Radiological consequences of a bounding event sequence of Advanced Fusion Neutron Source (A-FNS)

Abstract

Advanced Fusion Neutron Source (A-FNS) [11] is an accelerator-based neutron source utilizing Li(d,xn) nuclear stripping reactions to simulate D-T fusion neutrons for testing and qualifying structural and functional materials of fusion reactor components, which is to be constructed at the Rokkasho site of National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Japan, in the near future. The purpose of the study reported here is to demonstrate the ultimate safety margins of A-FNS in the worst case of release of radioactive materials outside the A-FNS confinement system. For this purpose, we analyzed a ‘bounding event’ postulated in A-FNS. The postulated event sequence consists of fire of the purification system of the liquid Li loop during the maintenance, of mobilization of the tritium and 7Be, which are the impurities of the loop, and of the entire loss of confinement of the radioactive materials. We have calculated the early doses to the public due to the release of the tritium and 7Be source terms to the environment. The UFOTRI/COSYMA simulations have been performed considering the site boundary of 500m away from the facility. The obtained results indicate that the early dose is below the level that requires the emergent public evacuation. Such results demonstrate that the A-FNS complies with the defined safety objective against its radiation hazard. The simulation results suggest that the inherent, ultimate safety characteristic found by this study may assist a licensing process for installation of A-FNS.