XA9847023 . AT IAEA-TECDOC-1015 Advances in fast reactor technology Proceedings of the 30th meeting of the International Working Group on Fast Reactors held in Beijing, China, 13-16 May 1997 MTEBUATiQUAl ATOMIC ENERGY A6ENCY (I /A\ I != // April 1998 2 9-25 The IAEA does not normally maintain stocks of reports in this series. However, microfiche copies of these reports can be obtained from INIS Clearinghouse International Atomic Energy Agency Wagramerstrasse 5 P.O. Box 100 A-1400 Vienna, Austria Orders should be accompanied by prepayment of Austrian Schillings 100,- in the form of a cheque or in the form of IAEA microfiche service coupons which may be ordered separately from the INIS Clearinghouse. IAEA-TECDOC-1015 Advances in fast reactor technology Proceedings of the 30th meeting of the International Working Group on Fast Reactors held in Beijing, China, 13-16 May 1997 INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY The originating Section of this publication in the IAEA was: Nuclear Power Technology Development Section International Atomic Energy Agency Wagramer Strasse 5 P.O. Box 100 A-1400 Vienna, Austria ADVANCES IN FAST REACTOR TECHNOLOGY IAEA, VIENNA, 1998 IAEA-TECDOC-1015 ISSN 1011-4289 ©IAEA, 1998 Printed by the IAEA in Austria April 1998 FOREWORD Individual States were largely responsible for early developments in experimental and prototype liquid metal fast reactors (LMFRs). However, for development of advanced LMFRs, international co-operation plays an important role. The IAEA seeks to promote such co-operation. For R&D incorporating innovative features, international co-operation allows pooling of resources and expertise in areas of common interest. Information on experience gained from R&D, and from the operation and construction of fast reactors, has been reviewed periodically by the International Working Group on Fast Reactors (IWGFR). These proceedings contain updated and new information on the status of LMFR development, as reported at the 30th meeting of the IWGFR, held in Beijing, China, from 13 to 16 May 1997. EDITORIAL NOTE In preparing this publication for press, staff of the IAEA have made up the pages from the original manuscripts as submitted by the authors. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the IAEA, the governments of the nominating Member States or the nominating organizations. Throughout the text names of Member States are retained as they were when the text was compiled. The use of particular designations of countries or territories does not imply any judgement by the publisher, the IAEA, as to the legal status of such countries or territories, of their authorities and institutions or of the delimitation of their boundaries. The mention of names of specific companies or products (whether or not indicated as registered) does not imply any intention to infringe proprietary rights, nor should it be construed as an endorsement or recommendation on the part of the IAEA. The authors are responsible for having obtained the necessary permission for the IAEA to reproduce, translate or use material from sources already protected by copyrights. CONTENTS SUMMARY 1 Fast reactor research activities in Brazil 7 A. Menezes The status of fast reactor technology development in China 13 XuMi Fast reactor development programme in France 25 C. Le Rigoleur Status of fast reactor research in Germany 75 G. Heusener Status of fast reactor development in India (April 1996-March 1997) 79 S.B. Bhoje A review of fast reactor programme in Japan Ill Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation Current status of the BN-350 fast reactor 137 S. Krechetov Status of liquid metal reactor development activities in the Republic of Korea: 139 An introduction to KALIMER C.K. Park Status of sodium cooled fast reactor development in the Russian Federation 149 Yu. Buksha Fast reactor research in Switzerland 179 R. Brogli, M. Hudina, S. Pelloni, B. Sigg, A. Stanculescu A review of the UK fast reactor programme 191 C. Picker, K.F. Ainsworth European Union: Review of fast reactor related activities 199 G Van Goethem, M. Hugon LIST OF PARTICIPANTS 207 SUMMARY 1. INTRODUCTION The 30th Annual Meeting of the IAEA International Working Group on Fast Reactors (IWGFRs) was held in Beijing. China, from 13 to 16 May 1997. The meeting was attended by IWGFR members from Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, as well as by an observer from Switzerland. The primary purpose of the meeting was to co-ordinate an exchange of information on the status of fast reactor development and operational experience, including experience with experimental types of reactor. 2. IWGFR ACTIVITIES Present trends in LMFR design are aimed at providing design which can compete economically with other reactor types. Because of the relatively high capital cost of LMFRs, this implies the need for both high availability and plant lifetimes in excess of 40 years. Reduction of over-conservative design, while avoiding failure over lifetimes of at least 300 000 hours is therefore a motivation for the development of improved design standards. To this end, two TCMs (on Creep Fatigue Damage Rules To Be Used in Fast Reactor Design (June 1996); and on Evaluation of Radioactive Materials Release and Sodium Fires in Fast Reactors (November 1996)) were held in the United Kingdom and Japan respectively, providing an important opportunity to review developments in design rules for creep-fatigue conditions, codes and method for evaluation of radioactivity release and discussion of safety design principles against sodium fires. The Co-ordinated Research Programme on Intercomparison of Analysis Methods for Seismically Isolated Nuclear Structures started in 1996. The purpose of this CRP is to validate reliable numerical methods used for both detailed evaluation of dynamic behavior of seismic isolators and isolated nuclear structures of various NPP types. The first Research Coordination Meeting (RCM) was held in May 1996 in St. Petersburg, Russia to discuss in detail the experimental data on seismic isolators and perform a comparison of the results of calculations based on such data. The CRP on Harmonization and Improvement of FR Thermomechanical and Thermohydraulic Codes and Relationship using Experimental Data was started in 1996. The first RCM, which was held in November in Lyon, France, discussed the status and scope of contributions to the CRP from participating organizations, reviewed the case setup data provided by FRAMATOME and discussed first results of thermohydraulic calculations provided by the participants. A joint IAEA/EC benchmark exercise for hypothetical accident (unprotected loss of coolant flow) in a BN-800 reactor with near zero void core has been continued during 1996. Two consultancies were held: one in June 1996 in Brussels and another in December 1996 in Vienna, in order to review and concur the results of preboiling transient calculations provided by organizations from France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Russian Federation and United Kingdom. In addition, a consultancy was held in October 1996 in Vienna to harmonize the international assistance to ensure stable operation during the remaining lifetime and the development of an effective decommissioning programme of the BN-350 fast reactor in Kazakhstan. 3. NATIONAL FAST REACTOR PROGRAMMES Brazil. Fast reactor activities in Brazil are mostly research-oriented and have the objective of establishing a consistent knowledge base which can serve as a support for a future transition to the activities more directly related to design, construction and operation of an experimental fast reactor. Due to the present economic difficulties and uncertainties, the programme is modest, with a potential to grow; however, it is affected by the present "eye on the market'" philosophy to permeat everything which concerns nuclear energy in Brazil. Under a cooperation agreement with the Instituto de Engenharia Nuclear (IEN, Nuclear Engineering Institute), neutronics calculations are being continued with different methodologies in order to choose the best route for more refined calculations if necessary. The objective here is to understand the influence of various nuclear data sets, etc. A natural flow circuit using water as the circulating fluid has been recently installed in the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the Instituto Tecnolologico de Aeronautica (ITA, Aeronautic Technological Institute), as part of a formal agreement between the Advanced Studies Institute and ITA. Using a 8 kW(th) heat source, the circuit will be used for studying basic phenomena and also for computer code (passive system analysis) validation. In the area of heat transfer/removal, an exchange between the researchers at the Indira Ghandi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR, India) has been initiated in order to identify topics of common interest for a future collaboration. As in the ALMR (USA), HT-9 is being considered as our reference for cladding material. In 1996, a sample was experimentally obtained and first analyses have indicated the need for minor adjustments in its composition, which are presently being done. Under a formal cooperation agreement with the Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas de Nucleares (IPEN, Nuclear Research Institute, San Paulo), metallic uranium recovery by electrorefining is being investigated, in order to understand the basic processes involved. A first experiment performed in 1996, in which a small amount of uranium