Pre-conceptual design study of ASTRID core

In the framework of the ASTRID project at CEA, core design studies are performed at CEA with the AREVA and EDF support. At the stage of the project, pre-conceptual design studies are conducted in accordance with GEN IV reactors criteria, in particularly for safety improvements. An improved safety for a sodium cooled reactor requires revisiting many aspects of the design and is a rather lengthy process in current design approach. Two types of cores are under evaluation, one classical derived from the SFR V2B and one more challenging called CFV (low void effect core) with a large gain on the sodium void effect. The SFR V2b core have the following specifications: a very low burn-up reactivity swing (due to a small cycle reactivity loss) and a reduced sodium void effect with regard to past designs such as the EFR (around 2$ minus). Its performances are an average burn-up of 100 GWd/t, and an internal conversion ratio equal to one given a very good behavior of this core during a control rod withdrawal transient). The CFV with its specific design offers a negative sodium void worth while maintaining core performances. In accordance of ASTRID needs for demonstration those cores are 1500 MWth power (600 MWe). This paper will focus on the CFV pre-conceptual design of the core and S/A, and the performances in terms of safety will be evaluated on different transient scenario like ULOF, in order to assess its intrinsic behavior compared to a more classical design like V2B core. The gap in term of margin to a severe accident due to a loss of flow initiator underlines the potential capability of this type of core to enhance prevention of severe accident in accordance to safety demonstration. (authors)