Core and safety design for France-Japan common concept on sodium-cooled fast reactor

Takano, Kazuya; Oki, Shigeo; Ozawa, Takayuki; Yamano, Hidemasa; Kubo, Shigenobu; Ogura, Masashi*; Yamada, Yumi*; Koyama, Kazuya*; Kurita, Koichi*; Costes, L.*; et al.

EPJ Nuclear Sciences & Technologies (Internet), 8, p.35_1 - 35_9, 2022/12

https://doi.org/10.1051/epjn/2022040

The France and Japan teams have carried out collaborative works to have common technical views regarding a sodium-cooled fast reactor concept. Japan has studied the feasibility of an enhanced high burnup low-void effect (CFV) core and fuel using oxide dispersion-strengthened steel cladding in ASTRID 600. Regarding passive shutdown capabilities, Japan team has performed a preliminary numerical analysis for ASTRID 600 using a complementary safety device, called a self-actuated shutdown system (SASS), one of the safety approaches of Japan. The mitigation measures of ASTRID 600 against a severe accident, such as a core catcher, molten corium discharge assembly, and the sodium void reactivity features of the CFV core, are promising to achieve in-vessel retention for both countries. The common design concept based on ASTRID 600 is feasible to demonstrate the SFR core and safety technologies for both countries.