Future R&D programs using Monju

もんじゅを利用した研究開発計画

此村 守; 一宮 正和; 向 和夫

Konomura, Mamoru; Ichimiya, Masakazu; Mukai, Kazuo

もんじゅにおける研究開発及びこれに関連する研究開発について、2025年ごろまでの長期研究開発計画と、今後5年程度の具体的な研究開発内容とをまとめ、もんじゅを利用した研究開発計画の概要を広く国内外に公表する。本研究開発計画は、もんじゅの安全・安定運転による運転経験の蓄積,もんじゅのデータによる解析コードの検証、及び将来の照射施設に向けた準備を行うことを目的としている。これらの成果は実証炉の設計・運転に活用される。

Japanese prototype fast breeder reactor, Monju, will soon restart. Monju has three sodium loops with steam generators and a turbin-generator, 280 MWe. Monju is expected to demonstrate the sodium technology and the sodium-water heat exchange technology in Japan. It will be operated at full power operation during around 10 years after restart in order to accumulate operation & maintenance experience and to evaluate its design technology. After the system start-up test (SST), Monju will be operated under full power. In this stage, the main object of Monju operation will be to achieve its initial targets which were fixed when its construction was decided around thirty years ago. The targets are to demonstrate a safe and reliable operation, that is, accumulation of the operation & maintenance experience and evaluation of the design technology, and to establish sodium handling technology. For example, inspection and diagnosis technologies are important for maintenance of a sodium cooled reactor. An out-of-pile sodium test facility will be constructed near Monju in order to make many tests of inspection devices and research many chemical tests. At the same time, the activities for the performance improvement, for example, a new licence, will be prepared in order to utilize Monju as a R&D facility. After the accumulation of operating experience, Monju will be enhanced the performance as a R&D facility in order to demonstrate innovative technologies, for example, irradiation of advanced fuel, longer operation cycle, higher burnup. For this purpose, Monju will be needed to get a new licence and core modification. And Monju on-site non-destructive Post Irradiated Evaluation facility will be expected at this stage. There were many R&D works in Japan with sodium out-of-pile facilities. All the experience were reflected in the design of Monju. Monju will demonstrate a handling of sodium technologies under power plant operation.