Small lead-bismuth cooled reactor. Annex XXI

The Small Lead-Bismuth Cooled Reactor is being developed by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA). The core is of homogeneous type and has 2 regions. With nitride fuel, the core lifetime of 30·years is achieved without reloading or shuffling of fuel. This is a small sized tank-type reactor without an intermediate heat transport system. Steam generator is located inside the reactor vessel. The intermediate heat transport system is eliminated because there is no essential chemical interaction between lead-bismuth and steam. Main and auxiliary cooling systems are driven by natural convection. The inherent safety features of the core are enhanced to avoid a core-disruption accident even in anticipated transients without scram (ATWSs). Main characteristics of the reactor core are summarized. Major characteristics of an NPP with the Small Lead-Bismuth Cooled Reactor are given. A general view of the reactor is shown. A list of the enabling technologies for the Small Lead-Bismuth Cooled Reactor is presented