07-1-1107-2011
   
 
 

Applied research at NICA in radiation materials sciences, life sciences and new methods of energy production
  

Theme leaders:    O.V. Belov
E.M. Syresin

Participating countries and international organizations:
Armenia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Mexico, Moldova, Russia, South Africa, Uzbekistan.

The problem under study and the main purpose of the research:
Obtaining applied research and technology results within the areas ARIADNA collaborations' activity, including life sciences, biomedical technologies, space research, radiation materials science, radiation hardeness of electronics, development of new technologies for ADS using NICA beams.

Projects in the theme:
  Name of the Project Projects Leaders Project Code
1. ADSR S.I. Tyutyunnikov
M. Paraipan		 07-1-1107-1-2011/2027
       
Projects:
  Name of the Project Projects Leaders  Status
Laboratory                                                         Responsible from laboratories
1. ADSR S.I. Tyutyunnikov
M. Paraipan
Realization
VBLHEP,FLNP, DLNP, FLNR, BLTB, LRB see list of activities
 
 
 Brief annotation and scientific rationale:
 
The project  is aimed to determine the optimum beam-converter combination meant to optimize the efficiency of an accelerator driven subcritical reactor. The planned research will be oriented in two directions. The first involves the comparative study of the fission distribution and the energy released in enriched fuel blanket, irradiated with proton beams with energy 0.2-2 GeV and ion beams with masses until 20Ne and energies in the interval 0.2 -1 AGeV. The second consists in measurements of the neutron yield from various converters, irradiated with proton and ion beams.

A possibility to realize a nuclear system with increased burning capabilities is to use an accelerator driven subcritical reactor (ADSR). It consists of a particle accelerator coupled with a nuclear reactor. The particle beam striking a converter placed in the central part of the reactor realizes a supplementary source of neutrons which allows the functioning of the reactor in subcritical regime (with criticality coefficient keff below 0.99), ensuring a safer exploitation of nuclear plants. The harder neutron spectrum obtained ensures a better incineration of the actinides.

In spite of the almost generalized opinion that the optimal beam for ADS is a proton beam with energy around 1–1.5 GeV we have shown in a series of works that ion beams have a superior energetic efficiency than protons. The activities within the project are oriented towards searching the conditions which maximize the energy efficiency of ADSR and ensure high burnup. Within the previous years, aspects related with the core geometry, the material used for the converter, the fuel composition, the working value of keff, the enrichment and power density distribution were investigated. The influence of the beam characteristics (particle type, energy, beam intensity), and of the accelerator type were also studied. The main conclusions obtained constitute the bases for  extending the project in accordance with the stated objectives.

The proposed graphite target “GAMMA4” with fuel rods inserted inside and a central hole for the placement of different converters allows a correct comparison between the number of fissions and the energy released realized with proton and ion beams. The use of a graphite block instead of Pb gives the possibility to diminish the necessary amount of fissile material due to the softer neutron spectrum. Such target is easier to manipulate (due to its lower weight) and cheaper. The proposed graphite target "GAMMA4" is suitable for a comparative study of the efficiency of various beams in terms of the possibility of their use in ADS.

Expected results upon completion of the project: 

  1. Selection ofon an optimal design of a target of the ADS;
  2. Verification of a principally new concept of a system based on the use of ion beams instead of protons;
  3. Implementation of the first stage of experimental programme focused on measurement of neutron yields with different converter combinations.
Expected results of the project this year:
  1. Determination of the optimal target design for the ADS.
  2. Obtaining simulation results on the optimal design of the target for ADS.

Activities:
  Name of the activity Leaders
Status
Laboratory (Responsible from laboratories)  
1. R&D within the research topics of the ARIADNA collaborations: experiments in space research, life sciences, biomedical technologies, materials sciences and structure
of matter, radiation hardening
of electronics and advahced
nuclear physics technologies
 O.V. Belov
S.I. Tyutyunnikov
Data taking
Data analysis
VBLHEP   O.V. Belov, E.M. Syresin, S.I. Tyutyunnikov, Yu.A. Murin, S. Ceballos S., A. Rodriguez, A.A. Slivin, V.N. Shalyapin, V.A. Artyukh, M.S. Novikov, I.I. Maryin, I.A. Kryachko, A.V. Rogachev, V. Dzhavadova, Yu.S. Kovalev,
Z. Sadygov, N.E. Pukhaeva, G.I. Smirnov
DLNP G.V. Mitsyn, K.V. Belokopytova, A.V. Agapov, A.V. Rzyanina, V.I. Stegailov, S.V. Shvidkiy, A.G. Molokanov
FLNR P.Yu. Apel, A.N. Nechaev, A.N. Osipov
FLNP M.V. Bulavin
BLTP V.A. Osipov
2. R&D on optimization of methods for irradiating samples of various types; development of the supporting equipment for ARIADNA target stations. Development of laboratory
areas  for deployment
of the user equipment
 O.V. Belov
Realization
VBLHEP O.V. Belov, M.S. Novikov, E.S. Matyukhanov,
A.V. Shemchuk
DLNP G.V. Mitsyn, K.V. Belokopytov
3. Upgrade of spectrum-analitical
complex for activation
measurements		 V.N. Shalyapin
V.I.Stegaylov
Realization
VBLHEP I.A. Kryachko, E.V. Strekalovskaya, Toan Tran Ngor
DLNP V.I. Stegaylov
4. Software development and dosimetric calculations for ARIADNA experiments. Simulation of radiation conditions at the NICA complex

 M. Paraipan
R&D
VBLHEP M. Paraipan, V. Javadova, O.V. Belov, Chan Ngoc T., A.A. Slivin
LRB A.V. Chizhov
5. Study of the radiation effects and superconducting properties of 2nd generation HTSC tapes. Development of magnetic and cryogenic HTSC systems for experimental facilitues M.S. Novikov
S.I. Tyutyunnikov

R&D
VBLHEP M.S. Novikov, E.S. Matyukhanov, A.V. Shemchuk, Yu.P. Filippov
FLNP A.N. Chernikov
6. Organization and maintenance of the user program ARIADNA. Development of ARIADNA collaborations O.V. Belov
Realization
VBLHEP O.V. Belov, S.I. Tyutyunnikov, M.S. Novikov, M. Paraipan, Yu.A. Tsaplina
 
 Collaboration
Country or International Organization City Institute or laboratory
Armenia Yerevan CANDLE
    YSU
Belarus Minsk INP BSU
    ISEI BSU
    JIPNR-Sosny NASB
Bulgaria Plovdiv MUP
Mexico Mexico City INCan
Moldova Chisinau MSU
Russia Dolgoprudny MIPT
  Dubna BSINP MSU
    IAS "Omega"
    IPTP
  Moscow "Kvant-R"
    FMBC
    IBMP RAS
    ICP RAS
    IGIC RAS
    ITEP
    JIHT RAS
    NNRU "MEPhI"
    SINP MSU
  Obninsk NMRRC
  Puschino ITEB RAS
  St. Petersburg SPbSU
  Tomsk TPU
  Vladikavkaz NOSU
South Africa Somerset West iThemba LABS
  Stellenbosch SU
Uzbekistan Tashkent INP AS RUz