The demonstration fast breeder reactor

The FBR is being developed as a future alternative to light water reactors in Japan. The shift from LWRs to FBRs, which is expected to start around 2030, is the reactor strategy in the Long-term Plan for the Development and Application of Nuclear Power established by the Japan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC). 

The experimental FBR Joyo and the prototype FBR Monju were developed by the Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation (PNC). 

As a next step toward commercialization of the FBR, the demonstration FBR DFBR is planned to start construction in the first decade of the next century and utilities are expected to play a major role in its design, construction and operation. The Japan Atomic Power Co. (JAPC) is the principal organization responsible for the design, construction and operation of the DFBR for utility companies. 

Research and development of the DFBR are being conducted by PNC, the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute(JAERI), the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry(CRIEPI) and JAPC, who have established the Steering Committee for Coordinating FBRR D. 

In the preliminary conceptual design phase from 1990 to 1991, the technical feasibility of the top entry loop type reactor was confirmed and the possibility of FBR commercialization was also envisioned The conceptual design study of the DFBR was conducted for two years from 1992 The design of the DFBR is summarized below, along with the technical and cost evaluation results 

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As for the demonstration fast breeder reactor (DFBR-1) of Japan, the three years design study since FY1994 on the plant optimization of the DFBR-1 has been completed by JAPC. Related research and development works are underway at several organizations under the discussion and coordination of the Japanese FBR R D Steering Committee. 

As for the demonstration fast breeder reactor (DFBR) of Japan, the Japan Atonaic Power Company (JAPC) conducted conceptual design studies for the past several years, and confirmed the feasibility of top entry loop type reactor concept. Based on results of the design studies, the Federation of Electric Power Companies (FEPC) decided in January 1994 to start construction of the DFBR plant at the beginning of the 2000 s. FEPC also decided the basic specifications of the DFBR plant. 

Inagaki, T., et al.. Development of the Demonstration Fast Breeder Reactor in Japan. Proc. Int. Conference on Future Nuclear Systems (Global 97). Pacifico Yakohama, Yakohama, Japan, 5-10 October, 1997. 

This report describes the development and activities on fast reactor in Japan for the period of April 1996 - March 1997. During this period, the 30th duty cycle operation has been started in the Experimental Fast Reactor "Joyo". The cause investigation on the sodium leak incident has completed and the safety examination are being performed in the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor "Monju". The three years design study since FY1994 on the plant optimization of the Demonstration FBR has been completed by the Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC). 

As a part of the power demonstration program of the AFC in the 1950s, the Enrico Fermi fast breeder reactor (Fermi-1) was built near Detroit by a consortium of companies led by Detroit Edison. Fermi-1 used enriched uranium as fuel and sodium as coolant, and produced 61 MWe. It suffered a partial fuel melting accident in 1966 as the result of a blockage of core coolant flow by a metal plate. The reactor was repaired but shut down permanently in November 1972 because of lack of binding. Valuable experience was gained from its operation, however (58). 

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. 

Oxide fuels have demonstrated very satisfactory high-temperature, dimensional, and radiation stability and chemical compatibility with cladding metals and coolant in light-water reactor service. Under the much more severe conditions in a fast reactor, however, even inert UO2 begins to respond to its environment in a manner that is often detrimental to fuel performance. Uranium dioxide is almost exclusively used in light-water-moderated reactors (LWR). Mixed oxides of uranium and plutonium are used in liquid-metal fast breeder reactors (LMFBR). 

The French fast reactor prototype Phenix, located at Marcoule in the Card department, was put into commercial operation in 1974. The total time of power operation of the plant is approximately 100 000 hours. The initial objective of Fast Breeder Reactor demonstration has been achieved. Since the mid-nineties, the role of the reactor as an irradiation facility has been enqjhasized, particularly in support of the CEA s transmutation R D programme in the context of the 30 December 1991 French law on long-lived radioactive waste management. This new objective has required the extension of the planned reactor lifetime. A renovation programme was defined based on ... 

The plant has achieved the objectives of demonstration of fast breeder reactor technology which were set at the time of construction, including the following significant examples ... 

Excluding military and space reactors, approximately 20 sodium-cooled fast reactors have been built in a variety of sizes and configurations. These vary from small test reactors to the French Super-Phenix plant, which had an output of 1240 MW(e). In the United States, several fast reactors were built. These included the EBR-II and the Fast-Flux Test Facility (FFTF)—a 400-MW(t) reactor. The Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant (CRBRP), a commercial demonstration reactor, was designed and partly built before being cancelled. These machines provide a large experience base in refueling operations (Romrell et al., 1989 Althaus and Brahy, 1987). 

The NPP was generally operated at the power tolerated by the reactor and equipment, with comparatively high load factor. Phenix has currently provided about 100 000 hours of grid-connected operation representing 3 900 equivalent full power days at operating temperatures of 560°C for the reactor hot structures. The plant has achieved the objectives of demonstration of fast breeder reactor technology which were set at the time of construction. The Phenix reactor has operated with a gross thermal efficiency of 45%. 

INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Comparative analysis of the arrangement and design features of the BN-350 and BN-600 reactors, Int. Symp. on Design, Constmction and operating Experience of Demonstration Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactors, IAEA SM-225/64. 

The Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) was designed as a 62.5 MWt, metal fueled, pool reactor with a conventional 19 MWe power plant. The productive life of the EBR-II began with first operations in 1964. Demonstration of the fast reactor fuel cycle, serving as an irradiation facility, demonstration of fast reactor passive safety and lastly, was well on its way to close the fast breeder fuel cycle for the second time when the Integral Fast Reactor program was prematurely ended in October 1994 with the shutdown of the EBR-II. 

The sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) uses liquefied sodium as the primary coolant. The major advantage is that the reactor can operate at atmospheric pressure in the primary coolant loop. The ultimate inherent safety of this reactor, when using metallic (not oxide) uranium fuel, was demonstrated in 1986 with the Experimental Breeder Reactor 11 at the Idaho National Laboratory, under the direction of Argonne National Laboratory. 

A landmark series of experiments was successfully completed in ANL-Idaho s Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) to demonstrate the capability of a metal-fueled reactor to accommodate severe accidents without scram with very benign consequences, i.e., no failure of fuel assemblies or core structures. In earlier designs, such event sequences were considered as potential, extremely low-probability initiating events leading to core disruption. Similar tests were performed in the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) with an oxide fuel configuration. 

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