Safety Issues Affecting the Feasibility of an Early High-Flux LFR Technology Demonstrator

摘要

The safety issues affecting the feasibility of an early high-flux Lead-cooled Fast Reactor (LFR) technology demonstrator are analyzed and discussed. The possibility of conceiving an innovative small LFR aimed at both proving the viability of technology to be implemented in a first-of-a-kind industrial power plant, and serving as an irradiation facility for accelerated fuels and materials testing - thus featuring a high power density design - is examined with specific reference to the ELSY (European Lead-cooled SYstem)-based demonstrator (DEMO) [1]. In particular, the system inherent safety capabilities necessary to withstand some standard accidents such as unprotected loss of flow (ULOF), unprotected loss of heat sink (ULOHS) and unprotected rod run-out transient of over power (UTOP) - are evaluated in the light of the fourth generation paradigms and of the present status of HLMCs (Heavy Liquid Metal Coolants) technological development.