IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v15y2022i24p9638-d1008104.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A HELIOS-Based Dynamic Salt Clean-Up Study Analysing the Effects of a Plutonium-Based Initial Core for iMAGINE

Author

Listed:
  • Bruno Merk

    (School of Engineering, The University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GH, UK)

  • Anna Detkina

    (School of Engineering, The University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GH, UK)

  • Dzianis Litskevich

    (School of Engineering, The University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GH, UK)

  • Omid Noori-kalkhoran

    (School of Engineering, The University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GH, UK)

  • Lakshay Jain

    (School of Engineering, The University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GH, UK)

  • Gregory Cartland-Glover

    (STFC Daresbury Laboratory, Daresbury WA4 4AD, UK)

Abstract

Nuclear technologies have strong potential and a unique role to play in delivering reliable low carbon energy to enable a net-zero society for future generations. However, to assure the sustainability required for its long-term success, nuclear will need to deliver innovative solutions as proposed in iMAGINE. One of the most attractive features, but also a key challenge for the envisaged highly integrated nuclear energy system iMAGINE, is the need for a demand driven salt clean-up system based on the principles of reverse reprocessing. The work described provides an insight into the dynamic interplay between a potential salt clean-up system and reactor operation in a plutonium-started core in a dynamic approach. The results presented will help to optimise the parameters for the salt clean-up process as well as to understand the differences which appear between a core started with enriched uranium and plutonium as the fissile material. The integrated model is used to investigate the effects of the initial fissile material on core size, achievable burnup, and long-term operation. Different approaches are tested to achieve a higher burnup in the significantly smaller Pu-driven core. The effects of different clean-up system throughputs on the concentration of fission products in the reactor salt and its consequences are discussed for general molten salt reactor design. Finally, an investigation into how a plutonium loaded core could be used to provide fuel for future reactors through fuel salt splitting is presented, with the outcome that one Pu-started reactor of the same size as a uranium-started core could deliver fuel for 1.5 new cores due to enhanced breeding. The results provide an essential understanding for the progress of iMAGINE as well as the basis for inter-disciplinary work required for optimising iMAGINE.

Suggested Citation

  • Bruno Merk & Anna Detkina & Dzianis Litskevich & Omid Noori-kalkhoran & Lakshay Jain & Gregory Cartland-Glover, 2022. "A HELIOS-Based Dynamic Salt Clean-Up Study Analysing the Effects of a Plutonium-Based Initial Core for iMAGINE," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(24), pages 1-17, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:15:y:2022:i:24:p:9638-:d:1008104
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/24/9638/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/24/9638/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Merk, Bruno & Stanculescu, Alexander & Chellapandi, Perumal & Hill, Robert, 2015. "Progress in reliability of fast reactor operation and new trends to increased inherent safety," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 104-116.
    2. Bruno Merk & Anna Detkina & Dzianis Litskevich & Seddon Atkinson & Gregory Cartland-Glover, 2020. "The Interplay between Breeding and Thermal Feedback in a Molten Chlorine Fast Reactor," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-15, April.
    3. Bruno Merk & Dzianis Litskevich, 2015. "On the Burning of Plutonium Originating from Light Water Reactor Use in a Fast Molten Salt Reactor—A Neutron Physical Study," Energies, MDPI, vol. 8(11), pages 1-16, November.
    4. Bruno Merk & Anna Detkina & Dzianis Litskevich & Maulik Patel & Omid Noori-kalkhoran & Gregory Cartland-Glover & Olga Efremova & Mark Bankhead & Claude Degueldre, 2022. "A First Step towards Zero Nuclear Waste—Advanced Strategic Thinking in Light of iMAGINE," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-21, September.
    5. Hyatt, Neil C., 2017. "Plutonium management policy in the United Kingdom: The need for a dual track strategy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 303-309.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Bruno Merk & Dzianis Litskevich & Anna Detkina & Omid Noori-kalkhoran & Lakshay Jain & Elfriede Derrer-Merk & Daliya Aflyatunova & Greg Cartland-Glover, 2023. "iMAGINE—Visions, Missions, and Steps for Successfully Delivering the Nuclear System of the 21st Century," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-16, March.
    2. Bruno Merk & Dzianis Litskevich & Karl R. Whittle & Mark Bankhead & Richard J. Taylor & Dan Mathers, 2017. "On a Long Term Strategy for the Success of Nuclear Power," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-21, June.
    3. Ben Wealer & Christian von Hirschhausen, 2020. "Nuclear Power as a System Good: Organizational Models for Production along the Value-Added Chain," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1883, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    4. Aiden Peakman & Bruno Merk, 2019. "The Role of Nuclear Power in Meeting Current and Future Industrial Process Heat Demands," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-16, September.
    5. Wuseong You & Ser Gi Hong, 2017. "An Advanced Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor Core Concept Using Uranium-Free Metallic Fuels for Maximizing TRU Burning Rate," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-21, December.
    6. Omid Noori-kalkhoran & Dzianis Litskevich & Anna Detkina & Lakshay Jain & Gregory Cartland-Glover & Bruno Merk, 2022. "On the Employment of a Chloride or Fluoride Salt Fuel System in Advanced Molten Salt Reactors, Part 1: Thermophysical Properties and Core Criticality," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(23), pages 1-20, November.
    7. Pablo Fernández-Arias & Diego Vergara & Álvaro Antón-Sancho, 2023. "Global Review of International Nuclear Waste Management," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-18, August.
    8. Olumayegun, Olumide & Wang, Meihong & Kelsall, Greg, 2017. "Thermodynamic analysis and preliminary design of closed Brayton cycle using nitrogen as working fluid and coupled to small modular Sodium-cooled fast reactor (SM-SFR)," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 191(C), pages 436-453.
    9. Bruno Merk & Anna Detkina & Dzianis Litskevich & Maulik Patel & Omid Noori-kalkhoran & Gregory Cartland-Glover & Olga Efremova & Mark Bankhead & Claude Degueldre, 2022. "A First Step towards Zero Nuclear Waste—Advanced Strategic Thinking in Light of iMAGINE," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-21, September.
    10. Bruno Merk & Mark Bankhead & Dzianis Litskevich & Robert Gregg & Aiden Peakman & Craig Shearer, 2018. "On a Roadmap for Future Industrial Nuclear Reactor Core Simulation in the U.K. to Support the Nuclear Renaissance," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-18, December.
    11. Bruno Merk & Anna Detkina & Dzianis Litskevich & Seddon Atkinson & Gregory Cartland-Glover, 2020. "The Interplay between Breeding and Thermal Feedback in a Molten Chlorine Fast Reactor," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-15, April.
    12. Bruno Merk & Anna Detkina & Seddon Atkinson & Dzianis Litskevich & Gregory Cartland-Glover, 2019. "Evaluation of the Breeding Performance of a NaCl-UCl-Based Reactor System," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-18, October.
    13. Robin Taylor & William Bodel & Laurence Stamford & Gregg Butler, 2022. "A Review of Environmental and Economic Implications of Closing the Nuclear Fuel Cycle—Part One: Wastes and Environmental Impacts," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-35, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:15:y:2022:i:24:p:9638-:d:1008104. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.