Development work for a borax internal core-catcher for a gas-cooled fast reactor
Preliminary thermal calculations show that a corecatcher, which is able to cope with the complete meltdown of the core and blankets of a 1000-MW(electric) gas-cooled fast reactor, appears to be feasible. This core-catcher is based on borax (Na/sub 2/B/sub 4/O/sub 7/) dissolving the oxide fuel and the fission products occurring in oxide form. The borax is contained in steel boxes forming a 2.2-m-thick slab on the base of the reactor cavity inside the prestressed concrete reactor vessel (PCRV), just underneath the reactor core. After a complete meltdown accident, the fission products, in oxide form, are dispersed in the pool formed by the liquid borax. The metallic fission products are contained in the steel lying below the borax pool and in contact with the water-cooled PCRV liner. The volumetric power density of the molten core is conveniently reduced as it is dissolved in the borax, and the resulting heat fluxes at the borders of the pool can be safely carried away through the PCRV liner and its water cooling system.
- Research Organization:
- Kernforschungszentrum, Karlsruhe, Ger.
- OSTI ID:
- 6660080
- Journal Information:
- Nucl. Technol.; (United States), Vol. 39:2
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
CORE CATCHERS
GCFR TYPE REACTORS
BORAX
DESIGN
HEAT TRANSFER
MELTDOWN
ACCIDENTS
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
BORATES
BREEDER REACTORS
ENERGY TRANSFER
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
FAST REACTORS
FBR TYPE REACTORS
GAS COOLED REACTORS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
220900* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Reactor Safety
210500 - Power Reactors
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