Safety related experience in FFTF startup and operation

The Fast Flux Test facility (FFTF) is a 400 MWt sodium cooled fast reactor operating at the Hanford Engineering Development Laboratory, Richland, Washington, to conduct fuels and materials testing in support of the U.S. LMFBR program. Startup and initial power ascension testing of the facility involved a comprehensive series of readiness reviews and acceptance tests, many of which relate to the inherent safety of the plant. Included are physics measurements, natural circulation, integrated containment leakage, shielding effectiveness, fuel failure detection, and plant protection system tests. Described are the measurements taken to confirm the design safety margins upon which the operating authorization of the plant was based. These measurements demonstrate that large margins of safety are available in the FFTF design