A decade of radiological and shielding experience at the fast flux test facility

This paper reports on which the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) which has operated for almost a decade after first going critical during February 1980. Based on about 2,000 effective full-power days of operation, it is concluded that radiological safety can be achieved in large liquid metal-cooled fast reactors. The collective dose equivalents received by operating personnel are significantly lower than those received at commercial light water reactors. No major contamination problems have been encountered in operating and maintaining the plant, and release of radioactive materials to the environment has been well below acceptable limits. All shields have performed satisfactorily and in agreement with design calculations. The experience derived from the design, construction, and operation of the FFTF should be of inestimable value in supporting future development of liquid metal reactors