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Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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World Bank, IAEA partner to fund nuclear energy
The World Bank and the International Atomic Energy Agency signed an agreement last week to cooperate on the construction and financing of advanced nuclear projects in developing countries, marking the first partnership since the bank ended its ban on funding for nuclear energy projects.
Robert J. Teitel, John B. Brown
Nuclear Technology | Volume 1 | Number 1 | February 1965 | Pages 13-24
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NT65-A20459
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The Liquid Metal Breeder (LIMB) reactor is an internally-cooled fluid fuel reactor based upon a Th232-U233 thermal breeder cycle. It employs a molten lead coolant, a uranium-bismuth solution fuel, a thorium bismuthide dispersion in lead-bismuth blanket fluid and a graphite moderator. Heat from the fuel is transferred through a graphite fuel element to the coolant which transports the heat to an external boiler and pump. This arrangement overcomes the major disadvantages found in previous “externally-cooled” liquid-metal-fuel reactors. Equilibrium concentrations of uranium isotopes heavier than U233 and other reasonable assumptions were derived from existing information and then used to develop a broad survey of LIMB reactor sizes. Two sizes, 200 and 1000 MW(th), were chosen for more detailed evaluation. The 200 MW(th) has a potential breeding ratio of 1.08 and an 8 year doubling time. The 1000 MW(th) reactor has a breeding ratio of 1.05 and a 12 year doubling time. Using the most pessimistic estimates on processing could reduce the breeding ratio, while improvements in design and the utilization of low-cross-section coolants can counteract these losses. LIMB reactor technology can lead to an efficient breeder, even in large power sources, and warrants further engineering evaluations.