METHOD OF OPERATING FAST NEUTRON REACTOR WITH LIQUID METAL COOLANT Russian patent published in 2013 - IPC G21C1/02 

FIELD: physics.

SUBSTANCE: method of operating a fast neutron reactor with liquid metal coolant is carried out in a closed fuel cycle with switch over several lifetimes to operating on uranium-plutonium fuel. The starting load used is uranium fuel enriched to 13-15%, to which americium is further added in amount of 2-6% of the mass of heavy fuel atoms. Subsequent loads during the transition period are carried out with fuel regenerated from own spent nuclear fuel with addition of depleted uranium.

EFFECT: reducing the mass of loaded fuel at start and during the transition period while maintaining power and change in reactivity in lifetimes within an effective fraction of delayed neutrons, which enables to correct the critical mass of fuel during the transition period through minimal change in the structure of the core, specifically reducing its height to design height, designed for operation of the reactor on uranium-plutonium fuel in equilibrium mode.

2 dwg