Heavy liquid metal reactors

The development of heavy liquid metal reactors (HLMRs) in Russia stems from its experience with Pb—Bi eutectic coolants in Soviet Alpha-class submarines. Altogether, USSR had eight nuclear submarines and two on-the-ground Pb—Bi-cooled reactor prototypes. Details of the submarine experience are extensively presented... 

The importance of this phenomenon is in the development of safe accelerator-driven nuclear reactors/incinerators heavy liquid metals are used spallation targets, as well as coolants solid metals are used as protective coatings. 

Step by step solution to the project on long-term storage of spent fuel from nuclear submarines with heavy liquid metal cooled reactors... 

XVni-7] IGNATENKO, E.I., et al.. Use of SVBR-75 reactor plant in design of renovation of NPP units of the first generation after termination of their service life, Heavy-Liquid Metal Coolants in Nuclear Technology (Proc. of Conf), Vol. 2, Paper No. B.5, p. 366 (Obninsk, Russia, 1999). 

XIX-3] PANKRATOV, D.V., YEFIMOV, YE.L, TOSHINSKY, GI, RYABAYA L.D., Analysis of polonium hazard in nuclear power installations with lead-bismuth coolant, CD-ROM, Russian Scientific and Technical Forum. Fast Neutron Reactors (To commemorate the 100 birthday of A. I. Leypunsky). Heavy Liquid Metal Coolants in the Nuclear Technologies HLMC-2003 (Proc. of Conf. Obninsk, Russia, December 11-12, 2003) Paper 2401. 

XXni-5] SIENICKI, J.J., et al.. The STAR-LM lead-cooled closed fuel cycle fast reactor with a supercritical carbon dioxide Brayton cycle advanced power converter, Russian Forum for Science and Technology FAST NEUTRON REACTORS, HLMC-2003 (Paper presented at the 2 Int. Conf. on Heavy Liquid Metal Coolants in Nuclear Technologies, Obninsk, Russia, December 8-12, 2003), paper 2105. 

XXIII-5] GROMOV, B., TOSHINSKY, G., CHEKOUNOV, V., et al.. Design of reactor facilities using lead-bismuth coolant for atomic submarine operation. A brief history and general results of their operation. Heavy Liquid Metal Coolants in Nuclear Technology (Proc. Int. Conf. Obninsk, Russia) SSC RF-IPPE (1998). 

XXIV-2] LEE, I S., SUH, K.Y., HELIOS for thermal-hydraulic behaviour of Pb-Bi cooled fast reactor PEACER, Theoretical and Experimental Studies of Heavy Liquid Metal Thermal Hydraulics (Paper presented at IAEA Technical Meeting, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany, October 28-31 2003) ORA/PRO 64421. 

HLMR Heavy liquid metal-cooled reactors... 

Shin, Y.H., et al., 2015. Advanced passive design of small modular reactor cooled by heavy liquid metal natural circulation. Progress in Nuclear Energy 83, 433—442. 

The potentialities of synergetic effects between neutron irradiation and the heavy liquid metals have been investigated mainly within two irradiation campaigns, i.e., ASTIR at BR2 reactor [99] and LEXUR-H at BOR60 reactor [1(X)]. The ASTIR experimental campaign was conducted on austenitic and ferritic/martensitic steels exposed... 

A. Alemberti, in Proceedings of the International Workshop on Innovative Nuclear Reactors Cooled by Heavy Liquid Metals Status and Perspectives, Pisa, Italy, 2012. 

It would be highly desirable to use sheaths for control rods in order to eliminate the problem of rod insertion through a heavy liquid metal. Steel sheaths are not satisfactory, since they reduce the breeding ratio in a liquid-metal power breeder and reduce the over-all thermal flux in an experimental reactor. The solution to the problem may lie in the development of structurally sound beryllium sheaths. 

Nuclear reactors are classified by their neutron energy level (thermal or fast reactors), by their coolant (water, gas, liquid metal) and by their neutron moderator (light water, heavy water, graphite). Most existing plants are thermal reactors using pressurised (PWR) or boiling water (BWR) as a coolant and moderator PWR and BWR together represent more than 80% of the commercial nuclear reactors today, of which PWR accounts for 60% alone (Olah et al., 2006). 

For a heavy-ion-beam driven, liquid-metal-wall ICF reactor, the liquid metal wall (LMW) composition and temperature must not preclude transport and focus of the heavy ion beam on the target. For a near-vacuum system, ( < 10 cm ) both the vapor pressure and the stripping effectiveness of the chamber gas must be known before it can be determined if ballistic propagation of the beam is possible. These conditions have been considered for LiqqPbj and for Pbg3Lijy liquid metal walls (31). 

There, the depolymerizate is hydrogenated under high pressure (about 10 MPa) at some 400-450°C, using a liquid phase reactor without internals. Separation yields a synthetic crude oil, which may be processed in any oil refinery. Light cracking products end up in the off-gas and are sent to a treatment section, for removal of ammonia and hydrogen sulphide. A hydrogenated bituminous residue comprises heavy hydrocarbons, still contaminated with ashes, metals and salts. It is blended with coal for coke production (2 wt%). 

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