Conversion of a reactor to partial power output

The method, among other things, involves an increase in the rate of secondary fissile material production in a fast breeder reactor if the flow of the working fluid through a turbine is reduced as a function of a given amount of reduction of the electric load. This objective will be served by a circuit and circuit variants, respectively, which include a high temperature cooling circuit with, for instance, a sodium cooled HTR, a low temperature cooling circuit with, for instance, a fast or thermal breeder reactor, a working fluid circuit with the turbine, and a heat consumption circuit. In the scheme suggested for operation in the partial power production mode it is envisaged that, as the electric load of the plant decreases the flow of the working fluid upstream of the turbine is kept constant by means of a control system in the working fluid circuit. Additional control systems are used to reduce the amount of heat transmitted by the breeder reactor to the working fluid. The excess amount of heat is distributed to the load connected. This again reduces the temperatures at the inlet and the outlet of the breeder reactor, thus raising its thermal power output. However, the flow through the breeder reactor remains constant all the time. (DG/RF)