Gallium-cooled liquid metallic-fueled fast reactor

We have examined the effects on core characteristics of using two different types of Pu-based metallic alloy fuels in the gallium-cooled fast reactor core. In the proposed concept, the liquid metal fast nuclear reactor uses m etallic fuel in the liquid phase and gallium coolant at high temperature (i nlet 1700K, outlet 1900K). The liquid fuel is continuously supplied to the reactor during operation at full reactor power. The reactor power is contro lled by rotational control drums with absorber material. The aim was to eva luate reactor core neutronics and safety characteristics demonstrating a fe asibility of the reactor system. Although gallium has large absorption cros s section in the high neutron energy region, we can design the core with ra ther good neutronics performances. The large negative reactivity feedback i nduced by the thermal expansion of liquid metallic fuel ensures the core's inherent safety against the unprotected loss-of-flow transient. (C) 2000 El sevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.