1. DEN /Valrhô /Centrale Phénix NEA 8 th Information Exchange Meeting Las Vegas, 9th-11th of November 2004 1 PHENIX: The irradiation programme for transmutation experiments J. Guidez Head of PHENIX reactor

2. DEN /Valrhô /Centrale Phénix NEA 8 th Information Exchange Meeting Las Vegas, 9th-11th of November 2004 2 GENERAL DESIGN of the PLANT

3. DEN /Valrhô /Centrale Phénix NEA 8 th Information Exchange Meeting Las Vegas, 9th-11th of November 2004 3 PLANT DATA oFirst criticality: 31st August 1973 First connection to the grid: 13th December 1973 Commercial operation: 14th July 1974 oNominal Power: 563 MWth (250 MWe) Since 1993 Power limited to 350 MWth (145 MWe), on two secondary loop operation. oTotal number of Equivalent Full Power Days: 3990 Total operating hours: 106 000 h Gross electrical output: 23 123 400 MWh

4. DEN /Valrhô /Centrale Phénix NEA 8 th Information Exchange Meeting Las Vegas, 9th-11th of November 2004 4 o6 years of work in two phases from 1994 to 1997 and 1999 to 2003, separated by one operating cycle. o250 million € of studies and renovation works o5000 contract entered into, 350 sub-contracting companies o4500 agents working for the sub-contractors (up to 700 per day) [PHENIX staff : 210 CEA + 70 EDF] PLANT LIFETIME EXTENSION WORK

5. DEN /Valrhô /Centrale Phénix NEA 8 th Information Exchange Meeting Las Vegas, 9th-11th of November 2004 5 PLANT OPERATING DIAGRAM 2004 52 ème cycle 2004 350 300 200 OctJanvierFévrierMarsAvrilMaiJuinJuilletAoûtSeptNovDéc 100 AT2 51th cycle AM1 51th cycle: 210 Days at nominal power 131 EFPD Availability factor: 94% Load factor: 85% Power operation Operation schedule

6. DEN /Valrhô /Centrale Phénix NEA 8 th Information Exchange Meeting Las Vegas, 9th-11th of November 2004 6 FUTURE OPERATION of the PLANT 80% Load factor 123456789101112123456789101112123456789101112 51 - 2 52-153-1 200420052006 123456789101112123456789101112123456789101112 53-254-1 54-2 55-155-2 56-1 56-2 200720082009 6 cycles of 120 EFPD equivalent to about 5.5 years of operation 52-2

7. DEN /Valrhô /Centrale Phénix NEA 8 th Information Exchange Meeting Las Vegas, 9th-11th of November 2004 7 EXPERIMENTAL CONDITIONS AT PHENIX Fast flux (n/cm 2.s) Thermal flux (n/cm 2.s) Dose rate PWR power reactor 1.3.10 14 0.9.10 14 2 dpa/year OSIRIS, HFR, BR2 type research reactor … 2 to 4.10 14 4 à 7.10 14 3 dpa/year Phénix reactor 2.5.10 15 4.4. 10 15 18 dpa/ 6-month cycle Type 1 moderate flux* 3.6.10 15 12 dpa/ cycle Type 2 moderate flux* 1.5.10 15 3.7.10 13 4 dpa/ 6-mont cy cle COMPARISON OF NEUTRON FLUX * Types 1 and 2 correspond to the type of moderating carrier used : 1: 11 B4C, 2: CaH x

8. DEN /Valrhô /Centrale Phénix NEA 8 th Information Exchange Meeting Las Vegas, 9th-11th of November 2004 8 TEMPERATURE Core inlet/outlet: 380/550°C Device developed for material irradiation up to 1000°C MEASUREMENTS Sodium inlet/outlet Temperature Sodium sampling at S/A outlet Argon gas blanket analysis EXPERIMENTAL CONDITIONS AT PHENIX

9. DEN /Valrhô /Centrale Phénix NEA 8 th Information Exchange Meeting Las Vegas, 9th-11th of November 2004 9 EXPERIMENTAL RIG AND CARRIER EXPERIMENTAL CONDITIONS AT PHENIX

10. DEN /Valrhô /Centrale Phénix NEA 8 th Information Exchange Meeting Las Vegas, 9th-11th of November 2004 10 PHENIX EXPERIMENTAL TRANSMUTATION PROGRAMME q General irradiation data acquisition q Neutronic data measurements q Fuel irradiation for homogeneous transmutation mode q Target irradiation for heterogeneous transmutation mode q Constituent materials (Inert matrices, moderators) q Irradiation of actinide-based compounds (primarily Americium) q Irradiation of targets containing long-lived fission products (Technetium 99) o Irradiation of high Pu content fuel q Fuel irradiation for future systems (dedicated critical or sub-critical transmutation systems, GFR...)

11. DEN /Valrhô /Centrale Phénix NEA 8 th Information Exchange Meeting Las Vegas, 9th-11th of November 2004 11 Profil-R pins Reference standard pin PROFIL-R SUB-ASSEMBLY Measurement of actinides and fission products cross sections in fast (PROFIL-R) and moderated (PROFIL- M) neutron flux PROFIL-R container Cask Body Isotope Height 10 mm Containers

12. DEN /Valrhô /Centrale Phénix NEA 8 th Information Exchange Meeting Las Vegas, 9th-11th of November 2004 12 71U 19Pu 10Zr 67U 19Pu 10Zr 2A.M. 2T.R. 66U 19Pu 10Zr 5A.M. 61U 1 9Pu 10Zr 5A.M. 5T.R. Core center plane 123 METAPHIX: Irradiation of Actinides diluted in metal fuel (UPuZr+MA+RE) Contract with ITU Karsrhue for CRIEPI Standard pins Experimental pins Capsule content 3 capsules containing 3 pins each HOMOGENEOUS TRANSMUTATION EXPERIMENT

13. DEN /Valrhô /Centrale Phénix NEA 8 th Information Exchange Meeting Las Vegas, 9th-11th of November 2004 13 INERT MATRIX TESTING q MATINA 1A: re-irradiation of MATINA 1 experiment dismantled in 1996 (first selection of most promising inert matrices for heterogeneous transmutation). q MATINA 2-3 (scheduled in 2005): Testing of: CERCER targets with a MgO matrix and micro- dispersed and macro-dispersed particles, new materials (pyrochlore Ce2Zr2O7 and yttriated zirconia ZrYO compounds)

14. DEN /Valrhô /Centrale Phénix NEA 8 th Information Exchange Meeting Las Vegas, 9th-11th of November 2004 14 ECRIX EXPERIMENTS: OBJECTIVES First experiment of Am transmutation in specific target in a fast reactor Testing two concepts of « once trough » transmutation by using local moderation spectrum: 1. 11 B 4 C : ECRIX-B 2. CaH 2 : ECRIX-H 1. Fuel fabrication process (metallurgy powder) which can be applied to the industrial scale 2. Development of fabrication and characterisation techniques 3. Fabrication of 100 pellets 4. Property measurements* 5. Irradiation started at Phenix * Collaboration with ITU/Karlsruhe

15. DEN /Valrhô /Centrale Phénix NEA 8 th Information Exchange Meeting Las Vegas, 9th-11th of November 2004 15 q ECRIX B and H : Transmutation of Americium in MgO inert matrix, pins located inside special moderating carriers) ECRIX : moderator sub-assembly and capsule cross section ECRIX EXPERIMENTS: SUB-ASSEMBLY DESIGN

16. DEN /Valrhô /Centrale Phénix NEA 8 th Information Exchange Meeting Las Vegas, 9th-11th of November 2004 16 Moderator CaHx thickness 9,5 mm height 300 mm Steel spacers DMC 2 Capsule KMC Steel cylinder DMC 2 MODERATOR CARRIER AND CAPSULE

17. DEN /Valrhô /Centrale Phénix NEA 8 th Information Exchange Meeting Las Vegas, 9th-11th of November 2004 17 TRANSMUTATION RATES IN PWR COMPARED TO PHENIX MODERATED FLUX

18. DEN /Valrhô /Centrale Phénix NEA 8 th Information Exchange Meeting Las Vegas, 9th-11th of November 2004 18 ECRIX EXPERIMENTS: PIN DESIGN Cladding UO 2 pellets Fissile column with americium target - pellets Black elements : porosities White elements : AmOx particle Grey area : magnesia Microstruture : CERCER Microdispersed type Inert matrix : MgO Fuel Particles: AmOx Am content :0,7g of Am/cm3 Height density : 97%

19. DEN /Valrhô /Centrale Phénix NEA 8 th Information Exchange Meeting Las Vegas, 9th-11th of November 2004 19 LLFP TRANSMUTATION: ANTICORP 1 q Capsule: 3 pins with two pieces of 99Tc metal q Moderator carrier q Transmutation rate target: 25%

20. DEN /Valrhô /Centrale Phénix NEA 8 th Information Exchange Meeting Las Vegas, 9th-11th of November 2004 20 Irradiation of high Pu content fuel To assess: oThermal-mechanical behaviour of the pin oRadial Pu redistribution oCladding Internal corrosion oReprocessing o2 pins: 45% Pu /(U+Pu) enrichment pellets with 17 driver fuel pins in a capsule oTarget burn-up : 10 at% CAPRIX 1 EXPERIMENT

21. DEN /Valrhô /Centrale Phénix NEA 8 th Information Exchange Meeting Las Vegas, 9th-11th of November 2004 21 CORE LOCATION OF TRANSMUTATION EXPERIMENTS

22. DEN /Valrhô /Centrale Phénix NEA 8 th Information Exchange Meeting Las Vegas, 9th-11th of November 2004 22 Optimisation of target for Americium transmutation qCAMIX (Composé d’AMéricium dans PhénIX) : optimisation of actinide compound COCHIX (Conception Optimisée vis-à-vis des miCrostructures dans pHénIX) : testing of new microstructures (macromasses) dispersed in inert matrix qMATINA 2-3 testing of CERamics/CERamics targets with a MgO matrix and macrodispersed particles and of new materials Fuel for future systems qFUTURIX/FTA (FUels for Transmutation of transURanien elements in PhénIX/Fortes Teneurs en Actinides testing of Metal, nitride, CER/MET, CER/CER fuels with high TRU content Collaboration with US/DOE, ITU, CRIEPI othree further experiments planned (fuel and materials for Gas-cooled FR) FUTURE EXPERIMENTS

23. DEN /Valrhô /Centrale Phénix NEA 8 th Information Exchange Meeting Las Vegas, 9th-11th of November 2004 23 qSuccessful re-start after a major safety upgrading of the PHENIX plant ( the unique fast breeder reactor in Europe ) (Availability factor 94% in 2004) qTransmutation experimental programme in progress for: Americium, Technetium 99,inert matrix for heterogeneous transmutation(ECRIX, ANTICORP, MATINA) Homogeneous transmutation (METAPHIX ) High PU content fuel (CAPRIX) Neutronic datas (PROFIL) which shall provide a validation of a wide range of concepts qPreparation of future experiments for the next cycles. CONCLUSIONS