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LLNL, Ampera partner to develop thorium-based TRISO fuel
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has formed a strategic partnership with Ampera to develop the company’s nuclear fuel concept through a project named THUNDER, for Thorium Unimodal Droplet Ejection for Reactors.
The focus of THUNDER is fabricating TRISO made with kernels of thorium rather than the usual uranium. LLNL and Ampera will evaluate and optimize liquid metal–jetting technology to produce highly uniform, spherical kernels of thorium-232 for later processing into TRISO fuel.
Stanley Rosen, Richard D. Ivany, John F. Kapinos, Suk K. Sim
Nuclear Technology | Volume 91 | Number 1 | July 1990 | Pages 89-94
Technical Paper | Safety of Next Generation Power Reactor / Nuclear Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT90-A34444
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Combustion Engineering’s advanced light water reactor, System 80+, is an evolutionary upgrade of the proven System 80® nuclear steam supply system design. While both plants are rated at 3817 MW(thermal), System 80+ incorporates a number of design enhancements, including direct vessel injection for the safety injection (SI) system and other changes to the reactor cooling system. The results of a best-estimate small-break loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) study that addresses utility investment protection concerns is presented. Specifically, the size piping break that can be tolerated without the liquid or two-phase fluid level falling below the top of the active core is addressed. Using best-estimate analytical procedures, and assuming no single failure, the active core remains covered with substantial margin for breaks up to 0.254-m (10-in.) diameter. This reduces the possibility of core damage due to a small LOCA. A large-break, cold-leg LOCA licensing analysis is also presented that addresses the reflood capability after the end of SI tank discharge without credit for a low-pressure SI pump system. This analysis confirms that the improved high-pressure SI system provides adequate reflood capability to satisfy the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission LOCA licensing criteria.