State Atomic Energy Corporation “Rosatom”
Nuclear Research Facilities in Russia for innovative
nuclear development
N. Arkhangelskiy, ROSATOM
IAEA Consultancy Meeting
10-12 June 2013
1
Introduction
• Russia has a lot of Nuclear Research
Facilities that have different design,
power and neutron flux levels,
experimental utilization etc.
• Many of these facilities can be used for
innovative nuclear projects
• Current status and capabilities of
Russian Nuclear Facilities Re analysed in
this presentation
2
Russian Nuclear Research Facilities
(types, status, numbers)
Type
Number of Facilities
Total
Operating
Shutdown
RR
34
29
2
CA
29
28
1
SCA
9
6
3
Total
72
63
6
Under
Planned
construction
2
1
2
1
RR – Research Reactors
CA – Critical Assemblies
SCA – Subcritical Assemblies
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Nuclear facilities for innovative nuclear
development
• How Russian Nuclear Facilities can support innovative
nuclear development? These facilities are
RR for irradiation experiments
CA for neutron-physical measurements
• SCA are not suitable for innovative nuclear development.
It is possible to use them only for education and small
applied tasks
4
General Requirements
To support innovative nuclear
development it is necessary to have
facilities with suitable parameters
such as:
– Level of neutron fluxes
– Neutron spectrum
– Irradiation regimes
– Experimental loops and ampoules
5
Level of Neutron Fluxes
• Neutron fluxes in experimental facilities of
research reactors should correspond to the
flux level in power reactors or to be higher
• For irradiation tests for innovative reactor
concepts the level of thermal neutron flux is
not so important
• The fast neutron flux is the key parameter for
irradiation tests
• For irradiations on the program of thermal
reactors the fast neutron flux shall be enough
approximately 1014 n/(cm2s) and for fast
reactor concepts not less than 1015 n/(cm2s)
6
Neutron Spectrum
• Neutron spectrum is a very important
feature for neutron-physical
experiments at critical assemblies
• Usually the critical assemblies are
designed for investigations of
parameters of the concrete reactor and
concrete coolant
7
Irradiation Regimes
• To achieve the required dpa the irradiation
regimes should be very intensive
• The utilization factor depends on many
factors: funding, resources, condition of
reactor equipment, avaialbility of qualified
staff
• Irradiation of materials in transient and
accident conditions requires special
reactors or special equipment
8
Experimental Loops and Ampoules
• The reactor should have loops and
ampoule channels, the sizes of the core
should be sufficient to install
experimental devices
• It means that dimensions of the core
should be big enough
9
Russian Research Reactors for
Innovative Systems
Reactor
Name
Util.
Operator Neutron Flux, 10
SM-3
RIAR
RBT-6
RIAR
RBT-10/2
RIAR
MIR.M1
RIAR
BOR-60
RIAR
IR-8
NRC KI
WWR-M NRC KI
PIK
NRC KI
IVV-2M
IRM
WWR-TS NIPhChI
BIGR
VNIIEF
14
Height of Active
n/(cm s)
Factor
Core, cm
2
Loops
Ampoules
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
(2012)
Thermal
Fast
50
20 (E>0.1 MeV)
0.2
0.6 (E>0.1 MeV)
0.3
1 (E>0.1 MeV)
5
2 (E>0.1 MeV)
37
2.3
0.57 (E>3 MeV)
4.5
2 (E>0.1 MeV)
46
20 (E>0.1 MeV)
5
2 (E>0.1 MeV)
1
0.5 (E>0.8 MeV)
1016 n/cm2 (fluence in pulse)
35
35
35
100
45
60
50
50
50
60
67
0.67
0.61
0.73
0.69
0.61
0.44
0.35
0.84
0.40
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
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Categorization of Facilities
First Category
These reactors are more
suitable because they
have high neutron flux,
big core size and high
utilization factor
– MIR.M1 (material
testing reactor with big
amount of loop
channels)
– BOR-60 (fast sodium
cooled reactor)
– BIGR (for RIA
experiments only)
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Second Category
• These reactors have some
suitable features but have
not several important
parameters; they have good
utilization factors
– SM-3 (high neutron flux level
but small core sizes)
– IVV-2M (design suitable for
material testing experiments,
has good utilization but not so
high flux level)
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Third Category
• In principle these reactors can be helpful
to support innovative reactor projects but
with some limitations
– RBT-10/2 (pool type, good utilization but small
sizes of active core; no loops)
– RBT-6 (pool type, good utilization but small
sizes of active core; no loops)
– IR-8 (pool type, no loops)
– WWR-M (pool type, no loops)
– WWR-TS (pool type, no loops)
– PIK (high neutron flux; no loops and ampoules;
under commissioning now)
13
Critical Assemblies
• BFS-1 and BFS-2 in IPPE, Obninsk have uique
options for research of parameters of reactors of
different design with different coolants
• These facilities make it possible to model fast
neutron reactors cooled by sodium or lead,
reactors of the VVER type and/or uranium-thorium
and/or plutonium fuel
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Conclusion
• Russia has numerous nuclear research facilities
• But not all of them are suitable for research of
innovative reactor projects because of
insufficient neutron flux level, low utilization
factor or absence of loops and ampoule
channels
• It is possible to include in the list of proposed
research facilities reactors:MIR.M1, BOR-60,
BIGR, SM-3 and IVV-2M and critical
assemblies: BFS-1 and BFS-2.
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