Perspectives of research and development of accelerator-driven system in Kyoto University Research Reactor Institute

Abstract

The experimental studies on the accelerator-driven system (ADS) are being conducted for the basic research of nuclear transmutation analyses with the combined use of the core at the Kyoto University Critical Assembly (KUCA) and the fixed-field alternating gradient (FFAG; 100 MeV protons) accelerator, in the Kyoto University Research Reactor Institute. The ADS experiments with 100 MeV protons were carried out to investigate the neutronic characteristics of ADS, and the static and kinetic parameters were accurately analyzed through both the measurements and the Monte Carlo simulations of reactor physics parameters. An upcoming ADS at KUCA could be composed of highly-enriched uranium fueled and Pb–Bi zoned core, and the conversion analyses (237Np and 241Am) of nuclear transmutation could be conducted in ADS (hard spectrum core) at KUCA. Also, thermal hydraulics of liquid Pb–Bi are expected to be examined with the use of Pb–Bi test loop and test facilities for the investigation of Pb–Bi liquid characteristics from the viewpoints of single-phase heat transfer and two-phase flow.