Abstract
The conflict between safety and economics requirements is peculiar to the present nuclear power (NP). The main point of the conflict is that for traditional type reactors the increase of requirements to safety of nuclear power plants (NPP) worsens their economical characteristics. This is caused by large potential energy accumulated in reactor coolant. In the presented paper the opportunity and expediency of changeover to reactors with heavy liquid-metal coolants (HLMC) in future NP is grounded. First of all, this refers to lead-bismuth coolant (LBC) mastered in the process of operating nuclear submarines (NS) reactors. The reactor facilities (RFs) of that type cannot cause destruction of defense barriers and make possible deterministic elimination of severe accidents with catastrophic radioactivity release. So it will make possible to eliminate the highlighted conflict and reasons for existence of population’s radiophobia. Lead-bismuth fast reactor SVBR-100 with electric power of 100 MWe is the reactor facility of that type. The effect of accumulated in coolant potential energy on safety and economics is considered. Main specific features of SVBR-100 technology providing a high level of inherent self-protection and passive safety are presented.
Highlights
The problem of nuclear power plants (NPP) safety assurance that slightly quietened after happening of Chernobyl disaster has become more acute after the accident occurred at NPP Fukushima 1
In the paper the following issues are considered: the opportunity and expedience of changeover in the future NP to technologies of fast reactors (FR) with heavy liquid-metal coolants (HLMC), effect of potential energy accumulated in the reactor facilities (RFs) coolant on NPP safety and economics and typical features of technology of modular Lead-Bismuth Fast Reactors (SVBR-100).The paper reveals due to what technical solutions realized in the SVBR-100 design the high level of inherent self-protection and passive safety is assured that makes possible elimination of the conflict between safety and economics requirements peculiar to traditional type RFs
In addition to emergency protection (EP) rods actuating by electric signals, the reactor is equipped with directly acting additional emergency protection (AEP) rods, which actuate according to increase in lead-bismuth coolant (LBC) temperature.The temperature margin of SVBR-100 is over 50 percent in power for the limiting core parameters
Summary
The problem of NPP safety assurance that slightly quietened after happening of Chernobyl disaster has become more acute after the accident occurred at NPP Fukushima 1. In the paper the following issues are considered: the opportunity and expedience of changeover in the future NP to technologies of FRs with HLMC, effect of potential energy accumulated in the RF coolant on NPP safety and economics and typical features of technology of modular Lead-Bismuth Fast Reactors (SVBR-100).The paper reveals due to what technical solutions realized in the SVBR-100 design the high level of inherent self-protection and passive safety is assured that makes possible elimination of the conflict between safety and economics requirements peculiar to traditional type RFs. 2. In the far future upon significant increase of the cost of natural uranium and costs of SNF storage, changeover to the closed NFC will become economically expedient At this point, FRs with HLMC will operate in a mode of fuel self-providing with a core breeding ratio that slightly exceeds 1. As safety characteristics and economic indices of the NPP strongly depend on potential energy accumulated in the reactor [10], it should consider that effect in details
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