In this thesis, the feasibility to use sodium cooled fast reactors loaded with MOX, metallic and nitride fuels for efficient transmutation of americium is investigated by performing transient analysis for cases with different americium contents in fuels, using safety parameters obtained with the SERPENT Monte Carlo code. It was then demonstrated that there is no solid limit for the Am introduction into oxide, metallic and nitride fuels that were loaded into sodium fast reactors. Instead, higher Am contents could be permitted if specific levels of power penalty were accepted. Transient analysis of a new Accelerator Driven System design with higher neutron source efficiency than the reference EFIT-400 design, was also performed. Based on simulation results, the suggested ADS design was proved to survive the full set of transients, preserving 130 K margin to cladding rupture during the most limiting transient. After comparing Am transmutation performances in SFRs and the suggested ADS, it can be concluded that: 1. Nitride fuel could provide the highest Am transmutation efficiency, when loaded into SFRs; 2. One SFR loaded with nitride fuel is sufficient to transmute Am inventory produced by more than 15 commercial LWRs within the same time period, which is three times higher than the supporting ratio reported for the suggested ADS; 3. The total fraction of ADS power in the power park is half of cases for critical reactors. / QC 20120201

Neste trabalho apresentamos um estudo das reações nucleares de alta energia que são fundamentais na definição do termo fonte dos reatores nucleares subcríticos acionados por fonte externa. Estas reações nucleares, também conhecidas como \"spallation\", consistem na interação de hádrons de alta energia com os núcleons do núcleo atômico. A fenomenologia destas reações consiste em duas etapas, sendo que à primeira, o próton interage através de espalhamentos múltiplos, em um processo denominado cascata intra-nuclear seguido da etapa na qual o núcleo excitado oriundo da cascata intranuclear ou evapora partículas de forma a atingir estados energéticos moderados ou fissiona, em um processo conhecido como competição entre evaporação e fissão. Neste trabalho os principais modelos nucleares, os modelos de Bertini e Cugnon, são revistos, pois estes modelos são fundamentais para propósito de projeto devido à falta de dados nucleares avaliados para estas reações. A implementação e validação dos métodos de cálculo para o projeto destas fontes são realizadas. A implementação da metodologia é realizada utilizando o programa MCNPX ( \"Monte Carlo N-Particle eXtended\"), dedicado para cálculos de transporte destas partículas e a validação é realizada mediante uma cooperação internacional junto a um projeto coordenado de pesquisa da Agencia Internacional de Energia Atômica e trabalhos disponíveis. O objetivo é qualificar os cálculos relacionados às reações nucleares e os canais de desexcitação envolvidos. O CRISP, um código nacional para a descrição da fenomenologia das reações envolvidas, também foi estudado e os modelos implementados no código foram revistos e melhorados de forma a dar continuidade ao seu processo de qualificação. Devido às limitações dos principais modelos na descrição de produção de nuclídeos leves, a reação de multi-fragmentação foi estudada. As discrepâncias nos cálculos de produção destes nuclídeos são atribuídas à falta do canal de multi-fragmentação estatística do núcleo. A implementação deste canal foi realizada para a aplicação em reações de altas energias junto ao código CRISP de forma a reproduzir a produção de nuclídeos leves, bem como sua validação mediante a comparação com dados experimentais disponíveis para este fenômeno, obtendo com isso uma melhor reprodução de todo o espectro de produção de nuclídeos do processo. / This work presents a study of high energy nuclear reactions which are fundamental to dene the source term in accelerator driven systems. These nuclear reactions, also known as spallation, consist in the interaction of high energetic hadrons with nucleons in the atomic nucleus. The phenomenology of these reactions consist in two step. In the rst, the proton interacts through multiple scattering in a process called intra-nuclear cascade. It is followed by a step in which the excited nucleus, coming from the intranuclear cascade, could either, evaporates particles to achieve a moderate energy state or ssion. This process is known as competition between evaporation and ssion. In this work the main nuclear models, Bertini and Cugnon are reviewed, since these models are fundamental for design purposes of the source term in ADS, due to lack of evaluated nuclear data for these reactions. The implementation and validation of the calculation methods for the design v of the source is carried out to implement the methodology of source design using the program MCNPX (Monte Carlo N-Particle eXtended), devoted to calculation of transport of these particles and the validation performed by an international cooperation together with a Coordinated Research Project (CRP) of the International Atomic Energy Agency and available jobs, in order to qualify the calculations on nuclear reactions and the de-excitation channels involved, providing a state of the art of design and methodology for calculating external sources of spallation for source driven systems. The CRISP, is a brazilian code for the phenomenological description of the reactions involved and the models implemented in the code were reviewed and improved to continue the qualication process. Due to failure of the main models in describing the production of light nuclides, the multifragmentation reaction model was studied. Because the discrepancies in the calculations of production of these nuclides are attributes to the lack of reaction channel and the implementation of this channel was carried out for applications in high energy reactions with the CRISP code to reproduce the production of light nuclides, as well, as its validation by comparison with experimental data available for this phenomenon. Thus, obtaining a better reproduction of the whole spectrum of production of nuclides in the process.

Neste trabalho apresentamos um estudo das reações nucleares de alta energia que são fundamentais na definição do termo fonte dos reatores nucleares subcríticos acionados por fonte externa. Estas reações nucleares, também conhecidas como \"spallation\", consistem na interação de hádrons de alta energia com os núcleons do núcleo atômico. A fenomenologia destas reações consiste em duas etapas, sendo que à primeira, o próton interage através de espalhamentos múltiplos, em um processo denominado cascata intra-nuclear seguido da etapa na qual o núcleo excitado oriundo da cascata intranuclear ou evapora partículas de forma a atingir estados energéticos moderados ou fissiona, em um processo conhecido como competição entre evaporação e fissão. Neste trabalho os principais modelos nucleares, os modelos de Bertini e Cugnon, são revistos, pois estes modelos são fundamentais para propósito de projeto devido à falta de dados nucleares avaliados para estas reações. A implementação e validação dos métodos de cálculo para o projeto destas fontes são realizadas. A implementação da metodologia é realizada utilizando o programa MCNPX ( \"Monte Carlo N-Particle eXtended\"), dedicado para cálculos de transporte destas partículas e a validação é realizada mediante uma cooperação internacional junto a um projeto coordenado de pesquisa da Agencia Internacional de Energia Atômica e trabalhos disponíveis. O objetivo é qualificar os cálculos relacionados às reações nucleares e os canais de desexcitação envolvidos. O CRISP, um código nacional para a descrição da fenomenologia das reações envolvidas, também foi estudado e os modelos implementados no código foram revistos e melhorados de forma a dar continuidade ao seu processo de qualificação. Devido às limitações dos principais modelos na descrição de produção de nuclídeos leves, a reação de multi-fragmentação foi estudada. As discrepâncias nos cálculos de produção destes nuclídeos são atribuídas à falta do canal de multi-fragmentação estatística do núcleo. A implementação deste canal foi realizada para a aplicação em reações de altas energias junto ao código CRISP de forma a reproduzir a produção de nuclídeos leves, bem como sua validação mediante a comparação com dados experimentais disponíveis para este fenômeno, obtendo com isso uma melhor reprodução de todo o espectro de produção de nuclídeos do processo. / This work presents a study of high energy nuclear reactions which are fundamental to dene the source term in accelerator driven systems. These nuclear reactions, also known as spallation, consist in the interaction of high energetic hadrons with nucleons in the atomic nucleus. The phenomenology of these reactions consist in two step. In the rst, the proton interacts through multiple scattering in a process called intra-nuclear cascade. It is followed by a step in which the excited nucleus, coming from the intranuclear cascade, could either, evaporates particles to achieve a moderate energy state or ssion. This process is known as competition between evaporation and ssion. In this work the main nuclear models, Bertini and Cugnon are reviewed, since these models are fundamental for design purposes of the source term in ADS, due to lack of evaluated nuclear data for these reactions. The implementation and validation of the calculation methods for the design v of the source is carried out to implement the methodology of source design using the program MCNPX (Monte Carlo N-Particle eXtended), devoted to calculation of transport of these particles and the validation performed by an international cooperation together with a Coordinated Research Project (CRP) of the International Atomic Energy Agency and available jobs, in order to qualify the calculations on nuclear reactions and the de-excitation channels involved, providing a state of the art of design and methodology for calculating external sources of spallation for source driven systems. The CRISP, is a brazilian code for the phenomenological description of the reactions involved and the models implemented in the code were reviewed and improved to continue the qualication process. Due to failure of the main models in describing the production of light nuclides, the multifragmentation reaction model was studied. Because the discrepancies in the calculations of production of these nuclides are attributes to the lack of reaction channel and the implementation of this channel was carried out for applications in high energy reactions with the CRISP code to reproduce the production of light nuclides, as well, as its validation by comparison with experimental data available for this phenomenon. Thus, obtaining a better reproduction of the whole spectrum of production of nuclides in the process.

Afin d'étudier la faisabilité de la technologie ADS (« Accelerator Driven System ») pour la transmutation des déchets hautement radiotoxiques le projet MYRRHA (« Multi-purpose hYbrid Research Reactor for High-tech Applications ») a pour objectif la construction d'un démonstrateur de réacteur hybride (50 à 100 MWth). Pour cela le réacteur sous-critique nécessite un accélérateur de forte puissance délivrant un faisceau continu de protons (600 MeV, 4mA), avec une exigence de fiabilité très élevée. La solution de référence retenue pour cette machine est un accélérateur linéaire supraconducteur. Ce mémoire de thèse décrit le travail de recherche - entrepris depuis octobre 2008 à l'IPN d'Orsay - portant sur la conception et la mise au point d'un module supraconducteur et des systèmes de régulation associés à sa cavité accélératrice, pour la partie haute énergie de l’accélérateur. Dans un premier temps, le design et l’optimisation de cavités accélératrices 5-cellules (β=0,65), fonctionnant à la fréquence de 704,4 MHz, sont présentés. Ensuite, la partie expérimentale se concentre sur l’étude de fiabilité du « cryomodule » prototype accueillant une cavité elliptique 5-cellules (β=0,47). Au cours de cette étude on s’est notamment attaché à mesurer et à caractériser le comportement dynamique du système d’accord. Les problématiques de maintient du « plat de champ » dans les cavités multi-cellules « bas béta » ont aussi été mises en évidence. Enfin, une analyse sur la tolérance aux pannes de l’accélérateur linéaire a été menée. Dans ce but, une modélisation de la cavité, de sa boucle de régulation RF (radiofréquence) et de la boucle de contrôle de son système d'accord, a été développée afin d'étudier les comportements transitoires de cet ensemble. Cette étude a permis de chiffrer les besoins en puissance RF et les performances requises du système d’accord et de démontrer la faisabilité d’un réglage rapides des cavités supraconductrices afin de minimiser le nombre d’arrêts faisceau dans le linac de MYRRHA. / The MYRRHA ( Multi-purpose hYbrid Research Reactor for High-tech Applications ) project aims at constructing an accelerator driven system (ADS) demonstrator (50 à 100 MWth) to explore the feasibility of nuclear waste transmutation. Such a subcritical reactor requires an extremely reliable accelerator which delivers a CW high power protons beam (600 MeV, 4 mA). The reference solution for this machine is a superconducting linear accelerator. This thesis presents the work - undertaken at IPN Orsay in October 2008 - on the study of a prototypical superconducting module and the feedback control systems of its cavity for the high energy part of the MYRRHA linac. First, the optimization and the design of 5-cell elliptical cavities (β=0,65), operating at 704.4 MHz, are presented. Then, the experimental work focuses on a reliability oriented study of the “cryomodule” which hold a prototypical 5-cell cavity (β=0,47). In this study, the dynamic behavior of the fast tuning system of the cavity was measured and qualified. The “field flatness” issue in “low beta” multi-cell cavity was also brought to light. Finally, a fault-tolerance analysis of the linac was carried out. Toward this goal, a model of the cavity, its RF feedback loop system and its tuning system feedback loop was developed. This study enabled to determine the RF power needs, the tuning system requirements and as well as to demonstrate the feasibility of fast fault-recovery scenarios to minimize the number of beam interruptions in the MYRRHA linac.

This master’s thesis deals with usage of burn-up (spent) nuclear fuel in nuclear power plants of next generation – accelerator driven transmutation plants which is produced in current nuclear power plants. This system could significantly reduce the volume of dangerous long-lived radioisotopes and moreover they would be able to take advantage of its great energy potential due to fast neutron spectrum. In the introduction are listed basic knowledge and aspects of spent nuclear fuel along with its reprocessing and the possibility of further use while minimizing environmental impact. As another point detailed description of accelerator driven systems is described together with its basic components. In addition this search is followed by individual chronological enumeration of projects of global significance concerning their current development. Emphasis is placed on SAD and MYRRHA projects, which are used like base for calculations. This last, computational part, deals with the creation of the geometry of subcritical transmutation reactor driven by accelerator and subsequent evaluation which assembly is the most effective for transmutation and energy purposes along with changing of target, nuclear fuel and coolant/moderator.