Using liquid fuel provides many advantages in. A molten salt reactor msr is a type of nuclear reactor that uses liquid fuel instead of the solid fuel rods used in conventional nuclear reactors. 3 an sfr can achieve a core power density of around 300 mw m 3 compared with pressurized water reactors pwr that achieve 100 mw m 3.
A sodium cooled fast reactor sfr is a type of nuclear reactor that utilizes molten sodium metal as the reactor coolant as it allows for a high power density with a low coolant volume. This allows for the coolant to operate at higher temperatures and lower pressures than current reactors improving the efficiency and safety of the system. The sodium cooled fast reactor sfr uses liquid metal sodium as a coolant instead of water that is typically used in u s.
When it became clear in the 1980s that this was not a realistic expectation. Sodium cooled fast neutron spectrum liquid metal reactors lmrs received much attention during the 1960s and 70s when it appeared that their breeding capabilities would soon be needed to supply fissile material to a rapidly expanding nuclear industry. Nuclear reactor nuclear reactor liquid metal reactors.
There are as in everything. Water is a moderator which will slow neutrons so it s impossible to have a water cooled fast breeder and yes this means that the french fast breeders are liquid metal cooled. Liquid metal cooled reactors have some theoretical advantages especially if one wants to do a fast breeder.
It can t meltdown can operate without water is factory fabricated. The sllim is a liquid sodium nuclear fast reactor that generates 10 to 100 mw for many years even decades without refueling. Sodium is a well known low melting point 97 7 c alkali metal which has the main advantages of high thermal conductivity and low neutron absorption cross section.
Liquid sodium is currently used in the russian bn 600 and bn 800 reactors the only ones operating sfrs so far in the world and is proposed to be used in generation iv sfrs. Liquid sodium is better than water at evacuating heat from the reactor core and its high boiling point of about 900 degrees celsius allows sfrs to operate close to atmospheric pressure negating. Metal coolants remove heat more rapidly and allow much higher power density.
Liquid sodium in nuclear reactor. A sodium cooled fast reactor is a fast neutron reactor cooled by liquid sodium. The acronym sfr particularly refers to two generation iv reactor proposals one based on existing liquid metal cooled reactor lmfr technology using mixed oxide fuel mox the other based on the metal fueled integral fast reactor. Several sodium cooled fast reactors have been built some still in operation and.
Several sodium cooled fast reactors have been built some still in operation and. The acronym sfr particularly refers to two generation iv reactor proposals one based on existing liquid metal cooled reactor lmfr technology using mixed oxide fuel mox the other based on the metal fueled integral fast reactor. A sodium cooled fast reactor is a fast neutron reactor cooled by liquid sodium.