Demonstrating the Effectiveness of the European LFR Concept: The ALFRED Core Design

The ''Lead-cooled European Advanced DEmonstration Reactor'' (LEADER) project, approved by the European Union within the 7th EURATOM Framework Programme, was addressed with the twofold goal of further developing the conceptual design of the reference Generation-IV LFR for industrial use, and of conceiving the Advanced Lead-cooled Fast Reactor European Demonstrator. ALFRED is a 300 MWth pool system aimed at proving the viability of the design concept adopted for the European LFR systems, while demonstrating the effectiveness of the safety features that are implemented in a simple, passive, robust and economic way. The reference ALFRED core configuration is presented, together with the rationales adopted in the design approach in order to outline from scratch a fuel pin, fuel assembly and core complying with the technological, safety and performance constraints/goals by design. The results of the detailed neutronic and thermal-hydraulic analyses carried out to verify the proposed core design are also presented. (author)