Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Fuel cycles and advanced core designs for the gas cooled fast-breeder reactor

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6810602
This report summarizes the fuel cycle and advanced core design analysis for the gas-cooled fast breeder reactor (GCFR) performed in conjunction with the Nonproliferation Alternative Systems Assessment Program (NASAP) and the International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation (INFCE) between 1976 and 1980. The report contrasts traditional fast reactor fuel cycles (plutonium/uranium) with alternative (uranium/thorium) cycles in an effort to define fuel systems which might reduce nuclear weapons proliferation risks without incurring extreme resource or economic disadvantages. It studies symbiotic reactor systems involving fast and thermal reactors and provides basic GCFR mass flow information for NASAP and INFCE. It defines an improved fuel cycle performance index (i.e., energy potential) for reactors and reactor systems. This improved index is combined with sensitivity studies of core materials and configurations to select the basic core and primary system characteristics for future core designs. This report establishes and characterizes advanced designs which may represent targets for future commercial-size fast reactors.
Research Organization:
General Atomic Co., San Diego, CA (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AT03-76SF71023
OSTI ID:
6810602
Report Number(s):
GA-A-15603; ON: DE82021663
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English