Preliminary design of a medium-power modular lead-cooled fast reactor with the application of optimization methods

Based on research and development experience from Gen III, Gen III+, and Gen IV reactor concepts, a 1000-MWt medium-power modular lead-cooled fast reactor M2LFR-1000 was developed by University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), aiming at achieving a reactor design fulfilling the Gen IV nuclear system requirements and meanwhile emphasizing application of optimization methods in preliminary design phase. By using the optimization methods presented, primarily considering the safety design limits (the maximum coolant velocity, the maximum cladding temperature, and the maximum burn-up limited by the cladding radiation damage permitted), the preliminary design of 1000-MWth medium-power modular lead-cooled fast reactor M2LFR-1000 was carried out, including the design of fuel rods, fuel assemblies, reactivity control system, primary system, secondary system, decay heat removal system, and so on. The analysis of neutron characteristics (including reactivity feedback coefficients) and thermal hydraulics characteristics (the maximum fuel temperature and the maximum cladding outer surface temperature) of the core under normal steady-state condition was carried out to evaluate the core design. Also, the analysis of 2 typical protected transients (protected transient over power accident and protected loss of flow accident) was conducted. Other analysis work of the reactor is to be done, such as the transient analysis via computational fluid dynamic codes and the seismic response analysis of the reactor. But the preliminary analysis results obtained so far under normal steady state and transient conditions confirm the inherent safety characteristics of the reactor design.