EUROPEAN LEAD FAST REACTOREUROPEAN LEAD FAST REACTOR
The LEADER project aims to define an European Lead Fast Reactor configuration for an industrial-sized (600 MWe, the ELFR) reactor, based on previous results obtained in the frame of the ELSY project, and to develop the conceptual design of ALFRED, the Advanced Lead Fast Reactor European Demonstrator (120 MWe). The objectives of the project activities concerning the ALFRED conceptual design are:
• to define the main suitable characteristic and design guidelines• to design a scaled demonstrator representative of the industrial-sized reactor • to use components/technologies already available in the short term to proceed to a timely construction • to evaluate the safety aspects and to perform a preliminary safety analysis • to minimize the cost of the demonstrator
Moreover the demonstrator shall confirm that the newly developed and adopted materials, both structural material and innovative fuel material, are able to sustain high & fast neutron fluxes and high temperatures.
LEADER Project StructureLEADER Project StructureLEADER Project StructureLEADER Project Structure
ANSALDO AGH CEA CIRTEN EA ENEA KIT-G INR JRC KTH NRG PSI SCKCEN SRS UJV UNIBOAnsaldo Nucleare S.p.A., Akademia Górniczo-Hutnicza,.Commissariat a l’Energie Atomique, Inter Universities Consortium for Nuclear Technological Research, Empresarios Agrupados Internacional S.A., Agenzia Nazionale per le nuove tecnologie, l’energia e lo sviluppo economico sostenibile, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Nuclear
Research, Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, Royal Institute of Technology - Stockholm, Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group, Paul Scherrer Institut, Studiecentrum voor Kernenergie Centre d’Etudes de l’Energie Nucléaire, Servizi di Ricerche e Sviluppo, Ustav Jaderneho Vyzkumu Rez, a.s., Università di Bologna
The LEADER project is subdivided in seven Work Packages + Coordination activities:
LEADER Project GoalsLEADER Project GoalsLEADER Project GoalsLEADER Project Goals
Safety:
The safety approach of ALFRED complies with the guidelines developed in the Risk and Safety Working Group (RSWG) of the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) and is strongly based on the application of Defence in Depth. Adopting Passive Safety Systems has been a mandatory criteria since the initial phases of the design of ALFRED. Special features like very low pressure drop (overall primary pressure drop is below 1.5 bars) have been enforced as design goals specifically to enhance the natural circulation of the coolant and allow for a significant grace time following an unprotected transients.
ALFRED Key ParametersALFRED Key Parameters
Power 300 MWth (~120 MWe)
Thermal efficiency 40% (or better)
Primary coolant Pure lead
Primary system Pool type, compact
Primary coolant circulation (at power) Forced (mechanical pumps)
Primary system pressure loss (at power) < 1.5 bar
Primary coolant circulation for DHR Natural circulation
Fuel MOX for first loading + consideration for nitrides (with and without MA)
Fuel cladding material 15-15/Ti as a reference (T91 as an option)
Steam Generators 8, integrated in the main vessel
Secondary cycle Water-superheated steam at 180 bar, 335-450°C
Primary pumps 8, mechanical, integrated in the Steam Generators, suction from hot collector
Internals All internals removable
Inner vessel Cylindrical
Hot collector Small-volume, enclosed by the Inner Vessel
Decay Heat Removal2 independent, redundant and diverse DHR systems, 3 out of 4 loops of each system are capable of removing the decay heat
Seismic design 2D isolators supporting the reactor building
ALFRED in the ESNII Road Map
LF
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MYRRHA
ALFRED
WP2 Core Design
WP2 Core Design
WP3Conceptual Design
WP3Conceptual Design
WP4Plant Operation,
Control, Instrumentation, and Protection
WP4Plant Operation,
Control, Instrumentation, and Protection
Design Objectives.Recommendations for waste transmutation, cost minimization and compliance with requirements through design review
RECOMMENDATIONSDATA
Data for compliance with waste transmutation and the GEN IV goals WP7
Education & Training
WP7Education &
Training
All WPs
•Waste transmutation•Cost estimate•Compliance with GEN IV goals
Safety evaluation•Lead Data Base•Validation of key issues
Grow-up the future nuclear energy designer
•Industrial LFR Plant Conceptual Design•Design of the scaled/pilot plant ETDR
Material Properties and Lead Data BaseOxygen ControlSGTR tests
Technology collaboration with
ROSATOM
End-user Advisory
Group
Safety Authority
Advisory Group
WP1Design, Objectives and Specifications
WP1Design, Objectives and Specifications
WP5Safety and
Transient Analysis
WP5Safety and
Transient Analysis
WP6Lead Technology
WP6Lead Technology
Masters thesis topics related & Workshops
WP0Coordination of the Project
WP0Coordination of the Project
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Decay Heat Removal system: One non safety-grade system, i.e. the secondary system, is used for the normal decay heat removal following the reactor shutdown.Two independent, diverse, highly reliable and redundant safety-related Decay Heat Removal systems are used in case of unavailability of the secondary system.
Decay Heat Removal Systems features:Independence is obtained by two different systems with no components in common.Diversity is obtained by two systems based on different physical principles. Redundancy is obtained by 3 out of 4 loops (of each system) capable of removing the decay heat.
Expanding and extending the project:
As a natural follow-on of the project and within ESNII, an on-going effort is currently taking place in order to
ESTABLISH A CONSORTIUM INVOLVING LEADING EU ORGANIZATIONS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS
aimed at evaluating the conceptual design of ALFRED in view of the future construction phase.
