Fast Reactors and Accelerator Driven Systems Knowledge Base

Conference Article: An ultimate fission energy system option for the next generation - The AMBIDEXTER nuclear complex

Oh, Se Kee; Chung, Kunmo (Energy System Research Center, Ajou University, Suwon (Korea, Republic of))

Abstract

Regarding to long term perspectives of nuclear power, it is well known that a number of compulsory requirements have to be fulfilled. Those are ultimate safety, non-proliferation, HLW management, public acceptance, resource security and economics. An AMBIDEXTER (Advanced Molten-salt Break-even Inherently-safe Dual-missioning Experimental and Test Reactor) nuclear complex, a kind of closed nuclear system utilizing the standard Th-233U fuel cycle was proposed, that promises to greatly remove obstacles associated with those. The AMBIDEXTER complex essentially comprises two mutually independent circuits of the heat/energy conversion and the radiation/material transport, centered at the reactor assembly. The entire reactor system including the core, heat exchangers and recirculation jet pumps is integrated in the reactor vessel. A three-loop-cycle configuration incorporated with the intermediate heat transport system is adapted for the heat/energy conversion circuit. For the radiation/material transport circuit, small bore piping connections on the reactor vessel periphery provide the bypass flow to a series of pyrochemical units where purify and recondition the irradiated fuel salt continuously. The composition of 7LiF-BeF2-ThF4-233UF4 fuel material is optimized to ensure the criticality and the conversion ratio requirements for the self-sustainability. Consequently neither fissile material flows beyond the system boundary nor excessive fissile inventory inside the reactor system is required for operation. The integral reactor configuration makes it possible to divide the reactor vessel internal into compartments of reactor system components and to eliminate any active valves or piping connections between them. On-power purification of the fuel salt through the radiation/material transport circuit removes, partitions and isolates fission products from the reactor system as much as designed. In safety point of view, this significantly reduces both releasable radioactive materials and decay heat sources. In order to investigate the integral performance of the concept, the conceptual design studies of the 250 MW(th) prototype AMBIDEXTER system are in progress. Some of the important design data are given in this paper for discussion.

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key words: high-level radioactive wastes; molten salt reactors; proliferation; reactor safety; research programs; spent fuels; thorium cycle
Reference:
Proceedings of three IAEA meetings held in Vienna in 1997, 1998 and 1999
International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria)
IAEA-TECDOC--1319, pp:286-293