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Title: RAPID-L Highly Automated Fast Reactor Concept Without Any Control Rods (1) Reactor concept and plant dynamics analyses

Abstract

The 200 kWe uranium-nitride fueled lithium cooled fast reactor concept 'RAPID-L' to achieve highly automated reactor operation has been demonstrated. RAPID-L is designed for Lunar base power system. It is one of the variants of RAPID (Refueling by All Pins Integrated Design), fast reactor concept, which enable quick and simplified refueling. The essential feature of RAPID concept is that the reactor core consists of an integrated fuel assembly instead of conventional fuel subassemblies. In this small size reactor core, 2700 fuel pins are integrated altogether and encased in a fuel cartridge. Refueling is conducted by replacing a fuel cartridge. The reactor can be operated without refueling for up to 10 years. Unique challenges in reactivity control systems design have been attempted in RAPID-L concept. The reactor has no control rod, but involves the following innovative reactivity control systems: Lithium Expansion Modules (LEM) for inherent reactivity feedback, Lithium Injection Modules (LIM) for inherent ultimate shutdown, and Lithium Release Modules (LRM) for automated reactor startup. All these systems adopt lithium-6 as a liquid poison instead of B{sub 4}C rods. In combination with LEMs, LIMs and LRMs, RAPID-L can be operated without operator. This is the first reactor concept ever established in themore » world. This reactor concept is also applicable to the terrestrial fast reactors. In this paper, RAPID-L reactor concept and its transient characteristics are presented. (authors)« less

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4]
  1. Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI), 2-11-1, Iwado Kita, Komae-shi, Tokyo, 201-8511 (Japan)
  2. Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc. 3-6, Otemachi 2-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-8141 (Japan)
  3. Research Reactor Institute, Kyoto University, Kumatori-cho, Sennan-gun, Osaka, 590-20494 (Japan)
  4. Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, 2-4, Shirakata-shirane, Tokai-mura, Naka-gun, Ibaraki-ken, 319-1195 (Japan)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
American Nuclear Society, 555 North Kensington Avenue, La Grange Park, IL 60526 (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
21167809
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: ICAPP'02: 2002 International congress on advances in nuclear power plants, Hollywood, FL (United States), 9-13 Jun 2002; Other Information: Country of input: France; 12 refs
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; BORON CARBIDES; CONTROL ELEMENTS; CONTROL SYSTEMS; DESIGN; FAST REACTORS; FUEL ASSEMBLIES; FUEL PINS; L REACTOR; LITHIUM; LITHIUM 6; POWER SYSTEMS; REACTIVITY; REACTIVITY COEFFICIENTS; REACTOR CORES; REACTOR OPERATION; URANIUM NITRIDES

Citation Formats

Kambe, Mitsuru, Tsunoda, Hirokazu, Mishima, Kaichiro, and Iwamura, Takamichi. RAPID-L Highly Automated Fast Reactor Concept Without Any Control Rods (1) Reactor concept and plant dynamics analyses. United States: N. p., 2002. Web.
Kambe, Mitsuru, Tsunoda, Hirokazu, Mishima, Kaichiro, & Iwamura, Takamichi. RAPID-L Highly Automated Fast Reactor Concept Without Any Control Rods (1) Reactor concept and plant dynamics analyses. United States.
Kambe, Mitsuru, Tsunoda, Hirokazu, Mishima, Kaichiro, and Iwamura, Takamichi. 2002. "RAPID-L Highly Automated Fast Reactor Concept Without Any Control Rods (1) Reactor concept and plant dynamics analyses". United States.
@article{osti_21167809,
title = {RAPID-L Highly Automated Fast Reactor Concept Without Any Control Rods (1) Reactor concept and plant dynamics analyses},
author = {Kambe, Mitsuru and Tsunoda, Hirokazu and Mishima, Kaichiro and Iwamura, Takamichi},
abstractNote = {The 200 kWe uranium-nitride fueled lithium cooled fast reactor concept 'RAPID-L' to achieve highly automated reactor operation has been demonstrated. RAPID-L is designed for Lunar base power system. It is one of the variants of RAPID (Refueling by All Pins Integrated Design), fast reactor concept, which enable quick and simplified refueling. The essential feature of RAPID concept is that the reactor core consists of an integrated fuel assembly instead of conventional fuel subassemblies. In this small size reactor core, 2700 fuel pins are integrated altogether and encased in a fuel cartridge. Refueling is conducted by replacing a fuel cartridge. The reactor can be operated without refueling for up to 10 years. Unique challenges in reactivity control systems design have been attempted in RAPID-L concept. The reactor has no control rod, but involves the following innovative reactivity control systems: Lithium Expansion Modules (LEM) for inherent reactivity feedback, Lithium Injection Modules (LIM) for inherent ultimate shutdown, and Lithium Release Modules (LRM) for automated reactor startup. All these systems adopt lithium-6 as a liquid poison instead of B{sub 4}C rods. In combination with LEMs, LIMs and LRMs, RAPID-L can be operated without operator. This is the first reactor concept ever established in the world. This reactor concept is also applicable to the terrestrial fast reactors. In this paper, RAPID-L reactor concept and its transient characteristics are presented. (authors)},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/21167809}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2002},
month = {Mon Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2002}
}

Conference:
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