OPERATING METHOD OF FAST NEUTRON NUCLEAR REACTOR WITH NITRIDE FUEL AND LIQUID-METAL COOLANT Russian patent published in 2014 - IPC G21C1/00 

FIELD: power industry.

SUBSTANCE: operating method of a fast neutron nuclear reactor with nitride fuel and liquid-metal coolant is implemented in a closed fuel cycle with transition during several campaigns to operation on nitride uranium-plutonium fuel in an equilibrium mode. As loading start fuel, nitride of saturated uranium is used, to which plutonium is added in the quantity of 2 to 4 percent of mass of heavy fuel atoms. Nitride of saturated uranium includes isotope ¹⁵N in the quantity of at least 80 percent of total nitrogen amount. In every next loading, content of isotope ¹⁵N in nitride of fuel mixture is reduced by 10-30 percent in comparison to the previous quantity till its natural value is reached.

EFFECT: reduction of weight of loaded fuel at start till weight of uranium-plutonium fuel of equilibrium composition, which allows excluding correction of critical fuel weight during a transient period.

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