The Technology Development area of the Fast Reactor Program comprises the activities to research, develop, and mature those system and component technologies and innovations necessary for successful cost-effective fast reactor deployment. These technologies include but are not limited to:
- Coolant Pump Technology including mechanical and electromagnetic pump technology
- Heat Exchanger technology including
- Liquid metal to liquid metal heat exchangers
- Liquid metal heated steam generators
- Liquid metal to supercritical carbon dioxide heat exchangers
- Liquid metal to liquid salt heat exchangers
- Reactivity Control systems
- Refueling systems
- Plant Protection System technologies
- Sensors, instrumentation, and prognostic techniques including but not limited to
- Level measurements
- Flow measurements
- Pressure measurements
- Temperature measurements
- Impurity measurements
- Component Stress measurements
- Reactor Vessel and Reactor Vessel support systems
- Flow control technology
- Leak detection instrumentation
- Cover gas control and purification technology
- Advanced neutron and gamma shielding technology
- High Temperature seal technology
- Seismic Isolation technology
- Overall control strategies
- Health monitoring systems
The goal of the technology development area is to mature these technologies to the point that they are ready for reactor deployment, to support the reduction in costs of advanced reactors, and to show in an integrated plant the how these technologies achieve the fast reactor program objectives. Along with developing the above technologies, the Fast Reactor Technology Development area develops the infrastructure and facilities to test these components in a prototypic environment.
Some of the current work activities under the fast reactor program are the development of technologies that support a pantograph in-vessel refueling machine, a sodium thermal hydraulic experimental test article for thermal-hydraulic code validation, a high flow sensor test article for testing flow sensors, development of inductive liquid metal level instrumentation, eddy current flow instruments, under-sodium view technology, hydrogen sensors, other advanced flow instrumentation, vapor traps, cold traps, plugging meters, flow mixing components, and technologies for removing residual sodium from components. The scope of the Technology Development area includes all liquid metal and other high temperature low pressure coolants.
Since 2006, DOE-NE has been supporting efforts at Argonne National Laboratory to recover and preserve fast reactor technology information and knowledge. Starting in about 2009, this effort was expanded to include Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to help preserve the information and knowledge related to the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) design, operations, and maintenance. These FFTF-focused efforts have resulted in many “lessons learned” reports in various topical areas as noted in the following table. For inquiries on the accessibility of these reports, please contact frp@anl.gov.