• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.11
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• pp.3580-3596
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• 2021

An integral test facility, PILLAR, was commissioned, aiming to provide valuable experimental results which can be referenced by system and component designers and used for the performance demonstration of liquid-metal-cooled, passive small modular reactors (SMRs) toward their licensing. The setup was conceptualized by a scaling analysis which allows the vertical arrangements to be conserved from its prototypic reactor, scaled uniformly in the radial direction achieving a flow area reduction of 1/200. Its final design includes several heater rods which simulate the reactor core, and a single heat exchanger representing the steam generators in the prototype. The system behaviors were characterized by its data acquisition system implementing various instruments. In this paper, we present not only a detailed description of the facility components, but also selected experimental results of both steady-state and transient cases. The obtained steady-state test results were utilized for the benchmark of a system code, achieving a capability of accurate simulations with ±3% of maximum deviations. It was followed by qualitative comparisons on the transient test results which indicate that the integral system behaviors in passive LBE-cooled systems are able to be predicted by the code.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.1303-1314
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• 2016

This work examines the most viable nuclear technology options for future underwater designs that would meet high safety standards as well as good economic potential, for construction in the 2030-2040 timeframe. The top five concepts selected from a survey of 13 nuclear technologies were compared to a small modular pressurized water reactor (PWR) designed with a conventional layout. In order of smallest to largest primary system size where the reactor and all safety systems are contained, the top five designs were: (1) a lead-bismuth fast reactor based on the Russian SVBR-100; (2) a novel organic cooled reactor; (3) an innovative superheated water reactor; (4) a boiling water reactor based on Toshiba's LSBWR; and (5) an integral PWR featuring compact steam generators. A similar study on potential attractive power cycles was also performed. A condensing and recompression supercritical $CO_2$ cycle and a compact steam Rankine cycle were designed. It was found that the hull size required by the reactor, safety systems and power cycle can be significantly reduced (50-80%) with the top five designs compared to the conventional PWR. Based on the qualitative economic consideration, the organic cooled reactor and boiling water reactor designs are expected to be the most cost effective options.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.10
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• pp.3919-3927
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• 2022

This study presents an optimal design of the coolant system of a non-refueling full-life small reactor by analyzing the space-integrated geometrical and electromagnetic variables of an extra vessel electromagnetic pump (EVEMP) for the circulation of a lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) coolant. The EVEMP is an ideal alternative to the thermal-hydraulic system of non-refueling full-life micro reactors as it possesses no internal structures, such as impellors or sealing structures, for the transportation of LBE. Typically, the LBE passes through the annular flow channel of a reactor, is cooled by the heat exchanger, and then circulates back to the EVEMP flow channel. This thermal-hydraulic flow method is similar to natural circulation, which enhances thermal efficiency, while providing a golden time for cooling cores in the event of an emergency. When the forced circulation technology of the EVEMP was applied, the non-refueling full-life micro reactor achieve an output power of 60 MWt, which is higher than that achievable via the natural circulation method (30 MWt). Accordingly, an optimized EVEMP for Micro URANUS with a flow rate of 4196 kg/s and developed pressure of 73 kPa under a working temperature of 250 ℃ was designed.