Conceptual Design of a New Homogeneous Reactor for Medical Radioisotope Mo-99/Tc-99m Production

Peng Hong LIEMa, Hoai Nam TRANb, Tagor Malem SEMBIRINGc and Bakri ARBIEd
Nippon Advanced Information Service (NAIS Co., Inc.) Scientific Computational Division, 416 Muramatsu, o!aimura, I"ara!i, #apan " C$almers %niversit& of ec$nolo'&,Dept. of Applied ($&sics, Div. of Nuclear )n'ineerin', S)*41+ ,6 -ot$en"ur', S.eden c National Nuclear )ner'& A'enc& (/A AN), Center for 0eactor ec$nolo'& and Nuclear Safet&, 1a.asan (uspipte!, Serpon', an'eran' Selatan, /anten, Indonesia d ( M2 A/ ec$nolo'&, 1edo&a )lo! (la3a /lo! DA 1+, #l. (an4an', 1e"un #eru!, #a!arta /arat, Indonesia Abstract To partly ol!e t"e global and regional "ortage o# Mo$%% &pply, a concept&al de ign o# a nitrate$#&el$ ol&tion ba ed "omogeneo& reactor dedicated #or Mo$%%'Tc$%%m medical radioi otope prod&ction i propo ed( T"e modi#ied LE) *intic"em proce #or Mo$%% e+traction ,"ic" "a been licen ed and demon trated commercially #or decade by BATAN i taken into acco&nt a a key de ign con ideration( T"e de ign c"aracteri tic and main parameter are identi#ied and t"e ad!antageo& a pect are "o,n by comparing ,it" t"e BATAN- e+i ting Mo$%% &pply c"ain ,"ic" & e a "eterogeneo& reactor .RSG GAS m&ltip&rpo e reactor/( !e"words# "omogeneo& reactor, Mo$%%'Tc$%%m medical radioi otope, nitrate #&el ol&tion, concept&al de ign(
a

$NTR%D&CT$%N
Since t"e end o# 0112, "ortage o# Mo$%% &pply occ&rred repeatedly d&e to e!eral independent "&tdo,n and o&tage e+ten ion o# ma3or prod&cing reactor 45, 06( Since t"e e ma3or prod&cing reactor , i(e( BR$0, H7R, 8SIRIS, NR) and SA7ARI$I, co!ered %1 9 to %: 9 o# t"e total global &pply o# Mo$%% .e timated to be %,111 to 51,111 ;$day *i',eek/, t"e impact "a been e!ere not only #or de!eloped co&ntrie b&t al o #or de!eloping co&ntrie ( To ec&re t"e dome tic .Indone ia/ and regional .So&t" Ea t A ia/ Mo$%% &pply, t"ere are at lea t t,o option ( T"e #ir t option i by increa ing t"e prod&ction capacity o# t"e e+i ting BATANMo$%% &pply c"ain( T"e &pply c"ain operated by BATAN con i t o# <1 M= Reaktor Serba G&na G(A( Si,abe y .RSG GAS/ m&ltip&rpo e reactor #or target irradiation, lo, enric"ed &rani&m .LE)/ target preparation #acility, proce or #acility #or Mo$%% e+traction .ba ed on t"e LE) modi#ied *intic"em proce 4<6 ,"ic" "a been ac>&ired, licen ed and demon trated commercially #or decade /, and Tc$%%m generator man&#act&ring #acility( )nder t"e reported nominal prod&ction capacity o#

5:1 ;$day *i',eek, BATAN i operating t"e #acilitie to meet t"e dome tic demand a ,ell a e+port demand to A ian co&ntrie &c" a ?ietnam, Banglade " etc( T"e term @nominalA a &me t"e reactor i operated at <1 M=t" #or 05 ,eek in a year #or m&ltip&rpo e re earc" and !ario& irradiation acti!itie ( In t"e pre ent ,ork, ,e cond&cted an a e ment to increa e t"e &pply c"ain ,"ere all t"e irradiation po ition o# RSG GAS are #&lly &tiliBed ,"ile till meeting all a#ety and operating limit o# t"e reactor and t"e coolability o# t"e LE) target ."o,e!er ot"er irradiation acti!itie may not be cond&cted/( )nder t"i ma+im&m prod&ction mode, t"e capacity can be ma+imiBed only &p to 02: ;$day *i',eek #or 05 ,eek in a year, i(e( 3& t 5(C time t"e nominal capacity( T"e re>&ired )$0<: #or LE) target and #or #&el element are 1(;0 and C(D kg per year, re pecti!ely( T"e LE) target po,er i aro&nd C< k= and it ratio to reactor po,er i le t"an 1(< 9 ,"ic" "o, t"e ine##icient &tiliBation o# )$0<: and t"e re &lting large amo&nt o# radioacti!e ,a te( T"e econd option i to introd&ce a ne, reactor dedicated #or Mo$%% prod&ction and in t"e pre ent ,ork ,e propo e a nitrate$#&el$ ol&tion ba ed "omogeneo& reactor #or t"e #ollo,ing rea on E .5/ no need o# prod&ction and tran portation co t #or LE) target , .0/ a red&ction o# #i ion prod&ct ,a te by e!eral order o# magnit&de #or t"e ame peci#ic acti!ity o# Mo$%%'Tc$%%m prod&ct, .</ a red&ction o# )$0<: re>&irement o# t"e ame order compared ,it" t"e c&rrent re earc" reactor , .D/ minimal lo e #rom Mo$%% decay by contin&o& e+traction o# Mo$%%, .:/ !ariable reactor po,er ba ed on demand and t"e po ibility #or mod&larity, and .;/ "ig" a#ety c"aracteri tic in term o# trong negati!e temperat&re and !oid reacti!ity o# t"e core( In t"e ne+t ection, ,e report t"e on$going concept&al de ign ,ork, c"allenge and #&t&re ,ork (

A N'( H%M%)'N'%&* R'ACT%R D'*$)N Design Considerations and Main Parameters

T"e &ndergoing ,ork on t"e concept&al de ign o# a ne, "omogeneo& reactor "a identi#ied t"e #ollo,ing main de ign con ideration and parameter "o,n in Table 5(
TA+,' Main de ign parameter o# t"e "omogeneo& reactor Design Parameter -alue Constraint T"ermal po,er .k=/ per mod&le to be optimiBed F <11 Po,er den ity .k='L/ 5G0 F 0(: 7&el ol&tion )80.N8</0 G )$0<: enric"ment .,'o/ 5%(2: F 01(1 )rani&m concentration .g)'L/ 011 G <11 F :11 *oncentration o# HN8< .mol'L/ 1(5 G 1(: G Initial )$0<: .kg/ <G: G A!erage #&el temperat&re .*/ C1 F 511

A already mentioned be#ore, in electing t"e ol&tion #&el #or t"e "omogeneo& reactor ,e trongly con idered t"e mat&red tec"nology #or c"emically proce ing t"e

LE) target .LE) modi#ied *intic"em proce /( *on e>&ently, t"e )8 0.N8</0 .&ranyl nitrate/ ba ed #&el ol&tion i elected( T"i type o# #&el ol&tion "a ome ad!antageo& c"aracteri tic &c" a good ol&bility, ea ier i otope e+traction and #&el ol&tion p&ri#ication( *ompared to t"e &ranyl &lp"ate ba ed #&el ol&tion, t"e radiation tability o# &ranyl nitrate ba ed ol&tion i needed attention ince N0 i prod&ced d&ring reactor operation in t"e rate o# appro+imately 0(: mL'k=(min 4D6( T"e amo&nt o# )$0<: re>&ired #or initial loading and #or &b e>&ent compen ation o# )$0<: depletion determine t"e #&el co t o# t"e reactor( A #or t"e )$0<: enric"ment, t"e LE), i(e( 5%(2: ,'o, i c"o en #or n&clear ec&rity and proli#eration rea on ( T"e &rani&m concentration o# t"e #&el ol&tion ,a optimiBed and ,e #o&nd t"at t"e minimal re>&irement #or t"e initial critical loading ,o&ld lie ,it"in 011 to <11 g )'L .c#( 7ig&re 5/( =it"in t"i range o# &rani&m concentration, t"e amo&nt o# )$0<: #or #ir t criticality o# t"e core i le t"an < kg( =e al o "a!e con#irmed t"at, ,it"in t"i range, t"e temperat&re and !oid reacti!ity coe##icient are all negati!e( All ne&tronic analy e .criticality, kinetic parameter , #eedback coe##icient n&clear tran m&tation/ ,ere cond&cted & ing SRA*011; cell calc&lation code 4:6, M?P contin&o& energy Monte *arlo code 4;6 bot" ,it" HENIL$<(< ba ed librarie , IANTSJS ne&tron tran port code 426 and 8RIGEN$0(0 code 4C6 ,it" dedicated librarie to obtain acc&rate n&clear tran m&tation re &lt ( T"e 8RIGEN librarie ,ere prepared & ing ne&tron pectra o# t"e targeted reactor ,"ere t"e preparation proced&re i de cribed in detail in Re#erence 4%6( T"e e timated po,er den ity limit .0(: k='L/ 4D6 i e+pected to be a ma3or a#ety de ign con traint( In order to ac"ie!e a certain prod&ction capacity, t"e reactor po,er may be #reely determined to ome e+tent by ad3& ting t"e ol&tion !ol&me(
Uranium Concentration (25" gU/ L )
8.0 7.0 6.0 5.0

4.5 4.0 3.5 3.0 2.5 2.0

4.0 3.0

"#t$%al Ra&'e

-2 ) g k ( s a M 5 3

U l a c t i r C

2.0

) y g a h l / 1 ( m u r t c e p S
Water Reflected (MVP) Bare (SRAC)
100 200 300 400 500 600

1.5 1.0 0.5 0.0 1.0E 05

1.0 0.0

Uranium Concentration (g U/ L)

1.0E 03

1.0E 01

1.0E!01

1.0E!03

1.0E!05

1.0E!07

nergy (e!)

.$)&R' / Ne&tronic analy e re &lt .le#tE critical )$0<: ma #or bare and ,ater re#lected cylindrical core ,"ere core diameter i e>&al to core "eig"tK rig"tE ne&tron pectr&m at &rani&m concentration o# 0:1 g )'L/(

Comparison wit0 R*) )A* 1Heterogeneous Reactor2

T"e Mo$%% radioi otope prod&ction capacity o# t"e "omogeneo& ol&tion reactor depend almo t linearly on t"e reactor t"ermal po,er( A mentioned abo!e, t"e t"ermal po,er and po,er den ity o# t"e reactor are not #i+ed or optimiBed yet in t"i tage b&t t"ermal "ydra&lic a#ety and operational con traint are e+pected to limit t"e t,o parameter (

8ne e+ample i gi!en "ere #or compari on ,it" t"e pre!io& mentioned RSG GAS &nder ma+im&m prod&ction mode ,"ere t"e reactor t"ermal po,er i et to abo&t C< k= in order to "a!e t"e ame prod&ction capacity( 8&r analy i a &me t"at a#ter Mo$%% i otope i e+tracted #rom t"e y tem, t"e re& able #&el ol&tion i p&mped back to t"e reactor a#ter cleaning &p proce ( It "o&ld be noted t"at t"e a!ailability o# t"e "omogeneo& reactor i al o a &med to be identical ,it" RSG GAS .05 ,eek in a year or appro+imately D1 9/( 7or t"i a!ailability #actor, t"e ann&al )$0<: re>&irement #or compen ating )$0<: depletion i only aro&nd : g'y( 7or t"e ame prod&ction capacity o# Mo$%% t"e RSG GAS a a "eterogeneo& reactor re>&ire more t"an t,o order larger amo&nt o# )$0<: #or LE) target not incl&ding t"e re>&irement #or t"e #&el element ( In addition, t"e RSG GAS & ing LE) target prod&ce t"e ame order larger radioacti!e ,a te #or t"e ame prod&ction capacity, and almo t all )$0<: are incl&ded in t"e ,a te( Not depending on t"e type o# reactor, #or t"i prod&ction capacity, in t"e Mo$%% proce ing ide, t"e pre ent Mo$%% proce or capacity in BATAN m& t be increa ed to 5(C time o# t"e pre ent one(

.&T&R' (%R!*
*"allenging a pect o# t"e &ndergoing concept&al de ign are &mmariBed "ereE .a/ on$po,er, in$core "eat remo!al y tem, .b/ ga loop y tem #or recombination o# H 0 and 80 to H08, treatment o# N0, #i ion prod&ct ga e etc, and .c/ #&el ol&tion p&ri#ication y tem and nitric acid make&p y tem( *oncerning t"e #&el ol&tion p&ri#ication y tem, ,e p&r &e a y tem in ,"ic" t"e #&el can be ma+imally re& ed a#ter Mo$%% i otope i reco!ered by eparating #i ion prod&ct and i# #ea ible ot"er tran $&rani&m n&clide ( 8t"er #ore een i &e are t"e economic e!al&ation and t"e licen ing o# t"e de ign in accordance ,it" t"e n&clear reg&lation in Indone ia(

R'.'R'NC'*
5( E( Parma, @T"e &pply o# t"e medical radioi otope Tc$%%m'Mo$%% G Recent "ortage call #or action in de!eloping a dome tic prod&ction capability,A American N&clear Society, Trinity Section .No!ember 011%/( 0( 8E*I'NEA, @T"e &pply o# medical radioi otope G T"e pat" to reliability,A Pari , 7renc" .0155/( <( L( Alil&din et al(, @Proce ing o# LE) target #or Mo$%% prod&ction G Iemon tration o# a modi#ied *intic"em proce ,A 5%%: International Meeting on RERTR, Pari , 7renc" .September 5%%D/( D( IAEA, @Homogeneo& a>&eo& ol&tion n&clear reactor #or t"e prod&ction o# Mo$%% and ot"er "ort li!ed radioi otope ,A IAEA$TE*I8*$51;5, ?ienna, A& tria .011C/( :( M( 8k&m&ra et al(, @SRA*011;E A compre"en i!e ne&tronic calc&lation code y tem,A HAEA$ Iata'*ode 0112$11D .0112/( ;( J( Nagaya et al(, @M?P'GM?P IIE General p&rpo e Monte *arlo code #or ne&tron and p"oton tran port calc&lation ba ed on *ontin&o& Energy and M&ltigro&p Met"od ,A HAERI 5<DC .011:/( 2( R(E( Alco&##e et al(, @IANTSJSE A di##& ion accelerated ne&tron particle tran port code y tem,A LA$50%;%$M, Lo Alamo National Laboratory .H&ne 5%%:/( C( S(B( L&d,ig and A(G( *ro##, @Re!i ion to 8RIGEN0 G ?er ion 0(0,A Tran mittal Memo o# ***$ 1<25'52, 8ak Ridge National Laboratory .0110/( %( P(H( Liem and T(M( Sembiring, @Ie!elopment o# ne, 8RIGEN0 data library et #or re earc" reactor ,it" lig"t ,ater cooled o+ide and ilicide LE) .01 ,'o/ #&el ba ed on HENIL$<(< n&clear data,A Nuclear )n'ineerin' and Desi'n 343, pp( :0$;0 .015</(