Super-Phenix

The automatic acquisition and analysis system we developed within the scope of the Super-Phenix steam generator tube inspection by ultrasonic arrays is a remarkable example of an exhaustive acoustic verification system. It works for every type of probe for tube inspection. 

France has the largest implementation of breeder reactors with its 250-MW Phenix reactor and 1200-MW Super-Phenix. The Phenix went into operation in 1973 and the Super-Phenix in 1984. Japan has its 300-MW Monju reactor which was put into service in 1994. While India has the 500-MW PFBR and 13.2-MW FBTR. These reactors produce about 20% more fuel than they consume. Optimum breeding allows about 75% of the energy in natural uranium to be used compared to 1% in a conventional light water reactor. 

Differences in design practices have in the past handicapped developments that could have reduced costs. For example, some difficulties with past design practices are evident in examining application of the ASME Code and Code Case N-47 to pool type LMFRs, such as Super Phenix. The design of Super Phenix resulted in considerably thinner components. This required different buckling rules. Super Phenix design creep effects were negligible... 

LMFRs(liquid metal cooled reactor) have been under development for more than 50 years. Twenty LMFRs have been constructed and operated. Five prototype and demonstration LMFRs (BN-350/Kazakstan, Phenix/France, Protot3q)e Fast Reactor/UK, BN-600/Russian Federation, Super Phenix/France) with electrical output ranging from 250 to 1200 MW(e) and large scale (400 MW(th)) experimental fast flux test reactor FFTF/USA have gained nearly 110 reactor-years. In total, LMFRs have gained nearly 310 reactor-years of operation. 

The comprehensive operational experience with LMFRs BN-350, Phenix, PFR, BN-600, Super Phenix and Monju has shown that, if plant components have been designed and manufactured without errors and representative specimens or models have been tested prior to installation, reliable operation can be ensured during the whole operational life. 

The neutron physics connnissioning tests for Super-Phenix and some tests in Phenix have been re-evaluated using the recent ERANOS-1.2 code system and tte ERALIB1 adjusted nuclear data library based on the JEF-2.2 evaluated data file. Compared to the older code and data system, agreement with experiment excellent and is obtained without the need to apply numerous corrections due to method biases and data poor accuracy. 

This paper presents the results obtained with the ERANOS calculation scheme and data for several major parameters of the Super-Phenix start up core (CMP) including the critical mass, the control rod reactivity worth, the power map distribution, the burn up reactivity swing and the Doppler feedback. Agreement of calculation results with experiment are very satisfactory agreement within 100 pcm for the critical mass, less than 5% discrepancy on control rod worth, a residual radial gradient of less than 5% the radial power map, an discrepancy less than 10% on the reactivity swing, and a full agreement on the Doppler constant. 

The most efficient users of uranium, fast reactors have been under development for many years. Britain s Doumeay Prototype Fast Reactor (PFR) is designed to produce 250 MW(e) of electricity. France has commissioned a 1200 MW(e) commercial size reactor called Super Phenix. Russia has a GOO MW(e) station in use and prototypes are also under study in other countries. 

Similar calculation were performed in the case of SUPERPHENIX to study the consequences of the removal of the first row of the radial blankets of the present core (ref.2). These calculations will be validated in water on a 1/10 scale model of SUPER-PHENIX at "Electricite de France" (SUPERDONALD mock-up) and in air on a 1/6 scale model at CEA (FREYJA mock-up). 

The performance of CAPRA cores has so far been calculated using nuclear data adjusted and vEilidated for use with cores of the Super-Phenix and EFR type, in which the Pu concentration is relatively low. AEA-T have been investigating the use of unadjusted data from the JEF 2.2 set processed via the ECCO cell code. It is important to trace the origin of differences in the calculated reactivity and performance parameters, and to propose routes for validating the calculation procedures. 

Excluding military and space reactors, approximately 20 sodium-cooled fast reactors have been built in a variety of sizes and configurations. These vary from small test reactors to the French Super-Phenix plant, which had an output of 1240 MW(e). In the United States, several fast reactors were built. These included the EBR-II and the Fast-Flux Test Facility (FFTF)—a 400-MW(t) reactor. The Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant (CRBRP), a commercial demonstration reactor, was designed and partly built before being cancelled. These machines provide a large experience base in refueling operations (Romrell et al., 1989 Althaus and Brahy, 1987). 

With contributions from Messrs. B. Mesnage (CEA), A. Roux (NERSA) for the Super-Phenix paragraph,... 

The "Decret d Autorisation de Creation" stipulates that because of its prototype character, SUPER PHENIX will have to be operated in conditions explicitely giving priority to safety and knowledge acquisition, with an objective of research and demonstration. 

Obtaining a high burn-up is an imperative for the economy of fast reactors and this objective will be pursued on Super-Phenix in order to optimize reactor operation and to illustrate the actual possibilities of the reactor type. It implies thorough knowledge acquisition of the behaviour of the materials in the core sub-assemblies. 

The experience acquired in the operation of sodium circuits having dimensions similar to those found on the Super-Phenix reactor constitutes a fundamental source of information concerning several points ... 

In the field of research regarding the use of plutonium, the expected results coming from the operation of the Super-Phenix reactor are of two different sorts. They concern ... 

The present core of Super-Phenix in that of a fast breeder reactor, essentially owing to the presence of fertile uranium oxide blankets which are arranged radially with 220 subassemblies and axially with uranium blanckets. The programme suggested for converting the reactor to a plutonium burner involves three phases ... 

Experimental irradiation preparation in SILOE, HFR, PHENIX, SUPER-PHENIX were achieved in 1994. The experiment 1F0P1 (45% Pu) in SHOE reactor is completed (35 EFPs) and PIE are in progress. 

The computer code DYN 2B for plant dynamics has been fully validated with the SUPER-PHENIX start-up tests and has been documented. The OASIS computer code, a flexible generic tool for a wide range of reactor systems, has been qualified by cross comparalson with a first set of DYN 2B calculated transients. Qualification on a second set is almost complete. 

Alloy 800 is used for steam generator tubing in SUPER PHENIX. Modified 9 Cr 1 Mo steel has been selected for steam generator tubing in EFR, but Alloy 800 remains the back-up material. 

However, the well-known facts such as increasingly strict safety requirements, the accident occurred at the Almeria facility, as well as rearrangements in the secondary circuit ceUs of the Super-Phenix reactor gave an imptilse to additional consideration of potentially more intensive sodium fire in the incredible accidents with instantaneous ruptures of pipelines. In this connection, modeling studies on this problem have been started at the IPPE. The first experiments with sodium have been carried out. They have been specially made under the most adverse conditions instantaneous rupture, vertical upward jet, obstacle at the jet route, outflow stream velocity up to 25 m/sec. 

Super-Phenix 1 (France) CNPE de Cieys Malville BP63, 38510 Morestel... 

Super-Phenix 2 (France) project subsumed into EFR... 

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