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U.S. Department of Energy
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Unconventional liquid metal cooled fast reactors: Final report, September 1, 1985--May 31, 1989

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5782016
This report describes the rationale for, design of and analytical studies on an unconventional sodium-cooled power reactor, called the Trench Reactor. It derives its name from the long, narrow sodium pool in which the reactor is placed. Unconventional features include: pool shape; reactor shape (also long and narrow); reflector control; low power density; hot-leg primary pumping; absence of a cold sodium pool; large core boxes rather than a large number of subassemblies; large diameter metal fuel; vessel suspension from cables; and vessel cooling by natural circulation of building atmosphere (nitrogen) at all times. These features all seem feasible. They result in a system that is capable of at least a ten year reload interval and shows good safety through direct physical response to loss-of-heat-sink, loss-of-flow and limited-reactivity nuclear transients. 43 figs., 43 tabs.
Research Organization:
Iowa State Univ. of Science and Technology, Ames, IA (USA). Dept. of Nuclear Engineering
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-85NE37946
OSTI ID:
5782016
Report Number(s):
DOE/NE/37946-4; ON: DE89016447
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English