Enhanced design for Chinese nuclear reactors: Proposed changes claim significantly increased resilience and potential power output up to 100 times greater.

In a significant development for the nuclear power industry, China has confirmed the first proof-of-principle test of a new passive residual heat removal system for integral fast reactors. This system was tested by the Chinese Institute of Atomic Energy on August 25, 2023, marking a milestone in the country's approach to radioactive waste-recycling nuclear power plants.

The Residual Heat Removal (RHR) system is an integral part of China's fourth-generation nuclear plant, the CFR-600 sodium-cooled fast breeder reactor. This system is designed to make China's nuclear power plants more meltdown-proof and to prevent reactors from overheating, maintaining a safe, cold state of the core.

Fast reactors, such as the CFR-600, use fast-moving neutrons to make better use of nuclear fuel. This unique benefit of fast reactors leads to drastic improvements in fuel efficiency, waste reduction, and performance of nuclear power plants. The new RHR system is expected to allow for the extraction of 100 times more energy from the same type of fuel used in water-cooled reactors, as unused uranium can be converted into new plutonium atoms and recycled. This innovative approach could offer a 90 percent reduction in nuclear waste with the continuous recycling of nuclear fuel.

The Chinese National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) developed a prototype of the passive heat removal system for a fast nuclear reactor, which was tested in an experimental simulation facility. Researchers also developed an experimental simulation technology to study the efficacy of heat removal systems, which they used to develop the integral fast reactor simulation test facility. The new system was tested using this facility, reproducing a reactor's transition from normal operation to post-shutdown heat removal.

The RHR system is not only a potential improvement in proliferation resistance and economics but also a significant step towards China's goal of building a fourth-generation nuclear plant with a closed-loop fuel cycle. Integral fast reactors, like the CFR-600, use liquid metal as a coolant, typically sodium, and are distinguished by a closed-loop fuel cycle in which spent fuel is reprocessed within the same facility as the reactor.

This breakthrough in passive heat removal technology for integral fast reactors could pave the way for more efficient, safer, and environmentally friendly nuclear power plants in the future. With the potential to extract significantly more energy from the same amount of fuel and reduce nuclear waste, the RHR system could play a crucial role in the global shift towards sustainable energy solutions.

Enhanced design for Chinese nuclear reactors: Proposed changes claim significantly increased resilience and potential power output up to 100 times greater.