The Lead-Cooled Fast Reactor (LFR) system features a fast-spectrum lead or lead/bismuth eutectic liquid-metal-cooled reactor and a closed fuel cycle for efficient conversion of fertile uranium and management of actinides.

The system has a full actinide recycle fuel cycle with central or regional fuel cycle facilities. Options include a range of plant ratings, including a small transportable battery* of 10-100 MWe that features a very long refueling interval, a medium-sized reactor rated at about 600 MWe. The fuel is metal or nitride-based, containing fertile uranium and transuranics. The LFR is cooled by natural convection with a reactor outlet coolant temperature of 550 degrees celsius, possibly ranging up to 800 degrees celsius with advanced materials. The higher temperature enables the production of hydrogen by thermochemical processes.

The LFR battery is a small factory-built turnkey plant operating on a closed fuel cycle with very long refueling interval (15 to 20 years) cassette core or replaceable reactor module. Its features are designed to meet market opportunities for electricity production on small grids and for developing countries that may not wish to deploy an indigenous fuel cycle infrastructure to support their nuclear energy systems. The battery system is designed for distributed generation of electricity and other energy products, including hydrogen and potable water. The system is fissile self-sufficient, operated in an autonomous load-following mode, simple to operate, reliable, transportable, and passively safe. Power conversion into electricity is estimated to be around 44% with the use of a supercritical carbon dioxide brayton cycle power converter.

A large scale LFR system is also in development, intended for central power generation and radioactive waste transmutation. This system is of a pool type, with removable components in the reactor pressure vessel.

This diagram illustrates a schematic concept of the reactor system and does not represent the reference design.

Diagram source: http://www.ne.doe.gov/genIV/documents/gen_iv_roadmap.pdf

Advantages and challenges

The main advantages of the LFR system are its likely fuel efficiency, materials management (thereby mitigating proliferation risks) and the reduced production of high-level radioactive waste and actinides. The key challenges for the LFR system concern the lead or lead alloy handling and the development of the necessary fuels and materials in the range of 550/800°C.

GIF progress in 2007

The LFR R&D development plan incorporates two tracks of development leading to a single joint demonstration facility by 2018. Separate designs for a small, transportable LFR with a long core life and a moderate-sized power plant will be researched in the demonstration facility. The LFR system research plan, which sets out the research required in the system design, fuel and lead technology and materials, was updated in the course of 2007.

Recent LFR research papers and links

L. Cinotti et al, The Potential of the LFR and the ELSY Project, 2007 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP '07).

Y. H. Yu, H. M. Son, I. S. Lee, K. Y. Suh, Optimized Battery-Type Reactor Primary System Design Utilizing Lead, Paper 6148, 2006 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP'06).

I.S. Hwang, A Sustainable Regional Waste Transmutation System: P E A C E R, Plenary Invited Paper, 2006 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP'06).

W. J. Kim, T. W. Kim, M. S. Sohn, K. Y. Suh, Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Brayton Power Conversion Cycle Design for Optimized Battery-Type Integral Reactor System, Paper 6142, 2006 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP'06).

A. V. Zrodnikov, G. I. Toshinsky, O. G. Komlev, Yu. G. Dragunov, V. S. Stepanov, N. N. Klimov, I. I. Kpytov, and V. N. Krushelnitsky, Use of Multi-Purpose Modular Fast Reactors SvBR-75/100 in Market Conditions, Paper 6023, 2006 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP'06).

L. Cinotti et al, LFR (2006) Lead-Cooled Fast Reactor, FISA 2006, Luxembourg, 13-16 March 2006.

J. J. Sienicki and A.V. Moisseytsev, SSTAR Lead-Cooled, Small Modular Fast Reactor for Deployment at Remote Sites - System Thermal Hydraulic Development, Paper 5426, 2005 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP'05).

L. Cinotti et al, The Experimental Accelerator Driven System (XADS) Designs in the EURATOM 5th Framework Programme, Journal of Nuclear Materials, 335, 148-155, 2004.

A.Aiello, A Azzati, G. Benamati, A. Gessi, B. Long, G. Scadozzo, Corrosion behaviour of steels in flowing LBE at low and high oxygen concentration, Journal of Nuclear Materials, 335, 169-173, 2004.

Y. Nishi, I. Kinoshita, Experimental Study on Gas Lift Pump Performance in Lead-Bismuth Eutectic, ICAPP03-3055, 2003 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP'03).

J. Perera (2003), Brest is best, Nuclear Engineering International, January 2003.

G. I. Toshinsky et al, "Safety Aspects of the SVBR-75/100 Reactor", NEA Workshop on Advanced Nuclear Safety Issues and Research Needs, 18-20 February 2002, Paris, France.

E. O. Adamov and V. V. Orlov, A. Filin, Final report on the ISTC Project 1418: Naturally Safe Lead-Cooled Fast Reactor for Large Scale Nuclear Power, Moscow 2001

DOE Nuclear Energy Research Initiative LFR Program Plan (pdf, 248 kb).

E-mail contact: lfr@gen-4.org

* The term "battery" refers to the long-life sealed or cartridge-core architecture in a small, modular system, not to any provision for electrochemical energy conversion.

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