Breeder Reactors

Overview, Design, and History

Mohammed Chamma - 6379153
December 1, 2014

"Fissile" vs. "Fissionable"

Fissile: Undergo fission with low-energy neutrons with high probability.

Fissionable: Undergo fission with high-energy neutrons with low probability.

Uranium-235 is fissile.

Uranium-238 is fissionable.

Motivation

  • Lots of Uranium-238... Not much of Uranium-235

  • Recycles nuclear waste

  • Produces more fissile material than it consumes

    • Uranium-238 Fuel

    Thorium-232 Fuel

    Reactor Design

    The breeding reactions require high energy, fast neutrons. Water can't be used as a coolant since it is a strong moderator and will slow down the neutrons.

    Liquid Metal Coolants

    • Mercury
    • Liquid Lead
    • Liquid Tin
    • Liquid Sodium

    Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactors (LMFBR)

    Integral Fast Reactor

  • Combine a breeder reactor with a waste reprocessing facility nearby. Waste is taken from the core and quickly reprocessed to replenish the core and continue the reaction. No fissile material needs to be removed from the site.


  • Allows for the complete use of a Uranium sample.

    • History from the 1950s

    Prototype breeder reactors have been built by the US, France, India, Germany, the UK, and Russia. Plagued by technical problems, high costs, and distrust from the public.

    History from the 1950s

    The first breeder in the world was the Experimental Breeder Reactor I (EBR-I) built in the US.

    Proof-of-concept reactor that generated enough electricity to power the site.

    EBR-II in 1964

    Replaced EBR-I and was meant as a prototype integral fast reactor

    Shut down in 1994 by congress despite very positive results.

    France from 1967+

    • Built Rapsodie, Phénix, and Superphénix
    • Superphénix was the largest breeder reactor in the world. Shut down in 1997

    Future

    • India very interested in breeder reactors --largest Thorium reserves in the world.
    • Despite the high costs and setbacks, the energy payoffs and nuclear waste benefits are still attractive and research is still active.

    THE END