Design of the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant heterogeneous core

Conference · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:7101082

Dickson, Jr, P W; Arnold, W H

The original core design for the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant (CRBRP) was a homogeneous core, as are essentially all of present day liquid metal fast breeder reactors. A study was undertaken to determine if a rearrangement of the core into a heterogeneous configuration, with fertile elements interspersed within the fueled zone, would improve the breeding ratio significantly without excessive adverse effects on other aspects of the design. The result of the study was that the heterogeneous concept improved not only the breeding ratio and doubling time, but also the control assembly worth, core restraint response, and the fuel cycle cost. This paper describes the design evolution and the major effects of the change from a homogeneous to a heterogeneous core in the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Electric Corp., Oak Ridge, TN (USA). Advanced Reactors Div.
• DOE Contract Number: AC15-76CL50003
• OSTI ID: 7101082
• Report Number(s): IAEA-CN-42/277; CONF-820914-3; ON: DE82021182
• Resource Relation: Conference: International conference on nuclear power experience, Vienna, Austria, 13 Sep 1982
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
CLINCH RIVER BREEDER REACTOR
REACTOR CORES
DESIGN
FUEL CYCLE
FUEL MANAGEMENT
REACTOR KINETICS
BREEDER REACTORS
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
FAST REACTORS
FBR TYPE REACTORS
KINETICS
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
LMFBR TYPE REACTORS
POWER REACTORS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
SODIUM COOLED REACTORS
210500* - Power Reactors
Breeding