Study of a new compact fast reactor core design

Thesis/Dissertation · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:6087379

Hamid, T

A study was conducted to investigate conceptual Liquid Metal Reactor (LMR) designs, employing some unconventional design features, for improved economics and safety. The unconventional design elements were used to supplement the conventional design measures, which alone did not lead to a truly competitive LMR design. Better economics was obtained through simplicity and compactness of core design. For simplicity of core design, internal blankets were omitted. Core compactness was achieved by maximum power flattening. This was done by employing axial and radial enrichment zones along with axial and radial (BeO) reflectors. To further enhance core compactness, the in-core control rods were replaced by reflector controls. For improved safety, the objective was to reduce both coolant void and burnup reactivities. However, even with the use of a wide spectrum of unconventional design features, such as burnable poisons, peripheral reflectors and inner moderating regions, it was not possible to overcome the classical known fact that both coolant void and burnup reactivities cannot be reduced simultaneously. The only resolution of this dilemma appeared to be to minimize coolant void reactivity, and to manage the burnup reactivity losses, such that an accidental insertion of significant amounts of reactivity is mechanically not possible. A conceptual design with these characteristics is described in this thesis.

• Research Organization: Purdue Univ., Lafayette, IN (United States)
• OSTI ID: 6087379
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210500* -- Power Reactors
Breeding
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
BERYLLIUM COMPOUNDS
BERYLLIUM OXIDES
BURNUP
CHALCOGENIDES
CONTROL ELEMENTS
COOLING SYSTEMS
DESIGN
ECONOMICS
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
LIQUID METALS
LIQUIDS
METALS
NEUTRON REFLECTORS
OPTIMIZATION
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POWER DISTRIBUTION
REACTIVITY
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR COOLING SYSTEMS
REACTOR CORES
REACTOR SAFETY
REACTORS
SAFETY
VOIDS