An ADS irradiation facility for fast and slow neutrons

2^nd International Conference on Atomic and Nuclear Physics

November 08-09, 2017 | Las Vegas, USA

F Panza, W Borreani, G Firpo, G Lomonaco1, M Osipenko, G Ricco, M Ripani and C M Viberti

Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Italy
Ansaldo Nucleare, Italy

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Astrophys Aerospace Technol

Abstract :

A conceptual design of a flexible Accelerator Driven System (ADS) based irradiation facility with fast neutrons inside the core and slow neutrons were performed, starting from the pubblication �Influence of reflector materials and core coolant on the characteristics of accelerator driven systems" in which we studied the physical principles of the light materials insertion in a fast reactor. By using the MCNP-6 code, a fast reactor core was studied, driven by a 1-mA beam of 70-MeV protons impinging on a beryllium (Be) target (producing about 8x1014 n/s), fueled by MOX (0.29 wt% Am, 21.71 wt% Pu, 78 wt% DU), embedded in a solid lead matrix together with water pipes for cooling. A mixed reflector composed by three concentric cylindrical layers of diffusing and moderating materials (lead + graphite + lead) surrounds the core. In the ADS layout three irradiation channels were included, with different neutron spectra to perform measurements out of the reactor. Finally the effect of a simple reactor shielding was considered and a preliminary thermal-hydraulics analysis of the system was performed. As possible applications, a few specific gamma spectroscopy measurements on Long Lived Fission Products (LLFP) and Actinides in various ADS positions (in-core, out-of-core and using the irradiation channels) were simulated, corresponding to different neutron spectra, as well as a few in-core irradiations with different kinds of test fuel pins. The production rates for some radioisotopes used in nuclear medicine were also evaluated.