Safety design criteria for liquid metal fast breeder reactors

The general safety approach for liquid metal fast breeder reactors (LMFBR's) is very similar to that which has been developed for light water reactors. The safety of the plant is assured by design features which prevent the occurrence of accidents, features which limit the damage and serve to protect the public against excessive exposure to radioactive material even in the event of a hypothetical, low-probability accident. Multiple barriers consisting of fuel and cladding, primary coolant boundary, and containment building or other low leakage containment structures are also the same as those utilized for light water reactors. Because of the great similarity in the general approach of LMFBR's and LWR's, the question of safety criteria for LMFBR's is discussed in terms of a comparison with LWR safety criteria