Papers by Massimo Sarotto
In the EUROTRANS Integrated Project, funded by the European Union (EU) within the 6th FP (Framewo... more In the EUROTRANS Integrated Project, funded by the European Union (EU) within the 6th FP (Framework Program), the conceptual feasibility of high rate MA transmutation in ADS has been demonstrated: this concept reactor is called EFIT (European Facility on Industrial scale Transmuter). It is fuelled by Cer-Cer (Pu, MA)O2-x + MgO fuel type with high content of MA and is cooled by lead. The design constraints for the maximum temperatures of the cladding and of the fuel are satisfied through the power distribution radial flattening techniques. The design of the EFIT core is based on the so called “42–0” approach, characterized by zero Pu net balance and maximum MA transmutation rate of 42 kg/TWhth with reduced BU reactivity loss (~200 pcm/year). Three radial zones, for a total of 180 FAs, at constant Pu/MA mass ratio and with different either pin diameter and/or inert matrix volume fraction, assure the required value for the sub-criticality level Keff = 0.97. The total power of 384 MWth ...
In the framework of the EUROTRANS Integrated Project the feasibility of an European Facility for ... more In the framework of the EUROTRANS Integrated Project the feasibility of an European Facility for Industrial Transmutation (EFIT) of Minor Actinides (MA) has to be demonstrated and the ADS reactor preliminarily designed. The core is loaded with U-free oxide fuel and cooled by lead. The actual requirements and the optimization criteria led to the so called “42-0” concept. By this approach a zero net balance of Pu is stated while the maximum MA transmutation rate of 42 kg/TWhth is reached, assuring a negligible BU swing of about 200 pcm/year. The about 400 MWth sub-critical core presents three radial zones, different either in pin diameter or in MgO inert matrix percentage, in order to maximize the average density transmutation (≈ 530 W cm-3 on HM) and to respect the cladding temperature limit of 550 °C. The required proton current never exceeds 20 mA at 800 MeV (keff ≤ 0.97). Neutronic calculations have been carried out in ENEA using the deterministic code ERANOS and the Monte Carlo c...
Abstract - Accelerator Driven Systems (ADS) represent one of the possible future strategies for M... more Abstract - Accelerator Driven Systems (ADS) represent one of the possible future strategies for Minor Actinides (MA) transmutation. EFIT - European Facility for Industrial Transmutation is a 400 MWth ADS designed in the frame of EUROTRANS project. It is fuelled by MA and Pu embedded in the inert Mg matrix, cooled by lead (673-753 K), and driven by an accelerator, which provides 15 mA current of 800 MeV protons. The subcritical core is divided into three radial zones, which differ in pin diameter or inert matrix percentage. This design flattens the flux distribution and enables to maximize the power density. The EFIT core is foreseen to operate with closed fuel cycle. Ideally, only the fission products should be replaced during the reprocessing by an external feed. Consequently, the core should recycle its own spent fuel and burn just the feed. The obvious design aim is to enable the operation with MA feed only (without Pu). Production of each TWhth in the EFIT core corresponds to th...
The neutronic calculations carried out within the system and safety constraints to define the PDS... more The neutronic calculations carried out within the system and safety constraints to define the PDS-XADS LBE-cooled core are described [Preliminary DesignStudies of an eXperimental Accelerator Driven System, part of the European Commission’s 5th Framework Program for research on Fission Reactor Safety, involving the participation of 25 partners from industry, research organizations and Universities]. The constraints are connected to the peculiar feature of such cores to preserve sub-criticality under all conditions whilst linked to the necessity to maintain a sufficient power level to burn acceptable quantities of MA and LLFP. The power level is held by means of an external source with a spallation target of LBE driven by a proton current maintained at a technologically feasible level. The proton energy is 600 MeV. The reactor circuit power is 80 MWth
In the EUROTRANS Integrated Project, funded by the European Union (EU) within the 6th FP (Framewo... more In the EUROTRANS Integrated Project, funded by the European Union (EU) within the 6th FP (Framework Program), the conceptual feasibility of high rate MA transmutation in ADS has been demonstrated: this concept reactor is called EFIT (European Facility on Industrial scale Transmuter). It is fuelled by Cer-Cer (Pu, MA)O2-x + MgO fuel type with high content of MA and is cooled by lead. The design constraints for the maximum temperatures of the cladding and of the fuel are satisfied through the power distribution radial flattening techniques. The design of the EFIT core is based on the so called “42–0” approach, characterized by zero Pu net balance and maximum MA transmutation rate of 42 kg/TWhth with reduced BU reactivity loss (~200 pcm/year). Three radial zones, for a total of 180 FAs, at constant Pu/MA mass ratio and with different either pin diameter and/or inert matrix volume fraction, assure the required value for the sub-criticality level Keff = 0.97. The total power of 384 MWth ...
In the framework of the EUROTRANS Integrated Project the feasibility of an European Facility for ... more In the framework of the EUROTRANS Integrated Project the feasibility of an European Facility for Industrial Transmutation (EFIT) of Minor Actinides (MA) has to be demonstrated and the ADS reactor preliminarily designed. The core is loaded with U-free oxide fuel and cooled by lead. The actual requirements and the optimization criteria led to the so called “42-0” concept. By this approach a zero net balance of Pu is stated while the maximum MA transmutation rate of 42 kg/TWhth is reached, assuring a negligible BU swing of about 200 pcm/year. The about 400 MWth sub-critical core presents three radial zones, different either in pin diameter or in MgO inert matrix percentage, in order to maximize the average density transmutation (≈ 530 W cm-3 on HM) and to respect the cladding temperature limit of 550 °C. The required proton current never exceeds 20 mA at 800 MeV (keff ≤ 0.97). Neutronic calculations have been carried out in ENEA using the deterministic code ERANOS and the Monte Carlo c...
The paper deals with the neutronic design of ELSY (the European Lead-cooled SYstem), a 600 MWe Fa... more The paper deals with the neutronic design of ELSY (the European Lead-cooled SYstem), a 600 MWe Fast Reactor developed within the 6th EURATOM Framework Programme. The overall core layout, an open square-lattice configuration mostly defined by complying with mechanical and seismic constraints, is optimized to achieve a flatten power/Fuel Assembly distribution. The power-to-flow ratio is locally adjusted by changing the fissile (Plutonium) enrichment at different radial positions in the core. Three independent scram sets have been introduced in order to achieve the required reliability for reactor shutdown and safety system. Eight traditional concept Control Rod assemblies together with two systems of sparse control “Finger Absorber” Rods, small B4C rods that can be inserted, in principle, in the centre of each FA. A trade-off between a fuel Burn UP as high as 100 GWd/t and an acceptable Breeding Ratio is achieved. It is shown the possibility to realize an “adiabatic” reactor, i.e. a r...
MYRRHA (Multi-purpose hYbrid Research Reactor for High-tech Applications) is the flexible experim... more MYRRHA (Multi-purpose hYbrid Research Reactor for High-tech Applications) is the flexible experimental accelerator-driven system (ADS) in development at SCKCEN in replacement of its material testing reactor BR2. SCK•CEN in association with 17 European partners from industry, research centres and academia, responded to the FP7 (Seventh Framework Programme) call from the European Commission to establish a Central Design Team (CDT) for the design of a FAst Spectrum Transmutation Experimental Facility (FASTEF) able to demonstrate efficient transmutation and associated technology through a system working in subcritical and/or critical mode. The project has started on April 01st, 2009 for a period of three years. In this paper, we present the latest configuration of the reactor core and primary system. The FASTEF facility has evolved quite a lot since the intermediate reporting done at the ICAPP'10 and ICAPP'11 conferences . If it remains a small-scale facility, the core power am...
The neutronic calculations carried out within the system and safety constraints to define the PDS... more The neutronic calculations carried out within the system and safety constraints to define the PDS-XADS LBE-cooled core are described [Preliminary DesignStudies of an eXperimental Accelerator Driven System, part of the European Commission’s 5th Framework Program for research on Fission Reactor Safety, involving the participation of 25 partners from industry, research organizations and Universities]. The constraints are connected to the peculiar feature of such cores to preserve sub-criticality under all conditions whilst linked to the necessity to maintain a sufficient power level to burn acceptable quantities of MA and LLFP. The power level is held by means of an external source with a spallation target of LBE driven by a proton current maintained at a technologically feasible level. The proton energy is 600 MeV. The reactor circuit power is 80 MWth
… Exchange Meeting on …, 2008
Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 2005
An epithermal boron neutron capture therapy facility for treating brain gliomas is currently unde... more An epithermal boron neutron capture therapy facility for treating brain gliomas is currently under construction at the 5 kW fast-flux reactor TAPIRO located at ENEA, Casaccia, near Rome. In this work, the sensitivity of the results to the boron concentrations in healthy tissue and tumour is investigated and the change in beam quality on modifying the moderator thickness (within design limits) is studied. The Monte Carlo codes MCNP and MCNPX were used together with the DSA in-house variance reduction patch. Both usual free beam parameters and the in-phantom treatment planning figures-of-merit have been calculated in a realistic anthropomorphic phantom ('ADAM').
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 2007
Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is currently performed on patients at nuclear reactors. At t... more Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is currently performed on patients at nuclear reactors. At the same time the international BNCT community is engaged in the development of alternative facilities for in-hospital treatments. This paper investigates the potential of a novel high-output D-D neutron generator, developed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (CA, USA), for BNCT. The simulation code MCNP-4C is used to realize an accurate study of the epithermal column in view of the treatment of deep tumours. Different materials and Beam Shaping Assemblies (BSA) are investigated and an optimized configuration is proposed. The neutron beam quality is defined by the standard free beam parameters, calculated averaging over the collimator aperture. The results are discussed and compared with the performances of other facilities. r
Nuclear Engineering and Design, 2013
ABSTRACT On April 2009, a three-year-project was launched within the 7th Framework Programme (FP)... more ABSTRACT On April 2009, a three-year-project was launched within the 7th Framework Programme (FP) of the European Commission: the Central Design Team (CDT) for a FAst Spectrum Transmutation Experimental Facility (FASTEF). The main goal was to achieve an advanced level of design for an irradiation facility, cooled by lead-bismuth, operating in both critical and sub-critical modes. In continuity with the research studies on fast nuclear systems carried out in the 5–6th FPs, the CDT had the further ambitious objective to define a preliminary design of the MYRRHA reactor, planned to be built at the SCK•CEN research centre in Mol (Belgium). In addition to being a multi-purpose irradiation facility, MYRRHA should be able to demonstrate the Acceleration Driven System concept at ∼100 MW power level and an efficient transmutation of minor actinides, as main contributors to high-level long-lived radioactive wastes. This paper describes the design of cores able to operate the MYRRHA-FASTEF plant in both critical and sub-critical modes. The design studies were performed by detailed neutronic analyses (with deterministic and Monte Carlo methods) and by accurate thermal-hydraulic evaluations (at the fuel assembly and pin sub-channel level), by taking also into account thermo-mechanical and safety constraints. Among the most significant core features, the fast flux level (Φ>0.75 MeV ∼ 1015 cm−2 s−1), the high flexibility for irradiation purposes and the limited overall dimension (impacting on the cost of the plant) can be noticed. The transmutation of minor actinides, enhanced by the high fast flux, reaches values of about 32 kgHM TWh−1 in both operational modes.
Energy Conversion and Management, 2012
ABSTRACT The main objective of the Central Design Team (CDT) project is to establish an engineeri... more ABSTRACT The main objective of the Central Design Team (CDT) project is to establish an engineering design of a Fast Spectrum Transmutation Experimental Facility (FASTEF) that is the pilot plant of an experimental-scale of both an Accelerator Driven System (ADS) and a Lead Fast Reactor (LFR), based on the MYRRHA reactor concept, planned to be built during the next decade. The MYRRHA reactor concept is devoted to be a multi-purpose irradiation facility aimed at demonstrating the efficient transmutation of long-lived and high radiotoxicity minor actinides, fission products and the associated technology. An important issue regarding the reactor design of the MYRRHA/FASTEF experiment is the In-Vessel Fuel Storage Facilities (IVFSFs), both for fresh and spent fuel, as it might have an impact on the criticality of the overall system that must be quantified. In this work, the neutronic analysis of the in-vessel fuel storage facility and its coupling with the critical core was performed, using the state of the art Monte Carlo program MCNPX 2.6.0 and ORIGEN 2.2 computer code system for calculating the buildup and decay heat of spent fuel. Several parameters were analyzed, like the criticality behavior (namely the Keff), the neutron fluxes and their variations, the fission power production and the radiation damage (the displacements per atom). Finally, also the heat power generated by the fission products decay in the spent fuel was assessed.
Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 2004
An epithermal facility for treating patients with brain gliomas has been designed and is under co... more An epithermal facility for treating patients with brain gliomas has been designed and is under construction at the fast reactor TAPIRO at ENEA Casaccia (Italy). The calculational design tools employed were the Monte Carlo codes MCNP/MCNPX together with the DSA in-house variance reduction patch. A realistic anthropomorphic phantom (''ADAM'') was included to optimise dose profiles and in-phantom treatment-planning figures-of-merit. The adopted approach was to minimise the treatment time whilst maintaining a reasonable therapeutic ratio. It is shown that TAPIRO, in spite of its low power of 5 kW, is able to provide an epithermal beam that is of good quality and of sufficient intensity to allow a single beam patient irradiation, under conservative assumptions, of 50 min. r
Fusion Science and Technology, 2011
The main objective of the CDT project is to establish an engineering design of a Fast Spectrum Tr... more The main objective of the CDT project is to establish an engineering design of a Fast Spectrum Transmutation Experimental Facility(FASTEF) that is the pilot plant of an industrial-scale of both an Accelerator Driven System(ADS) and a Lead Fast Reactor(LFR), based on the MYRRHA reactor concept, planned to be built during the next decade. An important issue regarding the reactor design of the MYRRHA/FASTEF experiment is the in-vessel fuel storage facility for fresh fuel, as it might have an impact on the criticality of the overall ...
A specific aim of the EUROTRANS Integrated Project, partially financed in the European 6th Framew... more A specific aim of the EUROTRANS Integrated Project, partially financed in the European 6th Framework Program (by EU), is to demonstrate the conceptual feasibility of high rate Minor Actinides transmutation in an Accelerator Driven System. This concept reactor, called European Facility on Industrial scale Transmuter (EFIT), is fuelled by U-free (Pu, MA)O2-x + MgO innovative Cer-Cer fuel type with high MA content and is cooled by lead. The design of the sub-critical core is based on the so called "42-0" transmutation rate approach, characterized by zero Pu net balance and maximum MA transmutation rate of 42 kg/TWhth together with reduced BU reactivity loss (~200 pcm/year). An essential requirement for the EFIT reactor is that it remains sub-critical in any plant condition. To avoid unwanted returns to criticality, the sub-criticality level and the reactivity coefficients should be known with high accuracy. In this paper, the sensitivity of the Keff and of the reactivity coef...
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Papers by Massimo Sarotto