The Potential of the LFR and the ELSY Project
This paper presents the current status of the development of the Lead-cooled Fast Reactor (LFR) in support of Generation IV (GEN IV) Nuclear Energy Systems. The approach being taken by the GIF plan is to address the research priorities of each member state in developing an integrated and coordinated research program to achieve common objectives, while avoiding duplication of effort. The integrated plan being prepared by the LFR Provisional System Steering Committee of the GIF, known as the LFR System research Plan (SRP) recognizes two principal technology tracks for pursuit of LFR technology: (1) a small, transportable system of 10-100 MWe size that features a very long refueling interval, (2) a larger-sized system rated at about 600 MWe, intended for central station power generation and waste transmutation. This paper, in particular, describes the ongoing activities to develop the Small Secure Transportable Autonomous Reactor (SSTAR) and the European Lead-cooled SYstem (ELSY), the two research initiatives closely aligned with the overall tracks of the SRP and outlines the Proliferation-resistant Environment-friendly Accident-tolerant Continual & Economical Reactors (PEACER) conceived with particular focus on burning/transmuting of long-living TRU waste and fission fragments of concern, such as Tc and I. The current reference design for the SSTAR is a 20 MWe natural circulation pool-type reactor concept with a small shippable reactor vessel. Specific features of the lead coolant, the nitride fuel containing transuranics, the fast spectrum core, and the small size combine to promote a unique approach to achieve proliferation resistance, while also enabling fissile self-sufficiency, autonomous load following, simplicity of operation, reliability, transportability, as well as a high degree of passive safety. Conversion of the core thermal power into electricity at a high plant efficiency of 44% is accomplished utilizing a supercritical carbon dioxide Brayton cycle power converter. The ELSY reference design is a 600 MWe pool-type reactor cooled by pure lead. This concept has been under development since September 2006, and is sponsored by the Sixth Framework Programme of EURATOM. The ELSY project is being performed by a consortium consisting of twenty organizations including seventeen from Europe, two from Korea and one from the USA. ELSY aims to demonstrate the possibility of designing a competitive and safe fast critical reactor using simple engineered technical features while fully complying with the Generation IV goal of minor actinide (MA) burning capability. The use of a compact and simple primary circuit with the additional objective that all internal components be removable, are among the reactor features intended to assure competitive electric energy generation and long-term investment protection. Simplicity is expected to reduce both the capital cost and the construction time; these are also supported by the compactness of the reactor building (reduced footprint and height). The reduced footprint would be possible due to the elimination of the Intermediate Cooling System, the reduced elevation the result of the design approach of reduced-height components.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 1036296
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-CONF-229673; TRN: US1201355
- Resource Relation:
- Journal Issue: 4; Conference: Presented at: ICAPP 2007, Nice, France, May 13 - May 18, 2007
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
ACTINIDES
ALPHA-BEARING WASTES
BRAYTON CYCLE
CAPITALIZED COST
CARBON DIOXIDE
COOLING SYSTEMS
COORDINATED RESEARCH PROGRAMS
EURATOM
FAST REACTORS
FISSION FRAGMENTS
MEMBER STATES
NATURAL CONVECTION
NITRIDES
NUCLEAR ENERGY
POOL TYPE REACTORS
POWER GENERATION
PROLIFERATION
REACTOR VESSELS
TRANSMUTATION
WASTES