AMBIDEXTER nuclear energy complex: a practicable approach for rekindling nuclear energy application

Aiming at one of the decisive alternatives for long-term perspectives of th e nuclear power. an integral and closed nuclear energy system concept is pr oposed; namely, the Advanced Molten-salt Break-even Inherently-safe Dual-mi ssioning Experimental and Test Reactor (AMBIDEXTER) nuclear energy complex. This essentially comprises two mutually independent circuits of the radiat ion/material transport and the heat/energy conversion, centered at the inte gral reactor assembly, which enables one to utilize maximum benefits of nuc lear energy under minimum risks of nuclear radiation. The entire reactor sy stem resides in a thin and large Hastelloy vessel, the internal part of whi ch is divided into a number of equipment compartments with neither connecti on pipings nor active valves necessary. As the reactor operates at very low FP inventory throughout its designed lifetime and there is no primary heat transport pipings outside the reactor vessel, significant release of radio active materials due to any equipment failure should be incredible. The nuc lear-thermalhydraulic characteristics of the molten ThF4-(UF4)-U-233 fuel s alt extend the self-sustainability of the AMBIDEXTER fuel cycle to enhance the resource security and safeguard transparency. While maintaining the bre ak-even conversion ratio criterion, a flexible fuel management strategy usi ng a certain choice of denaturants should improve its own proliferation-res istance characteristics. As the core technologies associated with developin g the AMBIDEXTER concept are mostly available in commercialized forms at pr esent, investigating the integral performance of the concept should be the prime research topic in ongoing 250 MWth prototype design studies. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B,V. All rights reserved.