1000-Mw(e) METAL-FUELED FAST BREEDER REACTOR.

Fuel Properties and Nuclear Performance of Fast Reactors Fueled with Molten Chlorides

“…Empirical molar volumes of LiCl, NaCl, KCl, and MgCl 2 at 650°C were estimated from the density data for the LiCl-NaCl eutectic and the NaCl-KCl-MgCl 2 eutectic. By comparison with the behavior of other chlorides and UF 4 , the empirical molar volumes of UCl 3 and PuCl 3 at 650°C were estimated to be 1.15 times the molar volume of the solid salts at 20°C.…”

“…For the composition range of interest [10 to 60 mol% (UCl 3 + PuCl 3 )], the value is probably 2-4 x 10 -4 deg C, based on data for molten-fluoride mixtures 13 containing UF 4 and the eutectics of the LiCl-KCl and NaCl-KCl-MgCl 2 systems 16 . We used a value of 3 x 10 -4 deg C. The thermal conductivity for the fuel mixtures was estimated using a correlation developed by Gambill 17 .…”

“…It is evident that chloride-fueled reactor cores must have large volumes [about 10,000 liters for 1000 MWe] because of the low fuel-density and heat-transfer requirements. By providing a length/diameter ratio of unity, however, the core diameter would be comparable to those of solidfueled reactors of recent design [1][2][3][4]31 . The low density of the fuel results in a core mass that is less than that for solid-fueled fast reactors of the same power.…”

“…However, the 7500-kg plutonium inventory for reactor Type A is about two or three times the in-pile inventory usually calculated for solid-fueled fast reactors of the same powers [1][2][3][4] . At a cost of $10/g for plutonium and an interest rate of 10%/year, the 7500-kg inventory would cost about 1 mill/kWh.…”

“…Some recent studies of large solid-fueled fast reactors have indicated the need for reactor configurations such as flat cylindrical (small length/ diameter ratios) cores 1 , annular cores 2 , or multiple cores 3,4 to avoid a positive sodium-void coefficient of reactivity. These reactor configurations have the disadvantage of requiring a larger fissile mass than was once thought necessary for plutonium-fueled fast reactors.…”