The status of work on the development of a 1200 MW sodium-cooled reactor facility for serial construction is presented. The general characteristics of the facility and the power-generating unit as well as the objectives which must be attained as a result of the design are presented. The design of the power-generating group is based on solutions some of which have been checked during the operation of sodium-cooled reactors in Russia and some have been validated by the appropriate research and development work performed for BN-800. At the same time, new solutions are used which are aimed at improving the technical-economic indicators and increasing the level of safety. Additional R&D work will be needed to validate them.The nuclear future of Russia and most other countries developing nuclear power involves fast reactors and a closed fuel cycle. Thus far only sodium-cooled fast reactors are ready for commercial adoption on a wide scale. In our country, we have more than 50 years of experience in developing and successfully operating such reactors: BR-5 (1959) → BR-10 (1973-2002) → BOR-60 (1969 -in operation) → BN-350 (1973-1998) → BN-600 (1980 -in operation) → BN-800 (under construction). A design of an advanced power-generating unit with a sodium-cooled BN-1200 reactor as the foundation for the initial step in the serial construction of reactors of this type is under development.Target Indicators of Reactor Facility and Power-Generating Unit Design. The development of a power-generating unit must meet the following requirements set for new-generation reactors and nuclear power plants:1) competitiveness with advanced power-generating unit based on reactors of a different type and power-generating units operating on fossil fuel;2) safety increased to a level that makes it unnecessary to take measures to protect the general public outside the borders of the nuclear power plant site for any possible accidents;3) attainment of breeding ratios from 1.2 (stage 1) to 1.3-1.35 (stage 2) using mixed oxide fuel and 1.45 with nitride fuel; 4) reducing the construction time for serially built power-generating units to 48 months; and 5) possibility of introducing a series of reactors in 2-3 years after the startup of the main power-generating unit.
The definitions and requirements of normative documents for unanticipated accidents at nuclear power plants with fast reactors are analyzed. Definitions are constructed between one another and with a collection of scenarios which can lead to unanticipated accidents, likewise determined by normative documents independently of the probability of these accidents actually happening. It is concluded that the normative approaches to fast-reactor safety must be refined with respect to strengthening the probabilistic criteria as a tool limiting the list of required unanticipated accidents for validating reactor safety. Special attention is devoted to the need to strengthen the motivation of designers to make the maximum possible use of passively triggered safety systems.
The first experimental sodium-cooled reactor BR-5 in Europe was built and put into operation in a record short time -three years (1956)(1957)(1958)(1959). The main goal of building such a reactor was to master the use of sodium coolant and sodium equipment under radiation-hazardous operating conditions. It is shown that the reactor made it possible to solve other problems also. The first sodium apparatus, systems for monitoring and purifying the coolant, and methods and facilities which were later used in the development of fast power reactors were mastered on BR-5. The components of successful multiyear (43 years) operation and the results of investigations are presented. The article focuses primarily on the experiential aspects which were later used to develop and operate subsequent fast reactors.
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