Thermal-hydraulic analyses of transients in an actinide-burner reactor cooled by forced convection of lead-bismuth

摘要

The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are investigating the suitability of lead or lead-bismuth cooled fast reactors for producing low-cost electricity as well as for actinide burning. The current analysis evaluated a pool type design that relies on forced circulation of the primary coolant, a conventional steam power conversion system, and a passive decay heat removal system. The ATHENA computer code was used to simulate various transients without reactor scram, including a primary coolant pump trip, a station blackout, and a step reactivity insertion. The reactor design successfully met identified temperature limits for each of the transients analyzed.