Operating safety experience of fast breeder test reactor

Full text: Operational safety criteria for nuclear reactors are very stringent and it is essential to incorporate adequate inherent and engineered safety features in the design to ensure safe operation of the reactor. Commissioning and operation of FBTR, being first of its kind in India based on nuclear chain reaction maintained by fast neutrons and use of high temperature liquid sodium as coolant, was a challenging task. Safe operation of the reactor for the past 17 years with good performance of sodium systems and the indigenous plutonium rich carbide fuel, touching a burn up level of 100 GWd/t has underlined the high level of design and operation competence achieved