Nuclear power fast-breeder reactors

Fig. 11. Reactor core of MONJU, the Japanese fast-breeder reactor. Courtesy of Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corp.

The phrase "nuclear power" covers a number of technologies for producing electric power other than by burning a fossil fuel. Nuclear fission in pressurized water-moderated reactors—light water reactors— represents the enrrent teehnology for nuclear power. Down the line are fast breeder reactors. On the distant horizon is nnclear fusion. 

Y. S. Tang. Ph.D has more than 35 years of experience in the field of thermal and fluid flow. His research interests have covered aspects of thermal hydraulics that are related to conventional and nonconventional power generation systems, with an emphasis on nuclear reactor design and analysis that focuses on liquld-meta -cooled reactors. Dr. Tang is co-author of Radioactive Waste Management published by Taylor 8 Francis, and Thermal Analysis of Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactors, He received a B5. from National Central University In China and an MS. in mechanical engineering from the University of Wisconsin. He earned his Ph.D. 

Since plutonium is the actinide generating most concern at the moment this review will be concerned primarily with this element. However, in the event of the fast breeder reactors being introduced the behaviour of americium and curium will be emphasised. As neptunium is of no major concern in comparison to plutonium there has been little research conducted on its behaviour in the biosphere. This review will not discuss the behaviour of berkelium, californium, einsteinium, fermium, mendelevium, nobelium and lawrencium which are of no concern in the nuclear power programme although some of these actinides may be used in nuclear powered pacemakers. Occasionally other actinides, and some lanthanides, are referred to but merely to illustrate a particular fact of the actinides with greater clarity. 

Walters, L. C. Fast Breeder Reactors as the Sustainable Path for Nuclear Power, Argonne National Laboratory, undated paper. 

The projections are based on a recent forecast (Case B) by the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) of nuclear power growth in the United States (2) and on fuel mass-flow data developed for light water reactors fueled with uranium (LWR-U) or mixed uranium and plutonium oxide (LWR-Pu), a high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR), and two liquid-metal-cooled fast breeder reactors (LMFBRs). Nuclear characteristics of the fuels and wastes were calculated using the computer code ORIGEN (3). 

Sodium, used as a heat transfer fluid, can most effectively remove heat from a fast breeder reactor. Development work on sodium handling at Argonne National Laboratory in 1945 led to the first turbine-electric power from nuclear energy in 1951. This paper presents the engineering mock-up of the experimental breeder reactor II and illustrates associated pumps, valves, and instrumentation. The past year s successful operation of the EBR-II mock-up has demonstrated that sodium technology is adequate for the job. Properly used, sodium may be the key to the problem of really using the elusive atom. 

The amount of U-235 present in a nuclear fuel rod is gradually depleted, and ultimately there is insufficient present for the economic generation of power. A fast-breeder reactor uses the interaction of U-238 with energetic (fast) neutrons to generate the plutonium isotope Pu-239. As Pu-239 can be used as a nuclear fuel, a breeder reactor produces more fuel than it consumes. The sequence of steps is ... 

In the current structure of nuclear power, light water reactors (LWRs) are predominant over a small number of heavy water reactors (HWRs), and even smaller number of fast breeder reactors (FBRs). However, an increase of FBR share can be predicted for the future, taking into account their unique properties. First of all, there is the capability of nuclear fuel breeding by involving into the fuel cycle. Secondly, there is the fast reactor s flexibility permitting its use as plutonium incinerators and minor actinides transmutation. Thus, unless new sources of energy are found, the development of nuclear power will be necessarily based on fast breeder reactors. 

Even a change to nuclear energy would help, since the overall cost of the raw material—the uranium ore—would be smaller due to the much smaller quantities required, and the security of supply should be less of a problem since the ore occurs throughout the world, particularly in North America, Southern Africa, Australia and Sweden. The much higher capital costs for the nuclear power station are an important factor which has to be taken into consideration. Prototype fast-breeder reactors have been operated in the U.K. for some years now and when fully developed they could substantially improve the economics of nuclear energy. This is because they enable more energy to be extracted from waste uranium and in addition utilize the plutonium produced in conventional reactors as fuel. 

The fast breeder reactors have been developed for at least five decades in the word up to now. Some countries have stopped their commercialized fast breeder reactor develogpient due to the electricity demands are proximately saturated, the Uranium maiket is still sufficient to meet their nuclear power, and especially, the conventional enei resources have not been exhausted in next some decades. For these countries, the estimation of the energy needs in the early of 70s is tolally diffirent with tody s reality. 

As a developping country, China has a ambitious demands to energy resources in next several decades. At that age will China have die same situation like today s situation of other developped countries the answer will be negative. China will not have enough suitable and, economical conventional resources, except nuclear. It is obviously that nuclear power in large scale needs fast breeder reactors, which just is the case of China... 

Abstract The chapter is devoted to the practical application of the fission process, mainly in nuclear reactors. After a historical discussion covering the natural reactors at Oklo and the first attempts to build artificial reactors, the fimdamental principles of chain reactions are discussed. In this context chain reactions with fast and thermal neutrons are covered as well as the process of neutron moderation. Criticality concepts (fission factor 77, criticality factor k) are discussed as well as reactor kinetics and the role of delayed neutrons. Examples of specific nuclear reactor types are presented briefly research reactors (TRIGA and ILL High Flux Reactor), and some reactor types used to drive nuclear power stations (pressurized water reactor [PWR], boiling water reactor [BWR], Reaktor Bolshoi Moshchnosti Kanalny [RBMK], fast breeder reactor [FBR]). The new concept of the accelerator-driven systems (ADS) is presented. The principle of fission weapons is outlined. Finally, the nuclear fuel cycle is briefly covered from mining, chemical isolation of the fuel and preparation of the fuel elements to reprocessing the spent fuel and conditioning for deposit in a final repository. 

Schematic sketch of a nuclear power station based on a liquid-sodium-cooled fast breeder reactor (Zech 1988)...

The core of the Japanese prototype fast breeder reactor (PBFR) "Monju" from (Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation 1980]... 

Item facility. Power reactors (Light Water Reactor (LWR), On-load Reactor (OLR)), Research Reactor (Material Testing Reactor (MTR), Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR), (TRIGA) and Critical Assemblies, Nuclear Material Storage (dry and wet). 

The more familiar sodium-cooled reactor is the liquid metal-cooled fast-breeder reactor (LMFBR). The Enrico Fermi nuclear power plant was built in Lagoona Beach, Michigan, in 1966. The reactor operated at 61 MWe unhl 1972. Reactors of this type have the advantage of operating at relatively low pressure. 

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