Rapid neutron reactors (RNR)

							 Rapid neutron reactors (RNR)

                by Pierre CLAUZON
member of EFN - Environmentalists For Nuclear Energy

                           8th June 2010

                       This presentation is archived here :
http://www.ecolo.org/documents/documents_in_english/RNR-Clauzon-2010-en.ppt

                      French version of this presentation :
 http://www.ecolo.org/documents/documents_in_french/RNR-Clauzon-2010.ppt
Georges Vendryès,
 former Director of Atomic reactors at CEA
Pierre Zaleski
                 Summary

1   Physics and economical considerations

2   The adventure of RNR in France :
     the learning phase
     Rapsodie
     Phénix (300 Mwe)
     Superphénix (1300 Mwe)

3    The future with Astrid, and foreign projects
•   To produce 1MW during 24 hours :

•    you can burn 1,4 tonne of coal

•    or 1 g of Uranium (fission)

•    or 0.3 gram of hydrogène (fusion)
Binding energy
        RAPSODIE
(test reactor in Cadarache)
         PHENIX
(300 MWe reactor in Marcoule)
Phenix (diagram)
PHENIX (integrated reactor)
PHENIX
(fuel element)
        PHENIX
(arrangement of fuel rods)
PHENIX (bottom bed)
      SUPERPHENIX
(1300 MWe in Creys-Malville)
SUPERPHENIX (Creys-Malville)
                                                                   Japan
Japan has 2 fast reactors, JOYO stopped since 2007 after technical incident, and
MONJU, stopped since 1995, restarted in 2010.
JSFR (Japanese Sodium Fast Reactor will be the most advanced model of RNR in
Japan (4th géeneration)



                                                            Secundary pump

                                                            Short circuits
                     JOYO
                                                            Steam generator



                                                                 JSFR

                                                           Intermediate exchanger
                                                           and primary pump
                     MONJU                                   compact reactor Vessel
  The Russian RNR family




                                    BN-800


                           BN-600



             BN-350
    BOR-60
BR 10
    Beloyarsk NPP
View of BN-800 site
                                 Inde
- FBTR, a copy of Rapsodie, is in operation since 1985 with carbure fuel elements.
- PFBR, 500 Mwe, inspired from EFR, is in construction to diverge in 2010 ; it is the
first of 3 similar reactors to be built on the same site.
   China’s sodium reactor :
            CEFR
China has a small sodium rapid neutron reactor, 65 MWth,
inspired by BOR 60, expected to diverge in 2010.




                                        CEFR reactor building

                  Work on the CEFR in October 2008
             CONCLUSION
         Inscribed on the JOYO reactor
          (transmitted by G. Vendryès)

• A quote from Seneca (Greek philosopher):

• « Veniet tempus, quo posteri tam aperta nos
  nescisse mirentur »

• « Time will come when our descendents will
  be surprised that we have missed such simple
  evidence »