Reactor Design - WPMURED4

Goal(s)

Reactors principles and orders of magnitude. General constraints.
Presentation of the major classes of reactors and the different requirements on materials
Design a “reactor concept” knowing the various ingredients : fuel, coolant and moderator

Content(s)

1. Main functions of a nuclear reactor

• Principles of operation
• First description of each main function in the order of importance from the nuclear point of view
  • fuel, moderator
  • coolant
  • structures
  2. Attempt of classification in terms of coolant, then in terms of moderator
• First most constraining choice is the coolant selected by its capacity to evacuate heat
• Constraints in terms of neutronics (absorption, moderation) and thermohydraulics
• 3 major families: water, gas and metal (each family defines a set of common constraints)
• Then the moderator can be chosen, with less constraints but subordinated to the coolant ones. This leads to 5 major types of reactors, identified in as PWR/BWR, PHWR (CANDU), RBMK, UNGG and He/Na/Pb fast reactors
  3. Description of specific reactors in terms of constraints for materials
• About 12 operating reactors to describe