Status of development of the small secure transportable autonomous reactor (SSTAR) for worldwide sustainable nuclear energy supply

The STAR (Secure Transportable Reactor) is a viable concept for a small fast reactor converter for international deployment in partner states providing proliferation resistance, fissile self-sufficiency, autonomous load following, simplicity of operation and reliability, transportability, as well as a high level of passive safety. The SSTAR (Small Secure Transportable Autonomous Reactor) whose power output is 20 MWe (45 MWth), combines primary circuit natural circulation heat transport, lead (Pb) primary coolant, and transuranic nitride fuel in a pool vessel configuration inside a small shippable reactor vessel. Conversion of the core thermal energy into electricity is accomplished with a supercritical carbon dioxide Brayton cycle power converter; a goal has been to operate at peak cladding temperatures as high as 650 C degrees at which the core outlet temperature is 567 C degrees and the net plant efficiency is 44% to take advantage of the efficiency benefits of the supercritical CO2 Brayton cycle with increasing turbine inlet temperature. (authors)