in reprocessing of spent fuel of the BOR-60 and BN-350 reactors Decontamination factors (DF) from main FPs Fuel type Main FPs Ru- Rh Ce- PrCsEuSb PuO 2 for BN-350 (test, 1991) 50220> PuO 2 for BOR-60 (test, 1995) UO 2 for BOR-60 (test, 2000) > 30~> 4000> 200~ (U,Pu)O 2 for BOR-60 ( test, 2001) ~ 10000> 100~ Fuel typeBurn up,%Mass, kgPeriodReactor UO 2 7,72, BOR-60 (U,Pu)O 2 4,74,11991BN-350 (U,Pu)O ,51995BOR-60 UO BOR-60 (U,Pu)O …2001BOR-60 (U,Pu)O BOR-60 One BN-600 Spent MOX fuel assembly will be reprocessed on 2011 (10% burnup, 26 kg - core, 20 kg – blanket)

MOX-MOX reprocessing experiments 2004 Main MOX g, Pu content - 30 %wt. Current efficiency – 35 % st Main MOX g, Pu content - 10 %wt. Current efficiency – 15 %

Granulated MOX-Fuel Metal content, %wt87,75 Pyknometric density of granules, g/cm 3 10,7 Bulk density of polydispersed granulate, g/cm 3 6,0 O/M ratio (oxygen ratio)2,00 +0,01 Mass fraction of process impurities, %: chlorine – ion0,006 carbon0,006

Pyrochemical Wastes treatment Salt residue Salt purification Pyroreprocessing Na 3 PO 4 Phosphates Fission products Radioactive Cs NaCl CsCl NdPO 4 CePO 4 WastePhosphatesSalt residue Special featurescontain fission products Alkaline metal chlorides, high activity, significant heat release Basic elements 11 wt.% Nd 4,4 wt.% Ce 81,96 wt.% CsCl 18,04 wt.% NaCl Quantity <0,15 kg/kg of fast reactor SNF <0,03 kg/kg of fast reactor SNF Evaluations by Toshiba

Characteristic HLW type Phosphate precipitate Spent salt electrolyte Phosphate precipitate + spent salt electrolyte Glass matrix type Pb(PO 3 ) 2 NaPO 3 NaPO 3, AlF 3 Al 2 O 3 NaPO 3, AlF 3 Al 2 O 3 Introduction method vitrification, Т=950 0 С vitrification without chloride conversion, Т=950 0 С Introduced waste amount, % Cs leaching rate as of the 7 th day, g/cm 2 * day 7* *10 -6 Thermal resistance, 0 С400 Radiation resistance10 7 Gr (for  and  )  -decay/g Vitrification of HLW from pyrochemical process

Vibropacking technique Fuel rods with granulated fuel are fabricated by vi-pack technique according to the standard procedures (in glove boxes or hot cells) that has been used at RIAR for 30 years. The main advantages of the vi-pack technique and vibropacked fuel rods are the following: Simplicity of the process due to the reduced number of process and control operations, that makes the automation and remote control of the process easier Possibility of usage of the granulate in any form; both in the form of a homogeneous composition and mechanical mixture Reduced thermo mechanical impact of vi-pack fuel on the cladding (as compared with a pelletized core). More flexible requirements for the inner diameter of the fuel rod claddings To correct the oxygen potential in the fuel and eliminate the process impurities effect, getter based on U metal powder is introduced into the granulated fuel

Production and testing of vibropacked fuel rods on the basis of MOX-fuel Fuel type Number of fuel assemblies Burnur, max.% Load, kW/m Temperature, 0 С Reactor (U, Pu)O 2 Weapon grade, power grade 33030,351,5720BOR-60 UO 2 + PuO 2 Weapon grade, power grade ,845705BOR-60 (U, Pu)O 2 Weapon grade 3010,510,546680BN-600 (U, Pu)O 2 power grade4development of the production techniqueBN-600

Results of the material science studies of vibropacked fuel pins Micro- and macrostructure of the cross section of the BOR-60 fuel rod with UPuO 2 fuel ( the burnup of 32% h.a.) and BN-600 fuel rod (the burnup of 10.5 %)

Recycle of reprocessed fuel in the BOR-60 reactor in vibrocompacted mode Fuel UO 2 +PuO 2 (mechanical mixture) has burn-up about 17%, Some fuel pins were under PIE (b.u.4,8 - 9,8 % ) MOX reprocessed fuel used for new fuel pins production in 2002 and under irradiation in the BOR-60 from 2004 (burnup 15% )

Reprocessing Plant for Two BN-800

Other processes and fuels which are under R&D in RIAR Nitride fuel – recycling by pyro-process and simplified pelletizing Metallic fuel (U-Pu-Zr, U-Al, U-Be) reprocessin g RBMK Spent Fuel conditioning (metallization by Li/or electrochemical ) Different fuels/targets with Np, Am, Cm Treatment of non- traditional fuel (coated particles (UN covered by W, U-Mo alloy, UC, Pu alloy, PuO 2 etc.) Molten salt fuel - (study of reprocessing and MA behavior)

Concept of the closed fuel cycle Plant for reprocessing and production of (U,Pu)N fuel and metallic fuel Production of mononitride fuel from the nitride spent fuel at the stage of pyrochemical reprocessing Production of mononitride fuel pellets Fabrication of fuel rods with sublayer on the basis of pelletized fuel Manufacturing of the fuel assemblies Hot cell design and infrastructure are similar as MOX recycling Plant Recent activity ( ): reprocessing test for (U,Pu)N fuel and U-Pu metallic fuel irradiated in the BOR-60 test reactor Spent fuel Т= 450  C LiCl - KCl Cadmium cathode Anodic basket Ar Cd U, Pu Ar UСl 3, PuCl 3

New times consideration: DOVITADOVITA  Dry technologies  Oxide fuel with MA  Vi-pack  Integrated disposition same site with the reactor  TA Transmutation of Actinides  Dry technologies  On-site reprocessing  Various type of fuel with MA  Integration of MA recycling into FR Closed Fuel Cycle  TA - Transmutation of Actinides

Fast reactor Spent MOX-fuel Pyrochemical reprocessing in chloride melt Precipitation Electrolysis/ Precipitation Fabrication of Vipac FAs PuO 2 + MA + FP Fabrication of pellets and FAs 238 UO 2 + MA + FP Conditioning in chloride melt PuO 2 MA FP Waste conditioning Fabrication of Vipac MA targets Waste disposal MA FP Dismantling & Decladding Spent FAs 238 UO 2 powder Flexibility for pyrochemical closed fuel cycle of FR

Particle image : a) UO 2 from oxalate, T=750 o C; b) PuO 2 from 3LiCl-2KCl, T=450 o C; Comparison with powder from oxalate a b

Fabrication of MOX and PuO 2 pellets Composition of molding powder, wt% Pellet density, g/cm UO 2 industrial (from oxalate) UO 2 +3 PuO 2 (from 3LiCl-2KCl) UO PuO 2 (from LiCl-KCl-CsCl) UO PuO 2 (from 3LiCl-2KCl) PuO 2 (from LiCl-KCl-CsCl)10.3

27 Main goals for dry technologies development for 2020 Development of Pyro reprocessing technologies on a semi- industrial level: FR SNF – molten salt technologies  MOX  Mixed Nitrides  Metallic LWR SNF – combination of fluoride volatility and molten salt technologies  UOX  MOX Others  So called hard-to-reprocessing SNF (test and transportation reactors)  Innovation types of fuel (IMF, MSR +++) Demonstration of Closing of BN-800 Fuel Cycle - on a semi- industrial level  up to 30 % annual loading, i.e. up to 3,5 – 4 t of MOX SNF per Year Testing and Demonstration of Closing FR Fuel Cycle for MA Develop the Initial Data for full scale Design of Industrial Pyro Module for FR SNF Reprocessing

28 3D View on MultiPhunctional Complex

29 Layout of MPC Molten salt reprocessing Fluoride volatility repr. Water reprocessing Isotopic Production Deccladding HLW treatment Repair Zone

Conclusions Basic studies on pyrochemical processes in molten chlorides are mainly completed Different technological methods developed and tested for oxide and nitride fuel reprocessing and refabrication Pyroelectrochemical technology for production of MOX vibropacked fuel for the BN-800 fast reactor is under implementation in Russia. Both type of plutonium – military and power grade civil - will be used for MOX fuel production. Dry technologies were choose as basic advanced processes for the closed fuel cycle with the fast reactors New facilities are under design and construction for investigation and demonstration of industrial closed fuel cycle with the fast reactors in Russia

Государственный научный центр Научно-исследовательский институт атомных реакторов Thank you for your attention! Alexander Bychkov State Scientific Centre Research Institute of Atomic Reactors