Innovative reactor core: potentialities and design

Gen IV nuclear reactors are considered a very attractive answer for the demand of energy. Because public acceptance they have to fulfil very clearly the requirement of sustainable development. In this sense a reactor concept, having by itself a rather no significant interaction with the environment both on the front and back end ('adiabatic concept'), is vital. This goal in mind, a new way of designing such a core has to be assumed. The starting point must be the 'zero impact'. Therefore the core will be designed having as basic constraints: a) fed with only natural or depleted Uranium, and b) discharges only fission products. Meantime its potentiality as a net burner of Minor Actinide has to be carefully estimated. This activity, referred to the ELSY reactor, shows how to design such an 'adiabatic' core and states its reasonable capability of burning MA legacy in the order of 25-50 kg/GWey. (authors)