Neutronics and thermal hydraulics analysis on a Lead-bismuth-cooled fast reactor

Breeding Lead-base Economical Safe System-Demonstration BLESS-D is a lead-bismuth-cooled fast reactor proposed by China State Power Investment Corporation Research Institute. It features a pool-type configuration of pressure vessel with a thermal/electric power of 300/100 MW. Neutronics and thermal hydraulics analyses are performed, mainly including a sensitivity study of the fuel components, fuel enrichment, and control-assembly arrangement on the lifetime, and the temperature field for the fuel assembly with the largest thermal power. The results show that compared with pressurized water reactor, the 239Pu production for BLESS-D is significantly higher, and the quantity of MAs is reduced, while the productions of LLFPs are at the same scale. It has also been found that under steady state conditions, the largest temperatures of the fuel pellet, cladding and coolant are all below relevant criteria, showing a good performance in the thermal hydraulics for the design. Optimizing the fuel-loading scheme for achieving a safer performance would be a part of the future’s work.