Shielding Design Study of the Demonstration Fast Breeder Reactor (2) -Shielding Design on the Basis of the JASPER Analysis-

Abstract

Conceptual shielding design has been performed for the Demonstration Fast Breeder Reactor (DFBR) to achieve further optimization and reduction of the plant construction cost. The design took into account its implications in overall plant configuration such as reduction of shields in the core, adoption of fission gas plenum in the lower portion of fuel assemblies, and adoption of gas expansion modules. Shielding criteria applied for the design are to secure fast neutron fluence on in-vessel structures as well as responses of the nuclear instrumentation system and to restrict secondary sodium activation. The design utilized the cross sections and the one- and two-dimensional discrete ordinates transport codes, whose verification had been performed by the JASPER experiment analysis. Correction factors yielded by the JASPER analysis were applied to the design calculations to obtain design values with improved accuracy. Design margins, which are defined by the ratios of the design criteria to the design values, were more than two for all shielding issues of interest, showing the adequacy of the shielding design of the DFBR.