IFMIF-DONES Users Workshop (on-line)

26 sept 2022, 8:45 → 27 sept 2022, 20:00 Europe/Madrid

Angel Ibarra (CIEMAT), Wojciech Krolas (IFJ PAN Kraków), Tonci Tadic (Ruder Boskovic Institute)

The engineering design of the IFMIF-DONES facility is nearing its completion and the start of the construction activities is expected soon. To better prepare for the scientific opportunities offered at the new facility we are calling this First IFMIF-DONES Users Workshop.

The workshop will be held on-line as a virtual event.

Key objectives of the Workshop are to identify new ideas that could still be implemented in the design of the facility, review the priorities of the irradiation programme, as well as to build up an IFMIF-DONES user´s community for fusion and non-fusion related applications.

Proposed topics:

1. Current status of IFMIF-DONES design and the construction and commissioning plan.
2. Definition of pre-DONES activities: irradiation database and technologies to be developped before using the facility.
3. Roadmap of material qualification for DEMO at IFMIF-DONES.
4. High Flux Test Module: structural materials irradiation needs for fusion applications including planning of sample loads and their post irradiationr exploitation.
5. Other irradiation modules to be placed in the high-flux radiation environment.
6. Opportunities for the production of radioisotopes at DONES.
7. Collimated neutron beam facility, proposed experiments and operation mode.
8. Implementation of a neutron time-of-flight facility at DONES - feasibility evaluation and experimental opportunities.
9. Any other possible experiments.

We kindly invite you to send abstracts and contribute to the discussion. The program will be composed of a small number of key-note talks to introduce the proposed topics along with a number of contributed presentations selected based on submitted abstracts. Participation of young researchers is encouraged. The authors of posters will be invited to present short 3 minute flash talks to present their contributions. Abstracts are due before July 15th, 2022.

More detailed information along with a schematic program of the meeting will be distributed by July 15, 2022.

The discussion and conclusions of the meeting will be compiled and published as a report.

We are looking forward to your contributions and participation.

Best regards,

Angel Ibarra, Wojciech Królas, Tonci Tadic

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Acknowledgement

This work has been carried out within the framework of the EUROfusion Consortium, funded by the European Union via the Euratom Research and Training Programme (Grant Agreement No 101052200 — EUROfusion). Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them

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Abstract template 1.docx

lunes, 26 de septiembre

1 Inauguration of the meeting - Regional Goverment of Andalucia

Ponente: Pablo Cortes (Secretario General de Investigación e Innovación de la Junta de Andalucia)

2 Inauguration of the Meeting - Ministry of Science, Spain

Ponente: Jose Ignacio Doncel (Ministry of Science, Spain)

3 Current status of IFMIF-DONES project and planned implementation

Ponente: Angel Ibarra (IFMIF-DONES)

220926DONESUpdate-v1.pptx

4 Planned experimental areas, general capabilities and limitations

Planned experimental areas, general capabilities and limitations of Test Systems Area of IFMIF-DONES

S. Becerril1, J. Castellanos2, C. Meléndez3, A. Zsákai4, D. Oravecz4, T. Dézsi5, R. Michalczyk6, Ł. Ciupiński6, U. Wiacek7, A. Kurowski7, A. Talarowska8, G. Galazka8, R. Prokopowicz8, R. López9, C. Prieto9, I. Podadera10,11, F. Arbeiter12, D. Bernardi13, W. Krolas7, A. Ibarra10,11.

1. Univ. of Granada, Granada, Spain
2. INAIA, Univ. of Castilla-La Mancha, Toledo, Spain
3. ESTEYCO S.A. Company, Madrid, Spain
4. Center for Energy Research, Budapest, Hungary
5. C3D Engineering Ltd, Budapest, Hungary
6. Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
7. Institute of Nuclear Physics PAN, Krakow, Poland
8. National Center for Nuclear Research, NCBJ, Otwock-Swierk, Poland
9. Empresarios Agrupados International, EAI, Madrid, Spain
10. Consorcio IFMIF-DONES España, Granada, Spain
11. Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas, CIEMAT, Madrid, Spain
12. Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, KIT, Karlsruhe, Germany
13. ENEA Brasimone, Camugnano, Italy

The Test Systems area is a fundamental part of the IFMIF-DONES facility since it will be the area where the fusion and non-fusion related experiments will take place.

As general capabilities three planned spaces or experimental areas are currently expected: 1) The Test Cell, 2) the room 160, located just behind the Test Cell (downstream the neutron beam direction) and connected by a neutron line with the Test Cell, and 3) the room 026, underneath the accelerator room.

First, the Test Cell is the special room considered as the core of the facility, inside which, fusion-like neutrons will be produced at the highest fluxes up to 1-5x1014 n/cm2/s [1]. The Test Cell will house the Start Up Monitoring Module that will be used to characterize the neutron flux during the commissioning of the facility. In a later stage, the Test Cell will house the High Flux Test Module which will be located in the highest neutron flux area with the purpose of irradiating the samples of materials (e.g. Eurofer steel) at conditions similar to those expected in DEMO reactor.

Although the current baseline design is mainly focusing on the irradiation of Eurofer inside the HFTM, the possibility of irradiating other materials such as tungsten and copper is also considered upon demand from material science community [2]. In addition, the Test Cell should also potentially provide enough flexibility to incorporate other modules inside it [2] such as Tritium Release Test Module, Creep-Fatigue Test Module among others. Finally, the Test Cell design should also be potentially compatible with the future presence of the two accelerators in the facility (IFMIF configuration).

Second, the room 160 just behind the Test Cell will be provided with neutrons delivered directly from the Test Cell by means of an appropriate neutron beam line penetrating the Test Cell shielding wall plus a neutron beam shutter. Fundamental studies, material and biological sciences, neutron radiography and tomography or radioisotope production for nuclear medicine are some of the activities to be expected in this room [3]. Within the top-level requirements for room 160 is not to interfere with the main experiments conducted in the Test Cell and allow in-person accessibility while Test Cell is in operation.

Third and finally, below the accelerator line, another space is available inside the room 026 that potentially will receive a small fraction of the deuteron beam at 40 MeV to conduct irradiation experiments or to be used for a secondary neutron source, to be designed, covering broad areas of technological and scientific knowledge.

Acknowledgements: This work has been carried out within the framework of the EUROfusion Consortium, funded by the European Union via the Euratom Research and Training Programme (Grant Agreement No 101052200 — EUROfusion). Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them.

References:
[1] Y. Qiu, F. Arbeiter, U. Fischer, F. Schwab, IFMIF-DONES HFTM neutronics modeling and nuclear response analyses, Nuclear Materials and Energy 15 (2018) 185-189.
[2] F. Arbeiter, E. Diegele, U. Fischer, A. Garcia, A. Ibarra, J. Molla, F. Mota, A. Möslang, Y. Qiu, M. Serrano, F. Schwab, Planned material irradiation capabilities of IFMIF-DONES, Nuclear Materials and Energy 16 (2018) 245-248.
[3] J. Hirtz, A. Letourneau, L. Thulliez, A. Ibarra, W. Krolas, A. Maj, Neutron availability in the Complementary Experiments Hall of the IFMIF-DONES facility, Fusion Engineering and Design 179 (2022) 113133.

Ponentes: Santiago Becerril-Jarque (UGR), Jesus Castellanos (uclm)

20220926_First DONES Users Workshop_IFMIF_DONES capabilities for exp.pptx

5 Roadmap of material qualification for DEMO

Ponente: Gerald Pintsuk (FZ Juelich)

Roadmap of material qualification for DEMO-v1.0.pdf

6 Strategy for the construction of irradiation database of structural materials in fusion in-vessel components

Japan's strategy for structural material development for DEMO reactors is the staged approach, focusing on the development of reduced activation ferritic/martensitic (RAFM) steel F82H (Fe-8Cr-2W-V, Ta), which is the main optional material for in-core structures [1]. Full qualification of RAFM steel F82H to be used as fusion in-vessel structural materials in a “real” fusion environment of high-dose 14 MeV fusion neutron irradiation and high heat flux from the fusion plasma, as well as high magnetic fields of up to 10 T to confine the plasma, can only be achieved through actual DEMO service. Therefore, the goal of irradiation database construction up to the third decision point (decision of DEMO construction) should be the construction of irradiation database by fission neutron irradiation up to the critical condition where the 14 MeV fusion neutron irradiation effect is expected to be different from the fission neutron irradiation effect [2]. This assumption of criticality conditions must be verified, especially first for material property changes that may affect the safety strategy of the fusion reactor. This is a short-term goal for the D-Li neutron source (A-FNS) until DEMO operation begins and is an important step toward the initial design final verification of the DEMO in-vessel structures and approval of DEMO operation.
The A-FNS high flux test module must be designed to meet these requirements, of which the reliability of irradiation temperature is the most important requirement; the HFTM design of the A-FNS is aimed at meeting such requirements. Further development of the irradiation database is necessary in parallel with the DEMO operation in order to obtain the authorization to expand the DEMO operation limit step by step. The expansion of the irradiation database by A-FNS is expected to meet the irradiation up to the dose preceding the DEMO operation limit, which will enable to get extensive authorization for the DEMO operation.
References:
[1] T. Muroga and H. Tanigawa, Fusion Sci. Tech. 72 (2017) 389-397
[2] H. Tanigawa, E. Gaganidze, et.al., Nucl. Fusion 57 (2017) 092004

Ponente: Hiroyasu Tanigawa (National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology)

IFMIF-DONES Users WS_QST_Tanigawa_final.pdf

7 Existing irradiation data and its validation, extension and assessment of neutron spectrum effects

Ponente: Michael Rieth (KIT)

IFMIFMIF-DONES-USER-WORKSHOP_2022_Rieth_uploaded.pdf

8 Development and validation of SSTT towards standardization

Ponente: Marta Serrano Garcia (CIEMAT)

IFMIF-DONES Users Workshop (on-line).pdf

9 The MYRRHA-MINERVA project

The MINERVA project is currently designing/constructing a 100MeV, 4mA proton, super-conducting linac at the Belgian nuclear research center SCK CEN.
Once operational, it will be used to demonstrate compliance to the extraordinarily high operational reliability requirements. These are imposed by its expected future role as the first part of the MYRRHA Accelerator Driven System (ADS), where a 600MeV linac will deliver beam into a sub-critical nuclear reactor to demonstrate transmutation of nuclear waste.
It will also deliver beam to two target facilities: One is dedicated to fusion material research and the other one is an ISOL facility dedicated to production of novel radio isotopes and fundamental RIB research.
This contribution will give an overview of the projects objectives, status and future plans.

Ponentes: Ulrich Dorda (SCK CEN), Adrian Fabich (SCK CEN)

2022-09-26 - The MYRRHA-MINERVA project.pdf

10 Proton irradiation for pre-sampling of IFMIF-DONES experiments

R. Rayaprolu1, I. Spahn2, D. Höschen1, S. Möller1, Ch. Linsmeier1
1 Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institut für Energie- und Klimaforschung - Plasma physik, 52425 Jülich, Germany
2 Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institut für Neurowissenschaften und Medizin -Nuklearchemie, 52425 Jülich, Germany

In the first wall, the neutrons create a combination of knock-on displacement damage, and a material composition change through transmutation damage. Consequently, the first-wall materials are required to withstand a great degree of damage during their lifetime and require extensive testing for post-irradiation performance. Presently material irradiation testing is undertaken in fission test reactors. However, a thermal neutron spectrum induces a distinctively different damage composition as compared to fusion neutrons and a significant difference is foreseen in the threshold reactions, of (n,2n), (n,α) and (n,p), which require high energy neutrons. Due to their higher energy, fusion neutrons are expected to induce higher quantities of He and H in EUROFER 97 as compared to fission reactors.
16 - 30 MeV protons can induce a combination of displacement and transmutation damage on first-wall fusion reactor materials. FISPACT-II simulations performed for a 30 MeV proton irradiation on EUROFER 97 show similar He transmutation ratio as fusion reactors. Additionally, a macroscopic range of damage of up to 1 mm without implantation is achieved using 30 MeV proton irradiation of EUROFER 97.
In this contribution, the FISPACT-II simulated energy damage scans for 16 – 30 MeV protons on EUROFER 97 will be presented and initial results from pilot irradiations using puzzle type samples containing 3 mm disks and a tensile test sample will be shown. An outlook of the planned irradiation matrix will be presented.

Acknowledgements
This work has been carried out within the framework of the EUROfusion Consortium, funded by the European Union via the Euratom Research and Training Programme (Grant Agreement No 101052200 — EUROfusion). Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them.

Ponente: Rahul Rayaprolu (FZ Julich)

Rayaprolu_IFMIFworkshop.pdf

11 Irradiation capabilities at the IFMIF-DONES HFTM

Ponente: Frederik Arbeiter (KIT)

2022_09_ARBEITER_Dones-User-WS_HFTM-Irradiation_Cap.pdf

12 Irradiation Plans for Various Fusion Materials using A-FNS

The fusion neutron source A-FNS, whose engineering design is under consideration by QST of Japan, is planned to implement various experiments for fusion reactor candidate materials. A-FNS is a fusion neutron source using d-Li reaction as in IFMIF-DONES, and its neutron generation intensity is comparable.
In addition to irradiation test of reduced activation ferritic steel (F82H) in the A-FNS, irradiation tests will be conducted for the blanket pebble-packing vessel composed of the ceramic breeder materials and neutron multipliers based on beryllium, and the tritium recovery on-line experiment is planned in the A-FNS. This on-line experiment is important for a more detailed evaluation of the tritium recovery performance of the DEMO blanket.
Irradiation test plans for measurement and control devices for JA-DEMO fusion reactor are also under consideration based on the neutronics analysis. The irradiation tests are proposed to verify these equipment functions. Some kinds of cable insulation properties, window materials, and detectors for the plasma diagnostics will be mainly candidate for the neutron irradiation tests. In addition to the above, the A-FNS has been proposed as an experimental target for the activated corrosion production of candidate steel materials with high temperature pressure water by neutron irradiation field.
In this workshop, detail irradiation conditions of the above irradiation test plan by the A-FNS, will be presented.

Ponentes: Kentaro Ochiai (QST), Satoshi Sato, Masayuki Ohta and Saerom Kwon (Department of Fusion Reactor Materials Research Rokkasho Fusion Institute, Fusion Energy Directorate National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Japan)

1st_IFMIF-DONES_WS.20220912.draft_KOI.r2.pdf

13 Material irradiation performance and key nuclear responses of IFMIF-DONES test system

The mission of the IFMIF-DONES facility is to provide irradiation data for the construction of a DEMO fusion power plant. It is a deuterium-lithium (d+Li) neutron source driven by a deuteron accelerator (40 MeV and 125 mA) striking at the liquid Li target and producing neutrons through stripping reactions. The neutrons provide high damage doses on material samples located in the High Flux Test Module (HFTM) - the only test module with material irradiation capabilities. It aims to provide material irradiation data up to 20 DPA (displacement per atom, Norgett, Robinson and Torrens model) for the DEMO starter blankets within two years, and >50 DPA for the second phase blanket with additional irradiation.
This work presents the irradiation performance of HFTM in terms of neutron fluence, damage doses, gas productions and more. The irradiation volume of the HFTM for the required damage dose rate has been evaluated under different beam footprint dimensions. The enhancement of the irradiation performance by beam profile optimization is achieved through a multi-parameters iterative process. In addition, the potential use of the IFMIF-DONES target back-plate as material samples will be presented. With these results and discussions, the material irradiation performance of the IFMIF-DONES test system will be summarized.

Ponente: Yuefeng Qiu (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology)

YQU_IFMIF-DONES_user_workshop_v0.2.pdf

14 Summary of other irradiation modules proposals made in DONES PreP project

Ponente: Frederik Arbeiter (KIT)

2022_09_ARBEITER_Dones-User-WS_Other_Irrad_Modules_DONES-PreP.pdf

martes, 27 de septiembre

15 PRISMAP - The European medical radionuclides programme

PRISMAP is a consortium of large scale facilities which deliver non-conventional radionuclides for the medical research. It receives funding from the European Commission and provides radionuclides for medical research teams in preclinical and clinical research.
Our facilities include different high power cyclotrons, nuclear reactors, and isotope mass separators which allow to provide a range of theranostics (diagnostic+treatment) isotopes in high molar activity grades.
Research projects include preclinical studies, radiobiology dosimetry,Auger electron emission, development of techniques.
Future major isotope produciton facilities have also been integrated from the onset of the program, such as SPES in Italy,JHR reactor in France, Myrrha in Belgium.
An overview of the project and some information on the medical programme will be provided.

This project has received funding from the European Commision H2020 under grant #101008571 (PRISMAP). prismap.eu

Ponente: Thierry Stora (CERN)

PRISMAP_IFMIF_Dones_Sept2022.pptx

16 Perspectives for radioisotope production at DONES

The International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility - Demo Oriented NEutron Source (IFMIF-DONES) is a single-sited novel Research Infrastructure for testing, validation and qualification of the materials to be used in a fusion reactor. IFMIF-DONES was declared ESFRI facility (European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures) and its European host city would be Granada (Spain) [1]. IFMIF-DONES will be based on the neutron production by means of high current 40 MeV deuteron beam impacting on a Lithium jet target. The neutrons produced will be similar to the neutrons in the future DEMO fusion reactor [2].
In spite the first and most important application of IFMIF-DONES related to characterization of materials for fusion technology, the unprecedented neutron flux available could be exploited without modifying the routine operation of DONES. Thus, it is already planned an experimental hall for other applications. This experimental hall will be connected to the Test Cell by a collimator at present under designed. The Test Cell is the bunker where the materials for fusion will be irradiated, thus, the area with the highest neutron flux.
Possible outstanding results could led to a modification of the Test Cell or a new deuteron line. One of these applications is the production of radioisotopes for nuclear medicine. IFMIF-DONES could be a facility delivering important quantities of medical radioisotopes taken advantage of the high neutron flux at the Test Cell [2] or a new deuteron line. This could help IFMIF-DONES to be more sustainable facility [3].
In this work, we will present the first results of the production of 99Mo/99Tc and 177Lu at IFMIF-DONES with realistic samples of MoO3 and 176Yb2O3 as the one used at present in nuclear reactors. In case of 177Lu, the production by deuteron irradiation on176Yb2O3 lead to the same products that the neutron capture on 176Yb which is the most desirable route. In case of 99Mo/99Tc the production is also comparable with the production in medium reactors.
99Mo/99Tc is the most used radioisotope in nuclear medicine. Hospitals have suffered several problems of 99Mo/99Tc supply due to stops in the few nuclear reactors where is produced worldwide. The last one in Spain occurred in March 2022. 177Lu is the radioisotope with the highest growth due to its outstanding properties for diagnosis and therapy of several tumors. 177Lu could be produced in significant quantities at IFMIF-DONES as complementary production to reactors. This is an important objective of the nuclear facilities with direct application to the society. In addition, the nuclear medicine radioisotope market reached 10 billion€ in 2017 and it is expected to grow 12.3% until to 2023 whereas periods of shortage on the production are foreseen [4]. Facilities as ISOLDE-CERN are already supplying them for hospitals. New accelerator-based neutron facilities could also take advantage of this application.

References:
[1] http://www.roadmap2018.esfri.eu/projects-and-landmarks/browse-the-catalogue/ifmif-dones/.
[2] W. Królas et al., The IFMIF-DONES fusion oriented neutron source : evolution of the design, Nucl. Fusion (2021) https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-4326/ac318f.
[3] J. Praena et al., Radioisotope production at the IFMIF-DONES facility. EPJ Web of Conferences 239, 23001 (2020). Invited Talk ND2019 Beijin (China). https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202023923001.
[4] https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/eu-may-face-shortage-key-materials-diagnostics-cancer-treatments-2021-12-07/

Ponente: Javier Praena (UGR)

JPraena DONES-1st.UsersMeeting-JPraena.pdf

17 Radioisotope Production Module for Mo-99 in A-FNS

Radioisotope Production Module for Mo-99 in A-FNS

M. Ohta, S. Kwon, M. Oyaidzu, S. Kenjo, K. Ochiai, S. Sato
National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Rokkasho, JAPAN

We have conducted design activities of Advanced Fusion Neutron Source A-FNS. The main purpose of the A-FNS is to perform irradiation tests for fusion materials. The A-FNS is also expected to be used as its applications in the medical, industrial, and basic research fields, taking advantage of the large amounts of neutrons. One of the applications is medical radioisotope (RI) production such as Mo-99. Mo-99 is the parent nuclide of Tc-99m, which is used in the nuclear medicine diagnosis. Mo-99 for the medical use is usually produced by using fission of uranium in fission reactors. In Japan, all the Mo-99 is imported from foreign countries. Domestic production of Mo-99 has been demanded because supply disruptions occur by accidents for transportation or shutdown of the fission reactors. We have been investigating the production of Mo-99 by using ¹⁰⁰Mo(n,2n)⁹⁹Mo reaction with high energy neutrons in the A-FNS [1-4]. The conceptual design of RadioIsotope Production Module (RIPM) has been reported [5]. The RIPM equips with an own transportation system of irradiation samples for the production of Mo-99. We plan to transport them horizontally between an irradiation test cell and a lateral access cell without stopping a deuteron beam. The irradiation samples need to be put in and out frequently and quickly even during an irradiation phase for fusion material tests because of the short half-life of Mo-99 (66 hours). The RIPM has been designed considering gas cooling for nuclear heating and reduction of radiation streaming through a duct of the RIPM. We have performed nuclear analyses to verify that the A-FNS has an enough potential to produce Mo-99 with the RIPM (173 TBq/week) over its demand in Japan (84 TBq/week) by using MCNP code. Not only its quantity but also the quality for medical use is an important issue on the production of Mo-99. Since only Tc-99m, which is produced by decay of Mo-99, can be applied for medical use, radionuclidic purity of Tc-99m is severely required, which is 0.05% in United States Pharmacopoeia [6]. Other Tc isotopes except Tc-99m could be a problem after chemical separation. From the inventory calculation results by using FISPACT code, we have figured out the proper cooling time to be able to control the amounts of the Tc isotopes and meet the medical demand. It has been clarified that the Mo-99 supply by using the A-FNS is feasible.

Acknowledgements
Parts of the numerical calculations were performed on the ICE X in JAEA and the JFRS-1 at IFERC-CSC in QST.

References:
[1] M. Ohta et al., Trans. At. Energy Soc. Japan, 17 (2018) 18 [in Japanese].
[2] M. Ohta et al., Nucl. Mater. Energy, 15 (2018) 261.
[3] M. Ohta et al., Fusion Eng. Des., 146 (2018) 207.
[4] M. Ohta et al., Fusion Eng. Des., 157 (2020) 111632.
[5] M. Ohta et al., Fusion Eng. Des., 168 (2021) 112591.
[6] Future supply of medical radioisotopes for the UK report 2014, British Nuclear Medicine Society and Science & Technology Facilities Council (2014).

Ponente: Masayuki Ohta

DONES_WS_mohta_r2.pdf

18 Pathways to medical isotope production for a given flux

IFMIF-DONES will be a world leading, high flux, neutron source facility and it's main application will be to model the material damage for a DEMO-type reactor. Further to this the facility has the potential to produce important medical isotopes.
When a facility has be finalised, a key problem is how to identify what medical isotopes, for available targets, can be produced.
Transmutation, which produces medical isotopes, can be represented as graphically, showing the pathways to production.
Instead of randomly sampling the space of targets to identify which nuclei can be produced, we propose a truncated graph approach. Where the truncated graph is derived from the adjacency matrix composed of the collapsed cross sections with a given flux - such as the IFMIF-DONES flux. This will produce a truncated graph which will identify nuclei which could potentially be produced at a given facility.
We will present the derivation of such a graph, and identify key features of its topology.

Ponente: David Foster (UKAEA)

DFoster pathways_to_medical_isotope_production.pdf

19 NFS facility at GANIL/SPIRAL2: scientific program, technical solutions and operation

The neutrons for science (NFS) is the running facility of SPIRAL-2 located at GANIL (France). It provides intense neutron beams in the 1-40 MeV range, produced by the interaction of proton or deuteron beams, delivered by the LINEAR accelerator of SPIRAL-2, with lithium or beryllium converters. The intense neutrons flux available and the large time-of-flight area make NFS a perfect facility for fast neutron induced reaction studies. Large number of physics cases will be studied at NFS, from fundamental research to industrial applications. NFS received its first beam in December 2019 and the commissioning started in the fall of 2020 with proton beams. The first experiments are being carried out between October and December 2021. After a description of the facility, the main characteristics of NFS will be presented. Then physics cases studied at NFS and some of the already performed experiments will be presented.

Ponente: Xavier Ledoux (Ganil)

Ledoux IFMIF-NFS.pdf

20 Analysis of capabilities of the collimated neutron beam facility at IFMIF-DONES

Ponente: Alain Letourneau (CEA)

ALetourneau IFMIF-DONES_first_user_workshop_Letourneau.pdf

21 Neutrons supply to the IFMIF-DONES Complementary Experiments Room through the neutron tube and neutron beam shutter

As a complementary purpose of materials irradiation, a collimated neutron beam from the IFMIF-DONES Test Cell (TC) will be supplied to Complementary Experiments (CER) for the users to conduct a variety of neutronics experiments. This work includes the results of the neutronic modeling and analyses of the neutron tube and the Neutron Beam (NB) shutter with the open and closed design configurations of the NB shutter. Methodologically, the modeling has been assisted with the SuperMC code [1] for CAD-to-MCNP model conversion. The neutron and photon radiation transport has been performed by the McDeLicious-17 code package – an MCNP source extension that simulates the deuteron-lithium (d-Li) nuclear reactions. The neutron cross-sections library FENDL-3.1d has been used in calculations. The neutronics results were normalized to a 125 mA deuteron beam of 40 MeV deuterons impinging the lithium target. Neutrons born in TC were collimated by the neutron tube and NB shutter to enter CER by passing through the 6.4-m thickness of the removable biological shielding blocks (RBSB) and bucket made of heavy and ordinary concrete as reported in [2]. Correspondence to the radiation zoning of the rooms around TC has been checked and confirmed that the TC bucket made of ordinary concrete satisfies the planned zoning, in some cases with a safety factor. When the neutron beam passes through the open shutter, the Dose Rate (DR) in the CER exceeds 100 mSv/h. Therefore, for the open NB design, CER is classified as the Red (forbidden) radiation zone. By closing the NB shutter, DR in CER drops lower than 1 mSv/h, allowing set CER to the Yellow (limited regulated) radiation zone defined by the DR in the range (10 < DR <1000) microSv/h. Neutron fluxes and neutron energy spectra have been compared with the neutronics results presented in the work [3].
Additionally, this work includes neutronics analyses for the polyethylene (PE) moderator installed in CER at a 10-cm distance from the open central channel of the NB shutter. Maps of total neutron flux and broad energy groups have been calculated for the PE moderator and open NB shutter.

References:
[1] Y. Wu, “Multi-functional Neutronics Calculation Methodology and Program for Nuclear Design and Radiation Safety Evaluation”, Fusion Science and Technology 74 (2018) 321-329.
[2] A. Serikov et al., “ENS-2.2.4.1-T013-03: Performance and optimization analyses for the TC and surrounding rooms as requested for systems design updates and specific evaluations”, WPENS Technical Meeting #13 Neutronics Session, 9 June 2022, Granada, Spain.
[3] J. Hirtz et al., “Neutron availability in the Complementary Experiments Hall of the IFMIF-DONES facility”, Fusion Engineering and Design 179 (2022) 113133, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fusengdes.2022.113133

Ponente: Arkady Serikov (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT))

Neutrons_supply_to_CER_Workshop.pptx

22 Biological applications at DONES: fast neutron effects in biological samples

Ponente: Ignacio Porras

Porras_DONES.pdf

23 Conceptual design of the neutron line and shutter between the Test Cell and the Facilities for Complementary Experiments.

The conceptual design of neutron beam shutter and neutron beam channel has been proposed as one of the subtasks of the Test Systems task in the DONES project partially funded by the Horizon Europe Program. The neutron beam channel and the shutter enable the neutrons produced in the lithium target in the Test Cell, which is the heart of the IFMIF-DONES facility, to reach the Facility for complementary experiments. Within the scope of the preparation of the conceptual design are the neutron shutter thickness definition and selection of the shielding materials based on the neutronic analysis made in collaboration with KIT and IPPLM. A study of the thermal loads and temperature field in the Neutron beam channel and neutron shutter was prepared. Furthermore, the assembly procedure of the neutron beam shutter with the definition of the existing systems interfaces were studied and recognized. As a result, the neutron beam line will be collimated initially by a 3.5 m long zirconium neutron beam channel then the neutron beam will enter the neutron beam shutter. The shutter consists of five rotating discs which provide enough shielding to cut off the beam and allows workers and scientists to enter the Facility for Complementary Experiments - room 160 safely. From the functional point of view, the shutter has three states: it can be fully close while the beam is cut off from the R160, open – when the beam enters the room through the channel formed by the orifices in the five discs, and the transitional stage where it is being closed and opened. The fifth disk has a dedicated place for filters and moderators which can be easily adapted for each experiment.

Ponentes: Rafal Prokopowicz (NCBJ), Anna Talarowska (NCBJ)

NBT and shutter - DONES 1st UW.pdf

24 Implementation of a neutron time-of-flight facility at DONES, proposal of the Spanish Nuclear Physics Group

Ponente: Daniel Cano Ott (CIEMAT)

2022-02-21 IFMIF DONES users workshop v2.pdf

25 Perspectives for neutron scattering techniques at DONES

In the recent years, various neutron research reactors have closed, reducing the access of scientists to neutron facilities to perform neutron scattering experiments in Europe. The Institut Laue-Langevin, the world leading reactor of its kind, key for the neutron scattering community is also expected to close by the end of this decade. The European Spallation Source (ESS) should start operating in 2025 and be fully operational by 2028, though its capacity will not cover the space left by the closed facilities [1]. For this reason, there is currently an effort to develop new Compact Accelerator-driven Neutron Sources (CANS).

The International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility - Demo Oriented NEutron Source (IFMIF-DONES) is a single-sited novel Research Infrastructure for testing, validation and qualification of the materials to be used in a fusion reactor. IFMIF-DONES was declared ESFRI facility (European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures) and its European host city would be Granada (Spain) [2]. IFMIF-DONES will be based on the neutron production by means of high current 40 MeV deuteron beam impacting on a Lithium jet target. The neutrons produced will be similar to the neutrons in the future DEMO fusion reactor [3].

Besides the primary goal of IFMIF-DONES related to the evaluation and selection of materials for fusion technology, the unprecedented neutron flux available could be exploited without modifying the routine operation of DONES. To this aim, there is a planned experimental hall for other applications next to the Test Cell, that is surrounded by large shielding walls. The experimental hall would profit from the high neutron flux by means of a duct connecting it to the Test Cell, where the materials for fusion will be irradiated as it is located in front of the neutron source.

One of the possible complementary applications at IFMIF-DONES is neutron scattering experiments. These techniques use neutrons as a probe matter and its properties, ranging from solid state, crystalline structures and magnetic materials to polymers and more complex biological compounds as proteins or even viruses. Different types of instruments allow to study the structure and dynamics of materials in a very broad range of lengths and time scales. The settling of a suite of neutron scattering instruments at IFMIF-DONES will contribute to ease this current and future demand of neutron facilities for the multidisciplinary field of users of the neutron scattering techniques.

In this work, we will present the preliminary results of moderating systems and possibilities to develop a set of neutron scattering instruments. This will be done for the experimental hall for other applications taking advantage of the neutron flux from the Test Cell through the duct. Also some investigations on the separate neutron production using a new deuteron line, that could profit from a different beam time structure. We will compare with the instruments at current and near-future facilities as ILL and ESS.

References:
[1] ESFRI Physical Sciences and Engineering Strategy Working Group - Neutron
Landscape Group, Neutron scattering facilities in Europe: Present status and future perspectives (2016) https://europeanspallationsource.se/sites/default/files/files/document/2017-09/NGL_CombinedReport_230816_Complete%20document_0209-1.pdf
[2] http://www.roadmap2018.esfri.eu/projects-and-landmarks/browse-the-catalogue/ifmif-dones/.
[3] W. Królas et al., The IFMIF-DONES fusion oriented neutron source : evolution of the design, Nucl. Fusion (2021) https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-4326/ac318f.

Ponentes: P. Torres-Sánchez (UGR), Javier Praena (UGR)

Torres NS_IFMIFDONES_IUserWorkshop.pdf

26 Complete vision of complementary experiments at IFMIF-DONES - a summary review

Ponente: Adam Maj

Maj_IFMIF-DONES_User_Worksho_Sept2022.pdf

27 Preliminary Safety Assessment of Complementary Experiments for the IFMIF-DONES facility

A series of Complementary Experiments in the IFMIF-DONES facility that could be of interest for the Scientific Community were proposed within the DONES-PREP FP8 EC project. Such experiments would profit from two eventual experimental areas used for this purpose: (i) the room R160, adjacent to the Test Cell and connected with it by a duct through which neutrons would be extracted and collimated, and (ii) the room R026, below the Accelerator Vault, where pulsed deuterons beams would be sent by a dedicated deflection of the main beam line. The current proposals comprise a variety of research areas such as neutron imaging, neutron activation analysis for nuclear physics, radiation resistance tests, slow neutrons scattering, research by use of cold neutrons, radionuclides production, and neutron medical applications. In this presentation, a preliminary and qualitative assesment of the safety implications of the proposed experiments will be shown. The output of the assesment will be a first categorization of the current experimental proposals based on the complexity of their implementation from the safety point of view, taking into account both internal aspects and interface implications for the general plant design. Therefore, this assessment will be used to identify in advance main safety aspects like new hazards introduced (radiological and non-radiological), as well as to highlight the safety functions that should be pursued for their eventual implementation.

Ponente: Claudio Torregrosa Martín (UGR)

Preliminary Safety Assessment of Complementary Experiments for the IFMIF-DONES facility.pptx

28 General discussion

Steps to be made to establish a users community and a dedicated system for the users' communication and access to the facility and approach to make preliminary decisions on wich ones of the different proposals should be included in the presently going-on engineering design

Ponentes: Angel Ibarra (IFMIF-DONES), Tonci Tadic (Ruder Boskovic Institute)