Gas-cooled fast reactors

An Evaluation of Gas-Cooled Fast Reactors, Report WASH-1089, 1969. 

M. Dalle Donne, Heat Transfer in Gas Cooled Fast Reactor Cores, Ann. Nucl. Energy (5) 439-... 

In conclusion, although the CEA has now decided to focus its R D on gas cooled reactor concepts, with the prospect of perfecting a gas cooled fast reactor in the long term (4th generation), it nevertheless shall preserve activities and expertise it has acquired on sodium cooled fast reactors over the years. CEA would like to pursue further exchanges with other countries who are also engaged in liquid metal fast reactor research. 

NNC have also contributed to an investigation of radical alternatives to the EFR design by examining the potentiality of a gas-cooled fast reactor, based on past UK studies and on the extensive UK experience of AGR thermal reactors. There are advantages over liquid metal coolants in terms of in-service inspection and repair, but there may be difficulty in meeting safety requirements. 

Stainless-steel-clad UOj-PuO fuel elements have been assumed for the reference design of the gas-cooled fast reactor cores, although comparative evaluations of stainless-steel-clad carbide fuel elements have been made 14). In either case, the type of fuel element envisioned for the gas-cooled fast reactors is an assembly of approximately 1-cm-diam, stainless-steel-clad fuel rods. The subdivision of the fuel must be very great in order to achieve the high core power densities and fuel ratings required for reasonable performance with a fast-neutron-spectrum reactor. 

P. Fortescue, R. Shanstrom, and H. Fenech, Development of the gas-cooled fast reactor concept. USAEC Rept. GA-6132, General Atomic, February 12, 1965. 

Although the lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR) is not dealt with in this part, it is also a promising advanced FR and will be introduced in the second part by Prof. Adamov. In addition, several topics of international importance, such as nonproliferation, are treated in his part. Other advanced reactors, such as the gas-cooled fast reactor (GFR), the super critical water-cooled reactor (SCWR), and the molten-salt reactor (MSR), are briefly introduced in Sects. 58.1.4, 58.1.5, and 58.1.7, respectively. 

Design parameters for the gas-cooled fast reactor (GFR) system... 

The gas-cooled reactors discussed here are all thermal reactors with a graphite moderator. There has been work on gas-cooled fast reactor designs but these have been generally outside the SMR range. 

For sodium, steam- and gas-cooled fast reactors of 1000 and 300 MW(e the most Important integral quantities have been calculated with the differ it sets and are discussed in detail especially with respect to consequences for the fast breeder development. Here we note only that the loss in breeding ratio by 0.08, 0.09, and... 

Gas-cooled fast reactor. (From US DOE Nuclear Energy Research Advisory Committee and the Generation IV International Forum, A technology roadmap for generation IV nuclear energy systems, GIF-0Q2-00,2002.)... 

There are 11 concepts of small reactors without on-site refuelling that are currently being developed at different stages in the Russian Federation. Six of them are light water cooled reactors the UNITHERM (ANNEX II), the ELENA (ANNEX III), the VBER-150 (ANNEX IV), the ABV (ANNEX V), the KLT-20 (ANNEX VI), and the VKR-MT (ANNEX X). In addition, there is one small gas cooled fast reactor concept which is the BGR-300 (ANNEX Xm) two sodium cooled reactor concepts the MBRU-12 (ANNEX XVI), and the BN GT-300 (ANNEX XVItl) and one lead-bismuth cooled small reactor design, the SVBR-75/100 (ANNEX XIX). Finally, there is one non-conventional reactor concept the MARS (ANNEX XXVIII). 

The VKR-MT fuel assembly was designed with the use of a certain experience in the design of assemblies with pebble beds of micro fuel elements and lateral coolant flow, available for gas cooled fast reactors [X-4]. 

X-4] GRATTON C.P., Design and assessment studies performed by the GBR Association on gas cooled fast reactor. Journal of the BNES, p. 331-336, No. 10 (1972). 

Another possible fault in a gas-cooled fast reactor is leakage from the steam generator tubes, leading to an ingress of steam into the reactor core. 

Gas-cooled fast reactor or high temperature reactor NPP (reactor coolant — helium P = 9 MPa and Pin/Pont = 49(V850°C primary power cycle — direct Brayton gas turbine cycle possible backup — indirect Rankine steam cycle). >50... 

The history of gas-cooled fast reactors (GFRs) dates back to the dawn of the nuclear era. It needs to be noted that GFR technology is being pursued to this day and remains to be of contemporary interest in many countries worldwide (IAEA-154,1972 Waltar et al., 2012). 

Table 4.1 In-core design options for Generation IV gas-cooled fast reactors...

Dumaz, P., AUegre, P., Bassi, C., Cadiou, T., Conti, A., Gamier, J.C., Malo, J.Y., Tosello, A., 2007. Gas-cooled fast reactors — status of CEA preliminary design studies. Nuclear Engineering and Design 237, 1618—1627. Elsevier. 

IAEA-154, July 24—28, 1972. Gas-cooled fast reactors. In Proc. IAEA Study Group Meeting Sponsored by the USSR State Committee on the Utilization of Atomic Energy. Institute of... 

Meyer, M.K., Fielding, R., Gan, J., 2006. Fuel Development for Gas-Cooled Fast Reactors. INEZ CON-06-11085. 

Weaver, K.D., 2005. Interim Status Report on the Design of the Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor (GFR). Gen IV Nuclear Energy Systems. INEEL/EXT-05-02662. 

Figure 10.1 2013 Generation-IV International Forum Roadmap—viability, performance, and demonstration phases. GFR, gas-cooled fast reactor LFR, lead-cooled fast reactor MSR, molten salt reactor SCWR, supercritical water reactor SFR, sodium-cooled fast reactor VHTR, very-high—temperature reactor.

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