The FP7 Central Design Team Project: towards a fast-spectrum Transmutation experimental Facility

摘要

SCK'CEN in association with 18 Europeans partners from industry, research centres and academia, responded to the second FP7 (Framework Programme) call from the European Commission to establish a Central Design Team for the design of a FAst Spectrum Transmutation Experimental Facility (FASTEF) able to demonstrate efficient transmutation and associated technology through a system working in subcritical and/or critical mode. The proposal prepared by the consortium coordinated by SCK'CEN has been accepted for funding and the project has started on April 01st, 2009 for a period of three years.As a further upgrade of the existing XT-ADS design, performed from 2005 to 2009 in the frame of an FP6 project, based itself on the SCK·CEN MYRRHA 2005 design and described in a companion paper, FASTEF is proposed to be designed to an advanced engineering level for decision to embark for its construction at the horizon of 2012-2013 with the following objectives: to be operated as a flexible and high-flux fast spectrum irradiation facility, to be an experimental device to serve as a test-bed for transmutation (by demonstrating the ADS technology and the efficient transmutation of high level waste) and finally to contribute to the demonstration of the Lead Fast Reactor technology without jeopardizing the two above objectives.The work of the Central Design Team (CDT) has been organised in four technical work packages: definition of specifications, design in sub-critical and critical mode, plant requirements and finally key issues towards realisation. As the first work package, devoted to the FASTEF specifications, has occurred in the first months of the project, this paper is dedicated to a detailed presentation of its conclusions.