Americium-Bearing Blanket Separate-effect Experiments: MARIOS and DIAMINO Irradiations

The sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) is one of the options currently being investigated as a future Generation IV reactor. This concept may include minor actinide (MA) recycling in the radial blankets positioned in the outer core regions. Heterogeneous recycling on a UO2 matrix has the advantage of providing flexible breeding gains, MA burnings and making blanket reprocessing possible in a standard MOX fuel flux, while limiting the proliferation risk of the blankets. Two separate-effect irradiations (with isothermal-type conditions in the experimental blankets) are currently in progress (MARIOS) or under preparation (DIAMINO), respectively in the HFR and the OSIRIS material test reactor (MTR). The aim of these experiments is to study gaseous releases and swelling in Am-bearing blankets as a function of the temperature, blanket microstructure and gas production rates. This paper first reviews minor-actinide-bearing blanket (MABB) characteristics. A detailed description of the MARIOS and DIAMINO irradiations is then provided, including the test objectives, design and schedule.

BEJAOUI Syriac;  D'AGATA Elio;  HANIA Ralph;  LAMBERT T.;  BENDOTTI Stephane;  NEYROUD Cedric;  HERLET Nathalie;  BONNEROT Jean-Marc; 

2013-03-01

Atomic Energy Society of Japan

JRC68372

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC68372,