The Indian Fast Reactor

Programme: Current status and

directions
P.R. Vasudeva Rao
Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research
Kalpakkam
vasu@igcar.gov.in

Diamond Jubilee

VECC
05 Oct 2014

All India Installed Capacity (GWe)

As on 22-10-2014
Thermal

Coal
Gas
Oil

- 153
- 22.6
- 1.2

Nuclear
Hydro
Renewable
Total

176.8 (69.6 %)
4.8 (1.9 %)
40.8 (16.1 %)
31.7 (12.5 %)
254.0

Capacity Addition Planned in XII Plan (GWe)

Coal
30.0

Oil
10.0

Nuclear Hydro
6.0
20.0

Renewable
33.0

Total
99.0

Why are fast reactors important for India?

Thermal reactors use mainly the U-235 content of the uranium;
fast reactors are important for the effective utilization of the
limited uranium resources in the country
India has a large resource base of thorium; to utilize thorium
through its conversion to U-233, fast reactors are ideal systems
due to their neutronic characteristics
Among current technologies, fast reactors are the best systems for
burning of minor actinides
Fast reactors have several other advantages including the
possibility of design for passive safety

Indian Strategy for Long-term Energy Security

The deficit
is practically
Required
coal
import:
* in 2050
wiped
outtonne
in 2050
1.6
billion

1400
1300

No
imported
LWR
import:reactor/fuel
40 GWe

Deficit 412 GWe

1200

FBR using spent fuel

from LWR

Installed capacity (GWe)

1100
1000
900
800
700
600
500

Deficit to be filled by
fossil fuel / LWR imports

LWR (Imported)
Nuclear (Domestic 3stage programme)

Projected
requirement*

Hydrocarbon
Coal domestic

400
300
200

Non-conventional

100

Hydroelectric

0
2010

2020

2030

2040

Year
Year
With thorium, nuclear installed capacity (600 GWe) can

be sustained for very long period

2050
*

*Ref:

- Assuming 4200 kcal/kg

A Strategy for Growth of Electrical Energy in

India, document 10, August 2004, DAE

Indias Nuclear Roadmap

PHWRs from indigenous Uranium

70000

PHWRs from imported Uranium

60000

Imported LWR to the extent of 40 GW(e)

50000

PHWRs from spent enriched U from LWRs

40000

(under safeguards)
FBRs from reprocessed Pu and U from PHWR
FBRs from reprocessed Pu and U from LWR
(under safeguards)
U-233-Thorium Thermal / Fast Reactors

Nuclear Power Capacity

Projection (in MWe)

30000
20000
10000
0
2010

2012

2017

2022

2032

India has indigenous nuclear power program (4780 MW out of 20 reactors) and
expects to have 20,000 MWe nuclear capacity on line by 2020 and 63,000 MWe by
2032.
Foreign technology and fuel are expected to boost India's nuclear power plans
considerably. All plants will have high indigenous engineering content.
India has a vision of becoming a world leader in nuclear technology due to its
expertise in fast reactors and thorium fuel cycle.

FBRs Role in Nuclear Contribution in India

FBRs vs PHWRs
Feature

PHWR

FBR

Fissile concentration

Low
(0.7 %)

High
(24 %)

High burnup for FBR

Core volume

Large
77,000 l
(770 MWt)

Small
3,000 l
(1250 MWt)

High power density.

Power density

10 kWt/l

400 kWt/l

Remark on FBR

Metal (sodium) coolant

required.
Lower thermal pollution.
Lower radwaste.

Thermal efficiency

28 %

40 %

Fuel burnup

7 GWd/t

>100 GWd/t

Less fuel cycle to be

processed

High level wastes

Produced

Partly
incinerated

Long term storage

reduced.

FBRs vs LWRs

Parameter

LWR

Fast Reactor

Fissile enrichment

0-3% U235

10 30% Pu239

Av. neutron energy

~0.025 eV

~100 keV

~ 40,000

~100,000

Neutron flux, n/cm2s

1014

5-10 x 1015

Neutron fluence (max.)

n/cm2

1022

2-10 x 1023

Av. core power density,

W/cm3

~ 40

~ 400

Burnup (MWd/t)

Characteristics of Fast Reactors

Higher fissile material enrichment
Control rod material boron also needs to be
enriched
Higher Neutron Flux Damage
Higher Burn-up Damage
Higher power density Heat transfer
Liquid Sodium as coolant - challenges in maintaining
purity, fire safety to be paid special attention
Can be designed for passive safety

Advantages of Fast Reactors

Ensure effective utilisation of uranium and thorium
resources
Can be designed for passive safety
High burn-up: More than 100000 MWd energy
from one tonne of fuel- Less fuel fabrication,
reprocessing; less volume of waste per MW energy
generated
High temperature of operation as compared to
thermal reactors: better energy efficiency and less
environmental pollution
Less radioactivity discharge to environment

Flow sheet of a Typical Fast Reactor

11

Challenges in Fast Reactor development

Limited international experience (400 reactor years) as
compared to thermal reactors (over 15000 reactor years)
Many countries have discontinued fast reactors.
Very few countries are currently pursuing fast reactors
Fuel Cycle is associated with handling of fuel with high Pu
content; very few countries have had experience with such
fuel cycles, and the details of experience are not shared in
public domain
Limited experience in the country on manufacturing of large
size, intricate components required for FBRs
Need for absorption of changing safety requirements

EBR I: worlds first

nuclear plant to
produce electricity

Fast neutron spectrum

Sodium-potassium coolant
Enriched metallic uranium fuel
Demonstrated the concept of breeding
Decommissioned in 1964

Idaho, 1951

RAPSODIE
(Cadarache, France)
Phnix (France)

Fore runner of Indian FBTR;

40 MWth;
Commissioned in 1967;
shut down in 1983

Rating: 565MWt/255MWe
Coolant: Na
Started in 1973;
shut down in 2009

Chinese Experimental Fast Reactor

(CEFR)
65 MWth; 20 MWe
U,Pu Mixed oxide / enriched uranium oxide fuel
Sodium cooled pool type reactor
Went critical on 21 July 2010

BN-600 (Beloyarsk, Russia)

In operation since 1980
Over 30 years, the reactor has performed with high
availability factors; average 74 %; maximum 84 %

Fast Breeder Reactor and Fuel Cycle Programmes

Fast Reactor Fuel Cycle Facility

FRFCF

FBR I & II (2 x500 MWe)

DFRP

PFBR(500 MWe)
Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor

FBTR
Fast Breeder Test Reactor

MFDR
CORAL

Metal Fuel Demonstration

Reactor

MFBR (1000 MWe)

Metal Fuel Breeder Reactor

Fast Breeder Test Reactor

FBTR, in operation since 1985, is the flagship of IGCAR and is the test bed for fast
reactor fuels and materials and training
ground for operators
The performance of the reactor has been
excellent. The sodium pumps have operated
continuously for over 750,000 hours
Fuel for FBTR: (U0.3Pu0.7)C and (U0.45Pu0.55)C
Such high Pu content fuel has not been used as driver fuel anywhere
in the world
FBTR fuel has set world record for performance (165000 MWd/t)
Such fuel has not been reprocessed anywhere in the world; IGCAR
has developed this technology
The recovered plutonium has been used to refabricate fuel, closing
the fuel cycle

Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor

1250 MWt, 500 MWe, pool type reactor
Fuel: uranium, plutonium mixed oxide with 21/27
% Pu
Coolant: liquid sodium
Control rod material: boron carbide with 65 %
enrichment in B-10
Fuel pins fabricated at AFFF, Tarapur and
assembled at IGCAR
Breeding ratio: 1.06
Fuel cycle to be closed in FRFCF

Current Status of PFBR Project

To be made critical by March 2015

Main vessel

Thermal baffles

Grid plate

Safety vessel

Inner vessel

Roof slab

Manufacturing Technology Development for

PFBR

Components manufactured under technology development exercises

Industries involved in PFBR RA Construction

Sl.no

Components

Industries

Core Subassemblies

NFC, Hydrabad & L&T Hazira

CSRDM & DSRDM

MTAR, Hydrabad

Safety Vessel

L&T (SAS with KRR petals)

Main vessel

L&T (SAS with KRR petals)

Thermal Baffles inc. cooling pipe BHEL, Trichy

Inner Vessel

BHEL, Trichy

Core Catcher

WIL, Walchandnagar

Core Support Structure

WIL,Walchandnagar

Grid Plate

MTAR (Hardfacing by OMPLAS)

10

Primary Pipe

L&T Powai

11

Roof slab

L&T Hazira

12

LRP & SRP

Godrej

13

Control plug

MTAR, Hyderabad

In-sodium Testing of Fuel Handling Machines

PR / PTM Testing
Transfer Arm

Transfer Arm Testing

PTM

IFTM

Grid
plate

REP

Testing for 10 % of total number of cycles

in reactor life.
Operating condition in reactor is simulated
in sodium at 200C & 550C

PR
Liner

Both equipments qualified and delivered to

BHAVINI

Manufacturing Challenges of Steam generators

Critical component since sodium and water
(which can undergo violent chemical reaction
generating high temperature, pressure and
hydrogen) coexists
~550 nos. of 23 long tubes to be welded with
thick tube sheets on either sides with in-bore
welding technique.
Reliability requirement is very high since, this
component decides the plant load factor
Material: G91 ferritic steel (mod. 9 Cr-1Mo)

Testing of PFBR model Steam Generator in Steam Generator Test

Facility
Comparison of PFBR SG and SGTF SG
Features

PFBR SG

SGTF SG

No. of tubes

547

19

Power

157 MWt

5.5 MWt

Steam temperature

493C

493C

Steam pressure

172 bar

172 bar

Material

Mod 9Cr-1Mo

Mod 9Cr-1Mo

Tube diameter

7.2 mm

17.2 mm

Tube thickness

2.3 mm

2.3 mm

Tube length

23 m

23 m

STEAM GENERATOR TEST

FACILITY

Furnace oil fired heater is used in SGTF to heat liquid sodium which in turn
heats water in steam generator to produce high pressure superheated steam.

Experiments completed on SGTF Steam Generator

Evaluation of the heat transfer performance of steam generator
Assessment of sodium flow induced vibration of SG tubes
Experimental evaluation of hydrogen flux diffusion from feed
water to sodium in steam generator
Studies on SG thermodynamic flow instability due to two phase
Performance assessment of thermal baffles during transients
Demonstrating operation of steam generator with a plugged tube
Steam generator endurance test

PFBR SG

Feasibility of using acoustic sensors for SG tube leak detection

SGTF SG

Materials Issues for FBRs

Control Rod Material

Enriched Boron Carbide

Clad material
Performance at high Burn-up
Swelling resitance
Compatibility with coolant and fuel

Fuel material
Thermochemical & thermophysical
properties
Interactions with cladding

Structural Material
Non-replaceable, high performance ,
extended life

Sodium coolant
Fuel-sodium reactions
Transport of activation and
corrosion products
Impurity control and monitoring

Safety
High temperature phenomena

Fuels and Structural Materials in FBRs

HIGH BURN UP ~ 200 GWd/t

ODS
Ferritics

200

HIGH BREEDING RATIO ~ 1.5

Ferritics

TARGET

1.5
1.3

(Oxide + D9)
PFBR
(Carbide +
CW 316 SS)

FBTR

D9

316SS

FBTR

200
40
BURN-UP (dpa)

H
I
G
H

Burn-up (dpa)

BREEDING RATIO

(Metallic Fuels)

LONG PLANT LIFE ~ 100 YEARS

COST COMPARABLE TO FOSSIL POWER

B
R
E
E
D
I
N
G

PFBR

FUTURE

950
900
850

Temperature (K)

Maximum Temperature (K)

1000

ODS
Austenitic
Radiation
Resistance

100

High Temperature
Strength

PH Ferritic/
Martensitic

200
250
150
Neutron Dose (dpa)

Radiation damage studies

400 KV Accelerator

1.7 MV Tandetron accelerator

Accelerator based structural materials

screening is important for identification/
development of void-resistant materials
Simultaneous irradiation of MeV heavy
ions like Ni along with KeV He ions
simulates the damage in materials
similar to neutrons in a reactor.

Variable low energy positron beam for depth

profiling of defects

As the dpa/s is much larger in

Accelerator damage, what happens in
reactor over a few years can be simulated
in a day in an accelerator.

Materials screening - Void swelling and Positron annihilation Studies on

20% CW D9 Alloy with 0.15 Ti (Ti/C =4) and 0.25 Ti (Ti/C =6)
Step-height Swelling studies at 100 dpa

Positron Annihilation studies

Add % CW vs selling i have i ll give this figure

Model alloy without Ti

Ti : 0.15
Ti/C = 4

TiC precipitates

Ti : 0.25
Ti/C = 6

(823K)

(923K)

Step-height measurements provided macroscopic information on swelling

Positron annihilation provides insights at atomistic level with regard to the role of Ti
in solution as well as TiC precipitates.
D9 alloy with Ti/C =6 has lower voidswelling, hence preferred.

J. Nucl. Mater (2008)

Materials Technologies
Excepting a few forgings, all clad and structural
materials for PFBR have been indigenously produced
New stainless steel alloys indigenously developed
upto commercial scale production and fully
characterised with respect to mechanical properties,
irradiation behaviour, weldability, etc.,
Examples: Ti stabilised austentic stainless steel, oxide
dispersion strengthened ferritic martensitic steel;
Advanced welding and inspection techniques
developed
All facilities and techniques developed for Postirradiation studies on materials: unique test
equipment for remote operation

Liquid Sodium : Coolant for FBRs

Na

Advantages
High thermal conductivity
Low M.P (371 K) & High B.P (1156 K)
Low vapor pressures at operating
temperatures
Low density (0.9 g/cc)
Low viscosity
Easy availability

Challenges:
High reactivity
Affinity for oxygen
Violent reaction with water

PFBR uses around 1700

tonnes of sodium

Chemical Sensors for impurities in liquid

sodium
Corrosion of structural steels:
depends on oxygen concentration in
sodium
Hydrogen concentration in sodium: a
sensitive indicator of sodium-water
reaction
Carburisation is detrimental to structural
integrity of steels

Detection of Steam Leak using Hydrogen Sensors

2Na + H2O 2 NaOH + H2

Exothermic rx & highly

corrosive product

Steam leak into sodium releases hydrogen

NaOH + 2 Na Na2O + NaH
H2 + 2 Na 2NaH
NaH + {Na} [NaH]Na

Instantaneous increase
of H level in sodium

Self- propagating in nature

Damages nearby healthy

tubes also

Detection of leak at its

inception essential

pH2 in equilibrium with

sodium:
(pH2)1/2 = CH / k
Continuous monitoring of
hydrogen in sodium needed

Electrochemical Hydrogen Meters: unique sensors

Indigenously developed, not
used elsewhere in the world
Simple, robust and reliable
design; can measure 10 ppb
increase with a background of
50 ppb
Demonstrated in several
facilities in IGCAR including
FBTR
10

Nos. of ECHMs being

tested for use in PFBR

Installed in Phenix Reactor ,

France, in Oct.2007 and
performance tested;

Response to hydrogen
injection into sodium
in phase with
conventional diffusion
based meter

In-sodium Sensors
Mutual Inductance type Leak Detector for
detecting sodium leaks in Main vessel, safety
vessel and double wall pipes of PFBR

Permanent Magnet Flow

Meter for measuring sodium
flow rate at various locations
in PFBR

Sodium Aerosol Detector

for area monitoring of
sodium leak in PFBR
Extended Spark Plug type
Leak Detector for detecting
sodium leak in main and
safety vessels of PFBR
Mutual Inductance type discrete and continuous level probes for sodium level
measurement in various sodium capacities of PFBR

Eddy Current Flow Meter to measure primary discharge flow in PFBR

Fundamental studies towards sodium fire safety

a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)

Sodium spray fires

Sodium pool fires
Sodium cable interaction
Sodium concrete interaction
Sodium water interaction
Sodium steam interaction
Small sodium leaks
Sodium fire extinguishment

a) Small spray fire

Drop combustion

Drop let size distribution

d) Na concrete interaction

MINA: Bench mark sodium fire facility

f) Sodium steam interaction setup

b) Pool fire

e) Sodium water interaction

Innovative
powder

c) Na cable fire

g) Small sodium leak setup

Medium spray fire

Corrosion due to Na leak

h) Nitrogen flooding to
extinguish sodium fire

Important Consequences of a CDA in SFR

Deformations of
vessels

Sodium ejection to
RCB

Post Accident Heat

Removal

CDA: Validation of Numerical Predictions

0 ms

1 ms

2 ms

mm
40
30
20
10

High speed photography

0
0

0.5

1.5

2.5

Time -ms

-10
-20
-30
-40

FUSTIN Prediction

Displacements by FUSTIN for TRIG-II Vessel

Numerical

Experimental

Boron Carbide
Enriched B4C used in fast reactors
as control rod material
FBTR uses boron carbide with 95
% enrichment in B-10
PFBR uses boron carbide with 65
% enrichment
Boron carbide fabricated
indigenously (IGCAR, BARC, HWB,
NFC)

Boron Enrichment

Boron Electrowinning

Boron Deposit

FBR FUEL CYCLE

Closing the fuel cycle is essential

for a sustainable fast reactor
programme

Fast Reactor Fuel Cycle

Closure of Fuel cycle is essential for sustainability of nuclear
power programme: to recover and reuse Pu; to recover bred Pu
for use in future systems; to recover and incinerate minor
actinides
Very limited global experience in reprocessing fast reactor fuels
Usually discouraged because of implications of separation of Pu
Very limited scope for collaboration or information exchange
Reprocessing involves remote handling of highly radioactive fuel
(high burn-up; short cooling) and therefore the technology is
complex and challenging
India has large experience in reprocessing of thermal reactor
fuel and limited experience with fast reactor fuel
Reprocessing of FBTR fuel has yielded valuable experience and
also demonstrated our technological strengths

Adopting closed fuel cycle with fast reactors will also help to
reduce nuclear waste burden.
Natural decay of spent
fuel radiotoxicity

Radiotoxicity of
spent fuel is
determined by FPs
for first 100 years. It
is then determined
mainly by Pu
(>90%). If Pu is
removed, MAs
specially Am (~9%)
determine the rest of
the long term
radiotoxicity.

With early introduction of fast reactors using (U+Pu+Am) based fuel, long term
raditoxicity of nuclear waste will be reduced.
43

Fuel Reprocessing

CORAL facility operation area

Inside view of the process cell

16 Stage Centrifugal Extractor Bank

Mixed carbide fuels with high Plutonium and with a burn-up of 155,000 MWd/t reprocessed
for the first time in the world
Pu recovered used to fabricate fuel; fuel introduced in FBTR to close fuel cycle
Over several campaigns, excellent recovery and decontamination have been achieved, and
waste volumes reduced

Fast Reactor Fuel Cycle Facility

Fast Reactor Fuel Cycle Facility
(FRFCF) is being planned to close
the fuel cycle of PFBR

REACTOR

Financial sanction from cabinet

received in July 2013. Construction
started; project to be completed by
end 2018

CLOSED FUEL
CYCLE
FUEL
ASSEMBLY
PLANT

A unique project of its kind, and

first in India
REPROCESSING
WMP

FUEL & BLANKET PIN PLANT

PLANT

Metal Fuelled FBRs

Metallic fuels offer best performance in terms of

breeding of fissile material: doubling time of the order of
8-10 years can be envisaged as compared to oxide fuel
(around 40 years)

Limited international experience on metal fuelled FBRs,

and especially the fuel cycle

Metal fuels are proposed to be reprocessed by

pyrochemical schemes

India proposes to accelerate the expansion of FBR

programme by establishing metal fuelled FBRs

The first metal fuelled FBR is expected to be set up

around 2030

Metallic Fuel Development

Pin Irradiation
in FBTR
Subassembly
Irradiation in FBTR

Reference compositions:
U-19%Pu-6%Zr (sodium bonded)
U-19% Pu (mechanically bonded / sodium
bonded)

EU-6%Zr sodium bonded fuel pins under

irradiation in FBTR
Substantial Core Metallic
U-Pu-Zr sodium bonded pins fabricated for
Fuel in FBTR
irradiation in FBTR
Experimental
Fast Reactor
Metallic Fuel Design
1000 MWe Units

Physicochemical property measurements and

clad compatibility studies under way
Pyrochemical reprocessing scheme under
development

Pyrochemical processing
Chemical processing at high temperatures eg.
Molten salt electrorefining
Advantages:
Suitable for high burn-up, short-cooled fuels,
especially metallic fuels
Compact plants, less problems of criticality
Minimum or no liquid waste
Complex technology; Limited international
experience

Lab. scale Studies on

Electrorefining and
Consolidation of Cathode
Deposit

Ceramic and Metal

Waste Form
Development

Modelling and Basic

Electrochemical Studies

Engineering Scale
Development of Process
and Equipment

Pyroprocess
activities at
IGCAR

Development of
Materials,
Coatings

Studies on Direct Oxide

Reduction of Actinide
Oxides

Fast Reactor Programme: Indias unique approach and

achievements
Indian has learnt from the problems faced by other countries in establishing
a fast reactor and incorporated appropriate measures
Emphasis on indigenous development has enhanced confidence in Indian
industry, and enabled the establishment of infrastructure and capabilities for
manufacturing of intricate, large components
India is the only country to place a sustained emphasis on closure of fuel
cycle, and develop comprehensive capabilities in all domains
The story of FBTR fuel has shown the resilience of Indian science and
engineering community in responding to international pressures
Full scale engineering tests on crucial components has been an important
confidence-building measure
Emphasis on breeding: unique approach suited for Indian requirement

Studies on novel
Materials

Ion beam simulation

of radiation damage

Computer Simulation

Superconductors
Magnetic Materials
Nano-Materials
Multi-functional Materials
1.7 MV tandem accelerator
Swelling (%)

Basic
Research

D9 alloy
Ti/C 6.75
Ti 0.25
100 dpa

0
450

500

550

600

650

700

Temperature(o C)

Positron Annihilation
Magnetoencephalography and
Cardiography ( MEG & MCG)

Detection of weak
( pico Tesla)
biomagnetic fields

750

800

Summary
DAE has conceived a systematic road map towards
introduction of FBRs to enhance nuclear energy contribution.
The operating experiences of FBTR, design and construction
experience of PFBR, R&D outputs and well planned R&D
activities being carried out for the future SFRs to achieve
targeted economy and safety, provide high confidence on
fulfilling the mission of SFR development.
Even though FBRs constitute a challenging and complex
technology, they have the potential to provide a sustainable
and clean energy source of large size.
Fast Breeder Reactor Programme is an important step for
utilization of the limited resources of uranium and the large
resources of thorium

THANK YOU