Lead cooled fast reactor
Encyclopedia
The lead-cooled fast reactor is a nuclear power
Generation IV reactor
that features a fast neutron spectrum, molten lead
or lead-bismuth eutectic
coolant
. Options include a range of plant ratings, including a number of 50 to 150 MWe (megawatts electric) units featuring long-life, pre-manufactured cores. Plans include modular arrangements rated at 300 to 400 MW, and a large monolithic plant rated at 1,200 MW. The fuel is metal or nitride
-based containing fertile uranium
and transuranics. The LFR is cooled by natural convection
with a reactor outlet coolant temperature of 550 °C, possibly ranging over 800 °C with advanced materials. Temperatures higher than 830 °C are high enough to support thermochemical production of hydrogen
.
power plant using cassette cores running on a closed fuel cycle with 15 to 20 years' refuelling interval, or entirely replaceable reactor modules. It is designed for generation of electricity on small grids
(and other resources, including hydrogen
and potable water).
Alfa class submarine
s of the 1970s. The OK-550
and BM-40A
designs were both capable of producing 155MWt. They were significantly lighter than typical water-cooled reactors and had an advantage of being capable to quickly switch between maximum power and minimum noise operation modes.
A joint venture called AKME Engineering was announced on 25 December 2009 between Rosatom and En+ Group
, to develop a commercial lead-bismuth reactor. The SVBR-100 ('Svintsovo-Vismutovyi Bystryi Reaktor' - lead-bismuth fast reactor) is based on the Alfa designs and will produce 100MWe electricity from gross thermal power of 280MWt, about twice that of the submarine reactors. They can also be used in groups of up to 16 if more power is required. The coolant increases from 345 °C (653 °F) to 495 °C (923 °F) as it goes through the core. Uranium oxide enriched to 16.5% U-235 could be used as fuel, and refuelling would be required every 7–8 years. A prototype is planned for 2019.
will be of this type, using uranium nitride
fuel encased in HT-9 tubes, using a quartz reflector, and lead-bismuth eutectic as coolant.
reactor is a subcritical reactor
that is cooled by lead-bismuth eutectic
. It is powered by an external neutronsource (a particle accelerator), which means that it can be stopped fast and completely, if so needed. It is also capable of decreasing the toxicity of the waste by a factor 1000, and decrease the volume of the waste by a factor 100 (compared to the nuclear power plants that are currently in operation). The design of the nuclear reactor will be completed by 2014. The project was started by SCK•CEN
(Studiecentrum voor Kernenergie, Centre d'Etude de l'Energie Nucleaire).
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
Generation IV reactor
Generation IV reactor
Generation IV reactors are a set of theoretical nuclear reactor designs currently being researched. Most of these designs are generally not expected to be available for commercial construction before 2030...
that features a fast neutron spectrum, molten lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
or lead-bismuth eutectic
Lead-bismuth eutectic
Lead-Bismuth Eutectic or LBE is a eutectic alloy of lead and bismuth used as a coolant in some nuclear reactors, and is a proposed coolant for the lead-cooled fast reactor, part of the Generation IV reactor initiative....
coolant
Nuclear reactor coolant
A nuclear reactor coolant is a coolant in a nuclear reactor used to remove heat from the nuclear reactor core and transfer it to electrical generators and the environment....
. Options include a range of plant ratings, including a number of 50 to 150 MWe (megawatts electric) units featuring long-life, pre-manufactured cores. Plans include modular arrangements rated at 300 to 400 MW, and a large monolithic plant rated at 1,200 MW. The fuel is metal or nitride
Nitride
In chemistry, a nitride is a compound of nitrogen where nitrogen has a formal oxidation state of −3. Nitrides are a large class of compounds with a wide range of properties and applications....
-based containing fertile uranium
Fertile material
Fertile material is a term used to describe nuclides which generally themselves do not undergo induced fission but from which fissile material is generated by neutron absorption and subsequent nuclei conversions...
and transuranics. The LFR is cooled by natural convection
Convection
Convection is the movement of molecules within fluids and rheids. It cannot take place in solids, since neither bulk current flows nor significant diffusion can take place in solids....
with a reactor outlet coolant temperature of 550 °C, possibly ranging over 800 °C with advanced materials. Temperatures higher than 830 °C are high enough to support thermochemical production of hydrogen
Sulfur-iodine cycle
The sulfur–iodine cycle is a three-step thermochemical cycle used to produce hydrogen.The S–I cycle consists of three chemical reactions whose net reactant is water and whose net products are hydrogen and oxygen. All other chemicals are recycled...
.
Modular nuclear reactors
The LFR battery is a small turnkey-typeTurnkey
A turn-key or a turn-key project is a type of project that is constructed by a developer and sold or turned over to a buyer in a ready-to-use condition.-Common usage:...
power plant using cassette cores running on a closed fuel cycle with 15 to 20 years' refuelling interval, or entirely replaceable reactor modules. It is designed for generation of electricity on small grids
Distributed generation
Distributed generation, also called on-site generation, dispersed generation, embedded generation, decentralized generation, decentralized energy or distributed energy, generates electricity from many small energy sources....
(and other resources, including hydrogen
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
and potable water).
Advantages
- Instead of refueling, the whole core can be replaced after many years of operation. Such a reactor is suitable for countries that do not plan to build their own nuclear infrastructure. Lifetime without refueling can be increased more easily, in part due to higher efficiency.
- As no electricity is required for the cooling after shutdown, this design may be safer than a water-cooled reactor (see Fukushima I nuclear accidents).
- Liquid lead-bismuth systems can't cause an explosion and quickly solidify in case of a leak, further improving safety.
- These reactors are lighter and smaller than water-cooled reactors
Disadvantages
- Solidifying of lead-bismuth solution turns the reactor inoperable. However, lead-bismuth eutecticLead-bismuth eutecticLead-Bismuth Eutectic or LBE is a eutectic alloy of lead and bismuth used as a coolant in some nuclear reactors, and is a proposed coolant for the lead-cooled fast reactor, part of the Generation IV reactor initiative....
has a very low melting temperature, 123.5 °C (254.3 °F), making desolidification a relatively easily accomplished task. - By leaking and solidifying, the coolant may damage the equipment (see Soviet submarine K-64).
Russia/USSR
Two types of LFR reactor were used in SovietSoviet Navy
The Soviet Navy was the naval arm of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet, the Soviet Navy would have played an instrumental role in a Warsaw Pact war with NATO, where it would have attempted to prevent naval convoys from bringing reinforcements across the Atlantic Ocean...
Alfa class submarine
Alfa class submarine
The Soviet Union/Russian Navy Project 705 was a class of hunter/killer nuclear powered submarines. The class is also known by the NATO reporting name of Alfa...
s of the 1970s. The OK-550
OK-550 reactor
The OK-550 reactor is the nuclear fission reactor used to power three of the seven boats of the Soviet Navy's Project 705 Лира fourth generation submarines...
and BM-40A
BM-40A reactor
The BM-40A reactor is the nuclear fission reactor used to power four of the seven boats of the Soviet Navy's Project 705 Лира fourth generation submarines...
designs were both capable of producing 155MWt. They were significantly lighter than typical water-cooled reactors and had an advantage of being capable to quickly switch between maximum power and minimum noise operation modes.
A joint venture called AKME Engineering was announced on 25 December 2009 between Rosatom and En+ Group
En+ Group
En+ Group is an energy-related company owned by Oleg Deripaska. En+ Group owns a controlling interest in United Company RUSAL. It reported revenues of $10.869 billion in 2006.-Operations:...
, to develop a commercial lead-bismuth reactor. The SVBR-100 ('Svintsovo-Vismutovyi Bystryi Reaktor' - lead-bismuth fast reactor) is based on the Alfa designs and will produce 100MWe electricity from gross thermal power of 280MWt, about twice that of the submarine reactors. They can also be used in groups of up to 16 if more power is required. The coolant increases from 345 °C (653 °F) to 495 °C (923 °F) as it goes through the core. Uranium oxide enriched to 16.5% U-235 could be used as fuel, and refuelling would be required every 7–8 years. A prototype is planned for 2019.
USA
According to Nuclear Engineering International, the initial design of the Hyperion Power ModuleHyperion Power Generation
Hyperion Power Generation, Inc. is a privately held corporation formed to construct and sell several designs of relatively small nuclear reactors, which they claim will be modular, inexpensive, inherently safe, and proliferation-resistant...
will be of this type, using uranium nitride
Uranium nitride
Uranium nitride refers to a family of several ceramic compounds: uranium mononitride , uranium sesquinitride , which exists in either an alpha or beta phase, and uranium dinitride ....
fuel encased in HT-9 tubes, using a quartz reflector, and lead-bismuth eutectic as coolant.
Belgium
The MYRRHAMyrrha
Myrrha , also known as Smyrna , is the mother of Adonis in Greek mythology. She was transformed into a myrrh tree after having had intercourse with her father and gave birth to Adonis as a tree...
reactor is a subcritical reactor
Subcritical reactor
A subcritical reactor is a nuclear fission reactor that produces fission without achieving criticality. Instead of a sustaining chain reaction, a subcritical reactor uses additional neutrons from an outside source...
that is cooled by lead-bismuth eutectic
Lead-bismuth eutectic
Lead-Bismuth Eutectic or LBE is a eutectic alloy of lead and bismuth used as a coolant in some nuclear reactors, and is a proposed coolant for the lead-cooled fast reactor, part of the Generation IV reactor initiative....
. It is powered by an external neutronsource (a particle accelerator), which means that it can be stopped fast and completely, if so needed. It is also capable of decreasing the toxicity of the waste by a factor 1000, and decrease the volume of the waste by a factor 100 (compared to the nuclear power plants that are currently in operation). The design of the nuclear reactor will be completed by 2014. The project was started by SCK•CEN
SCK•CEN
SCK•CEN is the Belgian nuclear research centre located in Mol, Belgium. SCK•CEN is active in various areas of research and services in the nuclear sector.-Organisation profile:...
(Studiecentrum voor Kernenergie, Centre d'Etude de l'Energie Nucleaire).
See also
- Fast breeder reactor
- Fast neutron reactorFast neutron reactorA fast neutron reactor or simply a fast reactor is a category of nuclear reactor in which the fission chain reaction is sustained by fast neutrons...
- Gas-cooled fast reactorGas-cooled fast reactorThe Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor system is a nuclear reactor design which is currently in development. Classed as a Generation IV reactor, it features a fast-neutron spectrum and closed fuel cycle for efficient conversion of fertile uranium and management of actinides...
- Generation IV reactorGeneration IV reactorGeneration IV reactors are a set of theoretical nuclear reactor designs currently being researched. Most of these designs are generally not expected to be available for commercial construction before 2030...
- Integral Fast ReactorIntegral Fast ReactorThe Integral Fast Reactor is a design for a nuclear reactor using fast neutrons and no neutron moderator . IFR is distinguished by a nuclear fuel cycle that uses reprocessing via electrorefining at the reactor site.The U.S...
- Sodium-cooled fast reactorSodium-cooled fast reactorThe sodium-cooled fast reactor or SFR is a Generation IV reactor project to design an advanced fast neutron reactor.It builds on two closely related existing projects, the LMFBR and the Integral Fast Reactor, with the objective of producing a fast-spectrum, sodium-cooled reactor.The reactors are...
External links
- Idaho National Laboratory Lead-Cooled Fast Reactor (LFR) Fact Sheet
- Heavy-Metal Aerosol Transport in a Lead-Bismuth Cooled Fast Reactor with In-Vessel Direct-Contact Steam Generation
- Comparison of sodium and lead-cooled fast reactors regarding reactor physics aspects, severe safety and economical issues
- RBEC-M Lead-Bismuth Cooled Fast Reactor Benchmarking Calculations
- New York Times