Thermal hydraulic design of a liquid salt-cooled flexible conversion ratio fast reactor

A 2400 MWth liquid-salt cooled flexible conversion ratio reactor was designed, utilizing the ternary chloride salt NaCl-KCl-MgCl₂ (30-20-50%) as coolant. The reference design uses a wire-wrapped, hexagonal lattice core, and is able to achieve a core power density of 130 kW/l with a core pressure drop of 700 kPa and a maximum cladding temperature under 650 °C. Four kidney-shaped conventional tube-in-shell heat exchangers are used to connect the primary system to a 545 °C supercritical CO₂ power conversion system. The core, intermediate heat exchangers, and reactor coolant pumps fit in a vessel approximately 10 m in diameter and less than 20 m high. Lithium expansion modules (LEMs) were used to reconcile conflicting thermal hydraulic and reactor physics requirements in the liquid salt core. Use of LEMs allowed the design of a very favorable reactivity response which greatly benefits transient mitigation. A reactor vessel auxiliary cooling system (RVACS) and four redundant passive secondary auxiliary cooling systems (PSACSs) are used to provide passive heat removal, and are able to successfully mitigate both the unprotected station blackout transient as well as protected transients in which a scram occurs. Additionally, it was determined that the power conversion system can be used to mitigate both a loss of flow accident and an unprotected transient overpower.     

Lead-cooled system design and challenges in the frame of Generation IV International Forum

The Generation IV International Forum (GIF) Technology Roadmap identified the Lead-cooled Fast Reactor (LFR) as a technology well suited for electricity generation, hydrogen production and actinide management in a closed fuel cycle. One of the most important features of the LFR is the fact that lead is a relatively inert coolant, a feature that conveys significant advantages in terms of safety, system simplification, and the consequent potential for economic performance.In 2004, the GIF LFR Provisional System Steering Committee was organized and began to develop the LFR System Research Plan. The committee selected two pool-type reactor concepts as candidates for international cooperation and joint development in the GIF framework: these are the Small Secure Transportable Autonomous Reactor (SSTAR); and the European Lead-cooled System (ELSY).The high boiling point (1745 °C) of lead has a beneficial impact to the safety of the system, whereas its high melting point (327.4 °C) requires new engineering strategies, especially for In-Service-Inspection and refuelling. Lead, especially at high temperatures, is also relatively corrosive towards structural materials. This necessitates that coolant purity and the level of dissolved oxygen be carefully controlled, in addition to the proper selection of structural materials.For the GIF LFR concepts, lead has been chosen as the coolant rather than Lead-Bismuth Eutectic primarily because of its greatly reduced generation of the alpha-emitting ²¹⁰Po isotope formed in the coolant. This results in significantly reduced levels of radioactive contamination of the coolant while minimizing the effect of decay power in the coolant from such contaminants; an additional consideration is the desire to eliminate dependence on bismuth which might be a limited resource.This paper provides an overview of the historical development of the LFR, a summary of the advantages and challenges associated with heavy liquid metal coolants, and an update of the current status of development of LFR concepts under consideration. The main characteristics of the SSTAR and ELSY systems are summarized, and the current status of design of each system is presented. Because of the significant recent efforts in the ELSY system design, greater emphasis is placed on the ELSY plant, with focus on the technological development and design provisions intended to overcome or alleviate recognized drawbacks to the use of heavy liquid metal coolants. In the case of the SSTAR system for which development has proceeded more slowly, a more limited summary is provided. It is noted that both systems share many of the same research needs and objectives thus providing a strong basis for international collaboration.     

Comparison of sodium and lead-cooled fast reactors regarding reactor physics aspects, severe safety and economical issues

A large number of new fast reactors may be needed earlier than foreseen in the Generation IV plans. According to the median forecast of the Special Report on Emission Scenarios commissioned by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Control nuclear power will increase by a factor of four by 2050. The drivers for this expected boost are the increasing energy demand in developing countries, energy security, but also climate concerns. However, staying with a once-through cycle will lead to both a substantially increased amount of high-level nuclear waste and an upward pressure on the price of uranium and even concerns about its availability in the coming decades. Therefore, it appears wise to accelerate the development of fast reactors and efficient re-processing technologies.In this paper, two fast reactor systems are discussed—the sodium-cooled fast reactor, which has already been built and can be further improved, and the lead-cooled fast reactor that could be developed relatively soon. An accelerated development of the latter is possible due to the sizeable experience on lead/bismuth eutectic coolant in Russian Alpha-class submarine reactors and the research efforts on accelerator-driven systems in the EU and other countries.First, comparative calculations on critical masses, fissile enrichments and burn-up swings of mid-sized SFRs and LFRs (600 MW_e) are presented. Monte Carlo transport and burn-up codes were used in the analyses. Moreover, Doppler and coolant temperature and axial fuel expansion reactivity coefficients were also evaluated with MCNP and subsequently used in the European Accident Code-2 to calculate reactivity transients and unprotected Loss-of-Flow (ULOF) and Loss-of-Heat Sink (ULOHS) accidents. Further, ULOFs as well as decay heat removal (protected Total Loss-of-Power, TLOP) were calculated with the STAR-CD CFD code for both systems.We show that LFRs and SFRs can be used both as burners and as self-breeders, homogeneously incinerating minor actinides. The tight pin lattice SFRs (P/D = 1.2) appears to have a better neutron economy than wide channel LFRs (P/D = 1.6), resulting in larger BOL actinide inventories and lower burn-up swings for LFRs. The reactivity burn-up swing of an LFR self-breeder employing BeO moderator pins could be limited to 1.3$ in 1 year. For a 600 MW_e LFR burner, LWR-to-burner support ratio was about two for (U, TRU)O₂-fuelled system, while it increased to approximately 2.8 when (Th, TRU)O₂ fuel was employed. The corresponding figures for an SFR were somewhat lower. The calculations revealed that LFRs have an advantage over SFRs in coping with the investigated severe accident initiators (ULOF, ULOHS, TLOP). The reason is better natural circulation behavior of LFR systems and the much higher boiling temperature of lead. A ULOF accident in an LFR only leads to a 220 K coolant outlet temperature increase whereas for an SFR the coolant may boil. Regarding the economics, the LFR seems to have an advantage since it does not require an intermediate coolant circuit. However, it was also proposed to avoid an intermediate coolant circuit in an SFR by using a supercritical CO₂ Brayton cycle. But in an LFR, the reduced concern about air and water ingress may decrease its cost further.     

Lead-cooled flexible conversion ratio fast reactor

Lead-cooled reactor systems capable of accepting either zero or unity conversion ratio cores depending on the need to burn actinides or operate in a sustained cycle are presented. This flexible conversion ratio reactor is a pool-type 2400 MWt reactor coupled to four 600 MWt supercritical CO₂ (S-CO₂) power conversion system (PCS) trains through intermediate heat exchangers. The cores which achieve a power density of 112 kW/l adopt transuranic metallic fuel and reactivity feedbacks to achieve inherent shutdown in anticipated transients without scram, and lead coolant in a pool vessel arrangement. Decay heat removal is accomplished using a reactor vessel auxiliary cooling system (RVACS) complemented by a passive secondary auxiliary cooling system (PSACS). The transient simulation of station blackout (SBO) using the RELAP5-3D/ATHENA code shows that inherent shutdown without scram can be accommodated within the cladding temperature limit by the enhanced RVACS and a minimum (two) number of PSACS trains. The design of the passive safety systems also prevents coolant freezing in case all four of the PSACS trains are in operation. Both cores are also shown able to accommodate unprotected loss of flow (ULOF) and unprotected transient overpower (UTOP) accidents using the S-CO₂ PCS.     

Static design of a liquid-salt-cooled pebble bed reactor (LSPBR)

A renewed interest has been raised for liquid-salt-cooled nuclear reactors. The excellent heat transfer properties of liquid-salt coolants provide several benefits, like lower fuel temperatures, higher average coolant temperature, increased core power density and better decay heat removal, and thus higher achievable core power. In order to benefit from the on-line refueling capability of a pebble bed reactor, the liquid salt pebble bed reactor (LSPBR) is proposed. This is a high temperature pebble bed reactor with a fuel design similar to existing HTRs, but using a liquid-salt as coolant. In this paper, the selection criteria for the liquid-salt coolant are described. Based on its neutronic properties, LiF–BeF₂ (flibe) was selected for the LSPBR. Two designs of the LSPBR were considered: a cylindrical core and an annular core with a graphite inner reflector. Coupled neutronic thermal-hydraulic calculations were performed to obtain the steady state power distribution and the corresponding fuel temperature distribution. Calculations were performed to investigate the decay heat removal capability in a protected loss-of-forced cooling accident. The maximum allowable power that can be produced with the LSPBR is hereby determined.     

Comparative study of minor actinide transmutation in sodium and lead-cooled fast reactor cores

This paper shows that lead-cooled and sodium-cooled fast reactors (LFRs and SFRs) can preferentially consume minor actinides without burning plutonium, both in homogeneous and in heterogeneous mode. The former approach consists of admixing about 5% of minor actinides (MAs) into uranium–plutonium fuels in the core and using a limited number of thermalising pins consisting of UZrH_1.6. These are needed to keep the negative Doppler feedback larger than the positive coolant reactivity coefficient. Our Monte Carlo burn-up calculations showed that a 600 MW_e LFR self-breeder without blankets can burn an average of around 67 kg annually of MAs with a reactivity swing of only about −0.7$ per year. The reactivity swing of a corresponding 600 MW_e SFR is more than three times larger due to the poorer breeding and half the critical mass in comparison to the LFR. However, when axial and radial blankets loaded with 10% MAs are added, the SFR burns 25% more MAs (131 kg/yr) and breeds 30% more Pu (150 kg/yr) than an equally sized LFR. When only the blankets are loaded with MAs, the SFR breeds 30% more Pu (198 kg/yr) and still burns about 60 kg a year of MAs. However, in terms of severe accident behaviour, the LFR, with its superior natural coolant circulation and larger heat capacity, has definite advantages.     

铅基快堆关键热工水力问题研究综述

铅基快堆是一种极具发展潜力的第4代核能系统,在燃料增殖和嬗变方面具有独特优势,具有良好的非能动安全特性和经济性,且有利于实现小型化,是目前国际核能领域研究的热点。本文总结了国内外主要铅基堆型,指出了小型化是铅基快堆的发展方向,同时也指出了当前铅基快堆发展所面临的主要问题。针对热工水力关键问题的5个方面,即液态铅/铅铋流动换热特性研究、堆芯/组件热工水力分析、铅池内流动换热现象研究、系统热工水力安全分析以及特殊现象的热工水力分析,对国内外研究现状展开了分析,总结了当前研究成果,并分析了研究的发展趋势以及遇到的技术瓶颈。本文可为铅基快堆的设计和热工水力分析提供一定的建议和指导。     

Thermal hydraulic challenges of Gas Cooled Fast Reactors with passive safety features

Transient response of a Gas Cooled Fast Reactor (GFR) coupled to a recompression supercritical CO₂ (S-CO₂) power conversion system (PCS) in a direct cycle to a Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA) and a Loss of Generator Load Accident is analyzed using RELAP5-3D. A number of thermal hydraulic challenges for GFR design are pointed out as the designers strive to accommodate cooling of the high power density core of a fast reactor by a gas with its inherently low heat transfer capability, in particular under post-LOCA events when system pressure is lost and when reliance on passive decay heat removal (DHR) is emphasized. Although it is possible to design a S-CO₂ cooled GFR that can survive LOCA by cooling the core through natural circulating loops between the core and elevated emergency cooling heat exchangers, it is not an attractive approach because of various bypass paths that can, depending on break location, degrade core cooling. Moreover, natural circulation gas loops can operate in deteriorated heat transfer regimes with substantial reduction of heat transfer coefficient: as low as 30% of forced convection values, and data and correlations in these regimes carry large uncertainties. Therefore, reliable battery powered blowers for post-LOCA decay heat removal that provide flow in well defined regimes with low uncertainty, and can be easily overdesigned to accommodate bypass flows were selected. The results confirm that a GFR with such a DHR system and negative coolant void worth can withstand LOCA with and without scram as well as loss of electrical load without exceeding core temperature and turbomachinery overspeed limits.     

Inherent Prevention and Mitigation of Severe Accident Consequences in Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactors

Safety challenges for sodium-cooled fast reactors include maintaining core temperatures within design limits and assuring the geometry and integrity of the reactor core. Due to the high power density in the reactor core, heat removal requirements encourage the use of high-heat-transfer coolants such as liquid sodium. The variation of power across the core requires ducted assemblies to control fuel and coolant temperatures, which are also used to constrain core geometry. In a fast reactor, the fuel is not in the most neutronically reactive configuration during normal operation. Accidents leading to fuel melting, fuel pin failure, and fuel relocation can result in positive reactivity, increasing power, and possibly resulting in severe accident consequences including recriticalities that could threaten reactor and containment integrity. Inherent safety concepts, including favorable reactivity feedback, natural circulation cooling, and design choices resulting in favorable dispersive characteristics for failed fuel, can be used to increase the level of safety to the point where it is highly unlikely, or perhaps even not credible, for such severe accident consequences to occur.     

A design study on Pb-208 cooled compact CANDLE burning reactor for future nuclear energy supply

A compact pool-type Pb-208 cooled CANDLE (Constant Axial shape of Neutron flux, nuclide densities and power shape During Life of Energy producing reactor) with a thermal power rating of 125 MWth is considered for the future nuclear energy supply. Natural Pb consists of Pb-204, Pb-206, Pb-207 and Pb-208. Pb-208 has a small capture and inelastic-scattering cross-section, which makes it possible to reduce neutron capture by coolant and to make neutron spectrum harder. In case of Pb-208 coolant instead of natural Pb, the core height and radius are reduced to 1.5 m and 1 m, respectively. The effective multiplication factor of the core, k_eff, could be increased from k_eff = 0.984 of natural Pb up to k_eff = 1.006. For increasing natural circulation head, coolant velocities in each core zone are adjusted by orifice at the core inlet position. The reactor vessel height is equal to that of a typical loop-type demonstration FBR vessel to obtain natural circulation head.     

A spatial kinetic model for simulating VVER-1000 start-up transient

An accurate prediction of reactor core behavior in transients depends on how much it could be possible to exactly determine the thermal feedbacks of the core elements such as fuel, clad and coolant. In short time transients, results of these feedbacks directly affect the reactor power and determine the reactor response. Such transients are commonly happened during the start-up process which makes it necessary to carefully evaluate the detail of process. Hence this research evaluates a short time transient occurring during the start up of VVER-1000 reactor. The reactor power was tracked using the point kinetic equations from HZP state (100 W) to 612 kW. Final power (612 kW) was achieved by withdrawing control rods and resultant excess reactivity was set into dynamic equations to calculate the reactor power. Since reactivity is the most important part in the point kinetic equations, using a Lumped Parameter (LP) approximation, energy balance equations were solved in different zones of the core. After determining temperature and total reactivity related to feedbacks in each time step, the exact value of reactivity is obtained and is inserted into point kinetic equations. In reactor core each zone has a specific temperature and its corresponding thermal feedback. To decrease the effects of point kinetic approximations, these partial feedbacks in different zones are superposed to show an accurate model of reactor core dynamics. In this manner the reactor point kinetic can be extended to the whole reactor core which means “Reactor spatial kinetic”. All required group constants in calculations are prepared using the WIMS code. In addition CITATION code was used to calculate the flux, power distribution and core reactivity inside the core. To update the last change in group constants and resultant reactivity in point kinetic equations, these neutronic codes were coupled with a developed dynamic program. This study is applied on a typical VVER-1000 reactor core to show the reactor response in short time transients caused during start-up procedure.     

Measurements of the isothermal, power and temperature reactivity coefficients of the IPR-R1 TRIGA reactor

The aim of this paper is to present the experimental results of the isothermal, power and temperature coefficients of reactivity of the IPR-R1 TRIGA reactor at the Nuclear Technology Development Center - CDTN in Brazil. The measured isothermal reactivity coefficient, in the temperature range measured, was −0.5 ¢/°C, and the reactivity measurements were performed at 10 W to eliminate nuclear heating. The reactor forced cooling system was turned off during the measurements. When the reactor is at zero power there is no sensible heat being released in the fuel, and the entire reactor core can be characterized by a single temperature. The power coefficient of reactivity obtained was approximately −0.63 ¢/kW, and the temperature reactivity coefficient of the reactor was −0.8 ¢/°C. It was noted that the rise in the coolant temperature has contributed only with a small fraction to the observed negative effect of the reactivity. The power defect, which is the change in reactivity taking place between zero power and full power (250 kW), was 1.6 $. Because of the prompt negative temperature coefficient, a significant amount of reactivity is needed to overcome temperature and allow the reactor to operate at the higher power levels in steady state.     

Plutonium management and Generation IV systems

This paper discusses the potential role of Generation IV nuclear energy systems in managing plutonium. It briefly reviews the Generation IV goals and their relevance to plutonium management. Each of the six selected Generation IV systems [very high temperature reactor (VHTR), gas-cooled fast reactor (GFR), sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR), super-critical-water-cooled reactor (SCWR), lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR), molten salt reactor (MSR)] is briefly discussed. The main characteristics of each system are summarised and the capability for plutonium management indicated. The potential for the management of plutonium using Generation IV systems is briefly reviewed from a complete fuel cycle perspective to illustrate the issues in the context of a fleet of reactor and fuel cycle facilities.     

Core design of a high-temperature fast reactor cooled by supercritical light water

A high-temperature large fast reactor cooled by supercritical water (SCFR-H) is designed for assessing its technical feasibility and potential economical improvement. The coolant system is once-through, direct cycle where whole core coolant flows to the turbine. The goal is to achieve the high coolant outlet temperature over 500°C. We study the reactors with blankets cooled by ascending and descending flow. SCFR-H adopts a radial heterogeneous core with zirconium-hydride layers between the driver core and the blankets for making coolant void reactivity negative. The coolant outlet temperature of the core with blankets cooled by ascending flow is low, 467°C. The reasons are as follows: (1) the power swing due to the accumulation of fissile material in the inner blankets with burn-up, and (2) local power peak in the assemblies due to the zirconium-hydride layers. The difference in the outlet coolant temperature is more enhanced than the low temperature core where outlet temperature is approximately 400°C. The reason is that the coolant temperature is more sensitive to the enthalpy change than near the pseudo critical temperature, 385°C at 25 MPa. Thus, we design the core with blankets cooled by descending flow to obtain high coolant outlet temperature. The coolant outlet temperature becomes 537°C, which is 70°C higher than that of the core with ascending blanket flow. The thermal efficiency is improved from 43.2 to 44.6%. The coolant mass flow rate per electric power decreases by 14%. This will reduce the size of the balance of plant (BOP) system. The power of the reactor is high (1565 MWe) and the void reactivity is negative.     

Design and analysis of a thermal core for a high performance light water reactor

The High Performance Light Water Reactor is a Generation IV light water reactor concept, operated at a supercritical pressure of 25 MPa with a core outlet temperature of 500 °C. A thermal core design for this reactor has been worked out by a consortium of Euratom member states within the 6th European Framework Program. Aiming at peak cladding temperatures of less than 630 °C, including uncertainties and allowances for operation, the coolant is heated up in three steps with intermediate coolant mixing to eliminate hot streaks. Different from conventional reactors, the radial power profile is intended to be non-uniform, with the highest power in the first heat-up step in the core center and the lowest power in the second superheater step to result in the same peak cladding temperatures in each region. The concept has been studied with neutronic, thermal-hydraulic and structural analyses to assess its feasibility. Coupled neutronic/thermal-hydraulic analyses are defining the initial distribution of enrichment, control rod positions and the use of burnable poisons. Sub-channel analyses predict the coolant mixing inside assemblies, and a porous media approach simulates the flow of moderator water between assembly boxes. Finally, structural analyses of the assembly boxes are needed to minimize deformations during operation. Even though the core design cannot yet considered to be final, this state of the art review shall summarize the progress achieved so far and outline the remaining challenges.     

Space reactor power systems with no single point failures

Nuclear reactor power systems could revolutionize space exploration and support human outpost on the moon and Mars. This paper reviews various energy conversion technologies for use in space reactor power systems and provides estimates of the system's net efficiency and specific power, and the specific area of the radiator. The suitable combinations of the energy conversion technologies and the nuclear reactors, classified based on the coolant type and cooling method, for best system performance and highest specific power, are also discussed. In addition, a number of power system concepts with both static and dynamic energy conversion, but with no single point failures in reactor cooling, energy conversion and heat rejection, and for nominal electrical powers up to 110 kW_e, are presented. The first two power systems employ reactors cooled with lithium and sodium heat pipes, SiGe thermoelectric (TE) and alkali-metal thermal-to-electric conversion (AMTEC), and potassium heat pipes radiators. The reactors heat pipes operate at a fraction of the prevailing capillary or sonic limit, and in the case of a multiple heat pipes failure, those in the adjacent modules remove the additional heat load, thus maintaining the reactor adequately cooled and the power system operating at a reduced power. The third power system employs SiGe TE converters and a liquid metal cooled reactor with a divided core into six sectors that are neurotically and thermally coupled, but hydraulically decoupled. Each sector has a separate energy conversion loop, a heat rejection loop, and a rubidium heat pipes radiator panel. When a core sector experiences a loss-of-coolant, the fission power of the reactor is reduced, and that generated in the sector in question is removed by the circulating coolant in the adjacent sectors. The fourth power system employs a gas cooled reactor with a core divided into three identical sectors, and each sector is coupled to a separate Closed Brayton Cycle (CBC) loop with He-Xe binary mixture (40 g/mol) working fluid, a secondary loop with circulating liquid Nak-78, and two water heat pipes radiator panels.     

Feasibility study for Tehran Research Reactor power upgrading

The present work is concerned with a power upgrading study of Tehran Research Reactor (TRR). The upgrading study is aimed at investigating the possibility of raising power of the TRR from the current level of 5 MW_th to a higher level without violating the original thermal-hydraulic safety criteria. The existing core, comprising 22 standard fuel elements and five control fuel elements, is used for the analyses. Different reactor thermal powers (5–11 MW) and different core coolant flow rates (500–921 m³/h) are considered. It is shown that, for the present core, this goal could be achieved safely by gradually opening the butterfly control valve until the desired coolant flow rate is reached. The TRR power could be upgraded up to around 7.5 MW_th with the total power peaking factor maintained at less than or equal to 3.0.     

Lead Coolant Test Facility—Design concept and requirements

The Idaho National Laboratory prepared a preliminary technical and functional requirements (T&FR), thermal hydraulic design and cost estimate for a Lead Coolant Test Facility. The purpose of this small scale facility is to simulate lead coolant fast reactor (LFR) coolant flow in an open lattice geometry core using seven electrical rods and liquid lead or lead-bismuth eutectic. Based on review of current world lead or lead-bismuth test facilities and research need listed in the Generation IV Roadmap, five broad areas of requirements are identified in this paper:

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Develop and demonstrate feasibility of submerged heat exchanger

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Develop and demonstrate open-lattice flow in electrically heated core

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Develop and demonstrate chemistry control

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Demonstrate safe operation

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Provision for future testing

Across these five broad areas are supported by twenty-one specific requirements. The purpose of this facility is to focus the lead fast reactor community domestically on the requirements for the next unique state of the art test facility. The facility thermal hydraulic design is based on the maximum simulated core power using seven electrical heater rods of 420 kW; average linear heat generation rate of 300 W/cm. The core inlet temperature for liquid lead or Pb/Bi eutectic is 420 °C. The design includes approximately seventy-five data measurements such as pressure, temperature, and flow rates. The preliminary estimated cost of construction of the facility is $3.7 M (in 2006 $). It is also estimated that the facility will require two years to be constructed and ready for operation.     

Flexible conversion ratio fast reactors: Overview

Conceptual designs of lead-cooled and liquid salt-cooled fast flexible conversion ratio reactors were developed. The performance achievable by the unity conversion ratio cores of these reactors was compared to an existing supercritical carbon dioxide-cooled (S-CO₂) fast reactor design and an uprated version of an existing sodium-cooled fast reactor. All concepts have cores rated at 2400 MWt. The cores of the liquid-cooled reactors are placed in a large-pool-type vessel with dual-free level, which also contains four intermediate heat exchangers (IHXs) coupling a primary coolant to a compact and efficient supercritical CO₂ Brayton cycle power conversion system. The S-CO₂ reactor is directly coupled to the S-CO₂ Brayton cycle power conversion system. Decay heat is removed passively using an enhanced reactor vessel auxiliary cooling system (RVACS) and a passive secondary auxiliary cooling system (PSACS). The selection of the water-cooled versus air-cooled heat sink for the PSACS as well as the analysis of the probability that the PSACS may fail to complete its mission was performed using risk-informed methodology. In addition to these features, all reactors were designed to be self-controllable. Further, the liquid-cooled reactors utilized common passive decay heat removal systems whereas the S-CO₂ uses reliable battery powered blowers for post-LOCA decay heat removal to provide flow in well defined regimes and to accommodate inadvertent bypass flows. The multiple design limits and challenges which constrained the execution of the four fast reactor concepts are elaborated. These include principally neutronics and materials challenges. The neutronic challenges are the large positive coolant reactivity feedback, small fuel temperature coefficient, small effective delayed neutron fraction, large reactivity swing and the transition between different conversion ratio cores. The burnup, temperature and fluence constraints on fuels, cladding and vessel materials are elaborated for three categories of material - materials currently available, available on a relatively short time scale and available only with significant development effort. The selected fuels are the metallic U-TRU-Zr (10% Zr) for unity conversion ratio and TRU-Zr (75% Zr) for zero conversion ratio. The principal selected cladding and vessel materials are HT-9 and A533 or A508, respectively, for current availability, T-91 and 9Cr-1Mo steel for relatively short-term availability and oxide dispersion strengthened ferritic steel (ODS) available only with significant development.     

On some methods for raising the power level of reactors with gaseous coolants

The present article is concerned with certain methods for raising the power level of reactors with gaseous coolants: additional cooling of the gas ahead of the gas compressor, increasing the pressure in the loop, and profiling the coolant flow through the reactor.Equations for calculating the theoretical thermodynamic cycle for a reactor with a gaseous coolant, the coolant temperature at the downstream end of the reactor, and the profiling of the coolant flow are derived.