Speaker
Prof.
Qunying Huang
(CnINEST)
Description
Lead-based reactor is one of the most promising nuclear energy systems for Generation-IV Accelerator Driven subcritical System (ADS) and reactors. Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) had launched a project to develop ADS and lead-based fast reactor technology since 2011. China LEAd-based Reactor (CLEAR) was selected as the reference reactor, which was performed by Institute of Nuclear Energy Safety Technology (INEST/FDS Team), CAS. The program consists of three stages with the goal of developing 10MWth lead-based research reactor (CLEAR-I), 100MWth lead-based engineering demonstration reactor (CLEAR-II) and 1000MWth lead-based commercial prototype reactor (CLEAR-III) on each stage. To promote the CLEAR project successfully, INEST places more emphases on reactor design, reactor safety assessment, design and analysis software development, lead alloy experiment loop, key technologies and components R&D activities.
Detailed conceptual design of CLEAR-I has been completed and the engineering design is underway, which has subcritical and critical dual-mode operation capability for validation of lead cooled fast reactor (LFR) and ADS transmutation system and technology. KYLIN series Lead-Bismuth Eutectic (LBE) experimental loops have been constructed which is a large multi-functional lead-bismuth experiment loop platform. It has three independent loops, including material test loop, thermal hydraulic loop and safety loop. The objective of KYLIN is to perform structural material corrosion experiments, thermal-hydraulics tests and safety experiments. The key components including the control rod drive mechanism, refueling system, fuel assembly, and simulator for principle verification have been fabricated and tested. In order to integrated test the technologies of lead-based reactor, three integrated test facilities have been built, including the lead alloy cooled engineering validation reactor CLEAR-S, the lead-based zero power critical/subcritica reactor CLEAR-0, the lead-based virtual reactor CLEAR-V.
In addition, series of innovative concepts for different purpose are being developed to enlarge the application perspective of lead-based reactors, which are not only for ADS and fast reactors but also for other innovative applications, such as CLEAR-SFB for spent fuel burning, CLEAR-Th for thorium utilization, CLEAR-H for hydrogen production, etc..
Country/Int. Organization
Institute of Nuclear Energy Safety Technology (INEST), Chinese Academy of Sciences
Primary author
Prof.
Yican Wu
(Institute of Nuclear Energy Safety Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences)
