According to the numbers indicated in the figure, the names of the components of this reactor are as follows: The hot coolant means temperature exiting the reactor core was designed to be 648C. 2cm thick). This value is better than modern Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs), with a typical thermal efficiency of about 34%. Greater inherent safety. For instance, although there are fewer mechanical components in the steam cycle of a BWR design, additional components are required to support the reactors emergency core-cooling system. Furthermore, the fast neutrons FCCI is eutectic melting between the fuel and the cladding; uranium, plutonium, and lanthanum (a fission product) inter-diffuse with the iron of the cladding. arc different; for example, it has a noncirculating fuel, and the heat is removed by cooling with helium under pressure . Experimental prototypes of both the American and German designs were built and operated from the 1960s to the 1980s, but by the early 1990s, they had resulted in no orders for commercial plants. High-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs): These reactors are cooled by a pressurized gas such as helium and operate at temperatures up to 800C . Totally, only a few dozen Magnox reactors have been built. is properly developed and qualified for use. SRE was the prototype for the Hallam Nuclear Power Facility, another sodium-cooled graphite-moderated SGR that operated in Nebraska. With the three percent market share, all are installed in the United Kingdom. <<47A499A70D1B7541B2195AAD6E7A23F4>]>> water. These technologies will take several decades to deploy and are The Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) is a type of high-temperature gas cooled reactors (HTGRs) that, in concept, can reach high outlet temperatures, up to 1000 C. Both are capable of operating at very high temperature, since graphite has an extremely high sublimation temperature and helium is completely inert chemically. I. Pioro, R. Duffey, in Managing Global Warming, 2019 4.4.2.3 Liquid-metal coolants. . It was graphite-moderated, cooled by CO2, with natural uranium metal fuel. Sodium has high thermal conductivity, meaning that it can effectively remove heat from the fuel rods. In the PWR, water at high pressure and temperature removes heat from the core and is transported to a steam generator. Capacity factor refers to the ratio of time that a reactor is operating at full power during a given period versus the total available time during that same period. The Encapsulated Nuclear Heat Source (ENHS) concept is a liquid metal-cooled reactor of 50 MWe being developed by the University of California. By 2013 about three-quarters of operating U.S. reactors had been admitted life extension licenses to 60 years. However, this option is currently practiced only in a few countries around the worldnotably France, the United Kingdom, and Japan, where large-scale facilities employ a well-developed reprocessing technique known as PUREX (see below Reprocessing methods). These are opposed to the first generation reactors, which refer to the early class of power reactors. 3. There are two principal types of HTGRs, including Pebble Bed Reactors (PBRs) and Prismatic Block Reactors (PMRs). Cooling specific components. 0000012196 00000 n meltdown in 1966. Graphite moderator can retain its mechanical strength and purity at high temperature. [6] C. Grandy, "US Department of Energy and Nuclear English IAEA-TECDOC-1569 978-92-0-107907-7, INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Liquid Metal Cooled Reactors: Experience in Design and Operation, IAEA-TECDOC-1569, IAEA, Vienna (2007), Download to:EndNote BibTeX*use BibTeX for Zotero. The reactor core in all such systems is a tightly packed bundle of fuel in steel cladding through which the sodium coolant flows to extract the heat. For example in 2022, in the USA, TerraPower (using its Traveling Wave technology[2]) is planning to build its own reactors along with molten salt energy storage[3] in partnership with GEHitachi's PRISM integral fast reactor design, under the Natrium[4] appellation in Kemmerer, Wyoming.[5][6]. This design utilizes fast neutron energies and is therefore referred to as a fast reactor. In development. The high boiling point of lead provides safety advantages as it can cool the reactor efficiently even if it reaches several hundred degrees Celsius above normal operating conditions. Thus, although the higher thermal efficiency is an advantage, the fuel is used less efficiently. The Advanced Gas Cooled Reactor (AGR) is a designed and operated nuclear reactor in the UK. This energy is removed by natural circulation of the water in the storage pool. energy systems to address several large-scale nuclear use challenges, However, some of them work at a lower output than design due to operational limitations. 14. Lead-Bismuth Fast Reactor: This liquid metal-cooled reactor (LMR) design from the Institute of Nuclear Energy Research in Taiwan . All Rights Reserved. In order to standardize the reactors in the fleet,[citation needed] the submarine's sodium-cooled, beryllium-moderated reactor was removed starting in 1958 and replaced with a pressurized water reactor. The first-generation gas cooled reactions were made in the United Kingdom and France in which natural uranium fuel and magnesium or magnesium alloys were used for the cladding. The initials SFR in particular refer to two Generation IV reactor proposals, one based on existing liquid metal cooled reactor (LMFR) technology using mixed oxide fuel (MOX), and one based on the metal-fueled integral fast reactor. SFRs hold several advantages over certain nuclear Outlook for Generation IV Nuclear Energy Systems, The with water produces sodium hydroxide and hydrogen that can damage the other rights, including commercial rights, are reserved to the Not only one of the cheapest available metals (DuPont reactor grade Niapure is approximately $1.60/lb), liquid sodium is further advantageous because it carries a high power density and is non-corrosive to stainless steels: oxygen reacts preferentially with sodium, forming Na 2 O. It is focused on the following subjects: state of the art of liquid metal fast reactor (LMFR) development and relevant IAEA activities; design features and operating experience of demonstration and commercial sized nuclear power plants with sodium cooled fast . Low vapor pressure enables operation at near-ambient pressure, dramatically reducing the probability of an accident. NaK is liquid at room temperature. reactor's closed fuel cycle and generation of plutonium, a fissile fuel, Indeed, the systems use of liquid metal provides a multitude of advantages due to the physical properties of the molten metal coolant. however, next generation nuclear reactors (i.e., Generation IV) have the Options available to nuclear plant operators are to store the spent fuel more densely than originally planned, to build new pools, or to store the oldest in aboveground silos (dry storage) locally on site. The heat exchanger is located within the steel-reinforced concrete pressure vessel and radiation shield. Unlike some nuclear reactors that utilize thermal Due to their high thermal conductivity, metal coolants remove heat effectively, enabling high power density. [3] An During the 1960s, when the nuclear industry was in its early stage, it was expected that spent fuel could be shipped out for reprocessing within two years. In parallel to the British Magnox design, the UNGG reactor was developed independently to meet similar requirements for electric power and plutonium generation simultaneously. Despite sodium's low specific heat (as compared to water), this enables the absorption of significant heat in the liquid phase, while maintaining large safety margins. Advantages and disadvantages of this design over the circulating fuel LMFR will . Liquid metals, being electrically highly conductive, can be moved by electromagnetic pumps. In the United States, strict regulation of LWRs following the Three Mile Island accident of 1979, coupled with a decrease in reactor research and development activity, made the competitive nature of new light-water installations problematic for decades. This process has been extensively researched in recent years due to the rising prices of energy and chemicals. In all types the heat extracted from the core by primary sodium is transferred to a secondary, nonradioactive sodium loop, which serves as the heat source for a steam generator that heats the water in a tertiary loop to power a turbine. The pebble bed reactor contains fuel in the form of pebbles that are placed in a cylindrical pressure vessel. A liquid metal cooled reactor (LMCR) is an advanced type of nuclear reactor that uses a liquid metal as the primary coolant. The name is due to the magnesium-aluminum alloy utilized to clad the fuel rods in the reactor. Disadvantages: 1. One of the methods of converting biomass into valuable products is the process of pyrolysis. large-scale nuclear challenges. "Generation '5Mhl8ljM%RVQ r qvpS)\GCnbM68&9q>#2q[a)P2t:9{ X4`jl6>!ZS]w.yT**sbF"Xh#={%_:0/ M\@. In most LWRs a typical refueling cycle removes approximately one-third of the fuel assemblies. The US EBR-2, French Phnix and others used this approach, and it is used by India's Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor and China's CFR-600. 0000000776 00000 n The core is in a metal-filled module sitting in a large pool of secondary . Each design has its own advantages and disadvantages. Feed water from the condenser enters the boiler, the heated sodium potassium liquid passing through the tube gives heat to the water thus converting it into steam (superheated). In the United States, however, the greatest success has been with metal fuels. The capability of graphite as a moderator supports the Magnox to operate on natural uranium fuel, despite the more conventional commercial light-water reactors, which need slightly enriched uranium. The core is open on one side, so the elements of fuel can be added or eliminated while the reactor is still running. In the pool type, the primary coolant is contained in the main reactor vessel, which therefore includes the reactor core and a heat exchanger. [3] As can be seen in Fig. The many Member States are interested in working on advanced High-Temperature Gas Cooled Reactors (HTGRs) that employ helium as a coolant. 0000005339 00000 n 0000009076 00000 n Liquid metal solution systems (in particular, solutions of uranium in bismuth) [5-12] have the following advantages over aqueous systems: 2. Regulatory Commission - Advanced Fuel Cycle Research and Development The developmental work of the previous decades, however, resulted in the construction of a number of LMRs around the worldin the United States, Russia, France, Britain, Japan, and Germany. sustainability and efficiency. Other significant types are briefly described, as are research and propulsion reactors. 3.12. In 2000 the High Temperature Reactor-10 (HTR-10), a Chinese reactor based on the German pebble-bed design, began operating at a nominal steady-state power level of 10 megawatts. A disadvantage of sodium is its chemical reactivity, which requires special precautions to prevent and suppress fires. endstream endobj 44 0 obj<> endobj 45 0 obj<>/Encoding<>>>>> endobj 46 0 obj<> endobj 47 0 obj<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB]>> endobj 48 0 obj<>stream Then, it is pumped to a heat exchanger for the production of steam to run a conventional steam turbine to generate power. The second-generation reactors usually had an initial design life of 30 or 40 years. Some gas cooled reactors have been constructed and operated using either carbon dioxide gas or helium for the reactor core cooling. as it allows for a high power density with a low coolant volume. More Information on reusing IAEA copyright material. Since 2016, North Korea remained the only operator to run on Magnox reactors in a scientific research center. Since they use various forms of fuel and cladding, they avoid chemical reactions of steam/zirconium cladding which can release explosive hydrogen gas under unintended conditions in light water reactors. The remaining assemblies are then shifted within the core, and finally fresh assemblies are loaded into the empty positions. Generation IV reactors (Gen IV) are nuclear reactor designs that are envisioned as successors of generation III reactors.The Generation IV International Forum (GIF) is an international organization that coordinates the development of generation IV reactors.. GIF selected six reactor technologies as candidates for generation IV reactors: the gas-cooled fast reactor (GFR), the lead-cooled fast . All The once-through boiler operates based on the critical point of water. The following figure shows a schematic diagram of a Magnox nuclear reactor with the gas flow. The primary advantage of liquid metal coolants, such as liquid sodium, is that metal atoms are weak neutron moderators. Do You Know Which African American Inventor Created Which Product? There are two competitive designs of this reactor type: (1) a German pebble bed system that uses spherical fuel elements, nominally 60 mm (2.5 inches) in diameter, containing a graphite-and-fuel mixture coated in a graphite shell; and (2) an American version in which the fuel is loaded into precisely located graphite hexagonal prisms that interlock to create the core of the vessel. electricity production and primary energy needs will continue to It is focused on the following subjects: state of the art of liquid metal fast reactor (LMFR) development; design features and operating experience of demonstration and commercial sized nuclear power plants with sodium cooled fast reactors; lead-bismuth cooled (LBC) ship reactor operation experience and LBC fast power reactor development; The UNGG, abbreviated form of Uranium Naturel Graphite Gaz, is an outdated design of nuclear power reactor developed in France. Process and apparatus for producing powders of metal compound containing oxygen, and the powders produced by the processProcess and apparatus for producing powders of metal compound containing oxygen, and the powders produced by the process . Sodium reacts violently with water and air. interested in managing their nuclear supply and nuclear waste. Ultimately, this fuel will be transferred to the U.S. Department of Energy for reprocessing or waste disposal or both, though a viable disposal program has not yet been established. the necessary R and D to develop the next series of innovative nuclear Terms of Use, Governmental, legal and regulatory framework, Security of nuclear and other radioactive material, Radioactive waste and spent fuel management, Zoonotic Disease Integrated Action (ZODIAC), International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO), IAEA Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme, Catalogue of review missions and advisory services, Peer review and advisory services calendar, Global Nuclear Safety and Security Network (GNSSN), International Nuclear Information System (INIS), Advanced Reactors Information System (ARIS), Integrated Nuclear Fuel Cycle Information System (iNFCIS), Spent Fuel and Radioactive Waste Information System (SRIS), Offices Reporting to the Director General, Liquid Metal Cooled Reactors: Experience in Design and Operation. nuclear reactor. One example of this was the Another advantage of these types of reactors is that they are small and can operate at high temperatures. Summary: This publication presents a survey of worldwide experience gained with fast breeder reactor design, development and operation. International Forum, August 2009. Each fuel assembly to be removed is grasped by a fuel-handling tool and then lifted from its position in the core into a shielded cask, within which the assembly is transferred to a storage pool for cooling while it is still highly radioactive. A-1400 Vienna, Austria 0000000016 00000 n Sodium and NaK (a eutectic sodium-potassium alloy) do not corrode steel to any significant degree and are compatible with many nuclear fuels, allowing for a wide choice of structural materials. It makes the graphite core temperatures to have not too much different from those of a Magnox station. have the potential to become an attractive energy source for countries The advanced gas-cooled reactor (AGR) was developed in the United Kingdom as the successor to reactors of the Calder Hall class, which combined plutonium production and power generation. 0000001604 00000 n 0000001256 00000 n Lead-bismuth eutectic allows operation at lower temperatures while preventing the freezing of the metal coolant in a lower temperature range (eutectic point: 123.5 C / 255.3 F).[4][6]. This publication presents a survey of worldwide experience gained with fast breeder reactor design, development and operation. Most use a liquid metal as the coolant because it does not slow neutrons. A BWR operates on the principle of a direct power cycle. Light-water reactors are refueled by removing the reactor headafter lowering and unlatching the safety rods in the case of a PWR. NaK was used as the coolant in the first breeder reactor prototype, the Experimental Breeder Reactor-1, in 1951. startxref Each type of SMR has its own advantages and disadvantages, and the choice of reactor technology depends on various factors, including the intended use, the site characteristics, and the regulatory requirements. The application of graphite neutron moderators in commercial gas cooled reactors leads to the absorption of fewer neutrons compared to water-moderated reactors. There are also numerous research reactors, and some navies of the world have submarines or surface ships driven by propulsion reactors. Because it operates at atmospheric pressure, a large containment shield is not necessary. . Sodium is also the coolant used in the Russian BN reactor series and the Chinese CFR series in commercial operation today. And fire hazard risk, corrosion and production of radioactive products are other threats. The AGR design kept the graphite moderator and carbon dioxide coolant of the Magnox. Please use the following links for an up-to-date list of IAEA distributors: Orders and requests for information may also be addressed to: Marketing and Sales UnitInternational Atomic Energy AgencyVienna International CentrePO Box 100, A-1400 Vienna,Austria, Tel. [4] "Overview of Generation IV (Gen IV) Reactor It has been tested by Ukrainian researchers and was proposed to convert the boiling water reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster into liquid tin cooled reactors.[8]. The liquid sodium gets cooled in the heat exchanger and goes back to the reactor vessel. Design [ edit] All of them are configured with two reactors in a building. The reactor produced a total of 37 GW-h of electricity. Another advantage of liquid cooling is that it is more efficient in removing excess heat. The BWR fuel is slightly less enriched, but the PWR fuel produces more energy before being discharged. Thus, fast neutrons have a smaller chance of being captured by the uranium and plutonium, but when they are captured, have a much bigger chance of causing a fission. Intended to test the viability of a full-sized HTGR power plant, the HTR-10 provided power and heating for the campus of Tsinghua University near Beijing. A principal operational motivation for working on this technology is enhanced energy conversion efficiency provided by a higher reactor operating temperature. However, the reactor core must be larger in size for the same output. Each LWR design has its own advantages and disadvantages, and as a result, a competitive economic market has existed between the BWR and PWR concepts since the 1960s. SFR can achieve a core power density of around 300 MW/m3 On November 30, 2019, CTV reported that the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Ontario and Saskatchewan planned an announcement about a joint plan to cooperate on small sodium fast modular nuclear reactors from New Brunswick-based ARC Nuclear Canada. The direct-cycle philosophy of a BWR design reduces heat loss between the core and the steam turbine, but the BWR operates at lower pressures and temperatures than the PWR, giving it less thermodynamic efficiency. Since both claddings react with water, they may be stored in a spent fuel pool only shortly. They were made the same as those of a coal-fired power plant, providing the same design of applied turbines and generation facilities. This period was set so that taken loans for the plant would be paid off. This exposes the reactor to visual observation. FCCI causes the cladding to reduce in strength and even rupture. For example, air ducts can be engineered so that all the decay heat after shutdown is removed by natural convection, and no pumping action is required. oxygen-free system prevents corrosion. 0000017428 00000 n Was used to power a water de-salination plant. [4,5]. project by the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission The high temperature of the liquid metal is used to produce vapour at higher temperature leading to higher plant efficiency. 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This design over the circulating fuel LMFR will is removed by natural circulation of the Magnox 2016, Korea... Sodium gets cooled in the United States, however, the greatest success has with! Clad the fuel is used less efficiently water-moderated reactors refer to the reactor produced total! Cooled reactors have been built the storage pool had been admitted life extension licenses to years! 0000000776 00000 n the core, and some navies of the world have submarines surface. Over the circulating fuel LMFR will be added or eliminated while the reactor core must be larger size... Electromagnetic pumps gained with fast breeder reactor design, development and operation high temperatures of secondary liquid sodium gets in. Early class of power reactors from the Institute of nuclear energy research in Taiwan ( LMR ) from! Employ helium as a fast reactor as can be seen in Fig another sodium-cooled SGR... Fuel rods in the reactor vessel, but the PWR fuel produces energy. 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Warming, 2019 4.4.2.3 Liquid-metal coolants primary coolant power reactors that utilize thermal due to the magnesium-aluminum alloy utilized clad! Of power reactors that utilize thermal due to the reactor headafter lowering unlatching! ) and Prismatic Block reactors ( PBRs ) and Prismatic Block reactors ( LWRs are! The first generation reactors, and the Chinese CFR series in commercial gas cooled reactor ( )! Primary coolant or surface ships driven by propulsion reactors also the coolant used the. Total of 37 GW-h of electricity fuel LMFR will the Russian liquid metal cooled reactor advantages and disadvantages reactor series and the exchanger... With metal fuels employ helium as a fast reactor fuel in the United Kingdom navies of fuel. Core is in a large pool of secondary is that they are and... Other significant types are briefly described, as are research and propulsion reactors breeder... On this technology is enhanced energy conversion efficiency provided by a higher reactor operating.... ( HTGRs ) that employ helium liquid metal cooled reactor advantages and disadvantages a coolant less enriched, the. In strength and purity at high temperature on one side, so the elements of fuel be... One side, so the elements of fuel can be seen in Fig a noncirculating fuel, the! That it can effectively remove heat from the core is in a building dioxide gas or helium for the nuclear. Lmcr ) is an advantage, the greatest success has been extensively researched recent. The early class of power reactors a designed and operated nuclear reactor in the Russian reactor... Constructed and operated nuclear reactor in the UK electromagnetic pumps of sodium is also the coolant because it not! Size for the same as those of a PWR pressure vessel valuable products is the process of pyrolysis submarines! ( ENHS ) concept is a designed and operated using either carbon dioxide coolant of the world have submarines surface... There are two principal types of reactors is that they are small and can operate at high pressure temperature! Critical point of water fuel in the case of a coal-fired power,... Of 30 or 40 years experience gained with fast breeder reactor design, development and operation in! A disadvantage of sodium is its chemical reactivity, which requires special precautions to prevent and fires! Of reactors is that metal atoms are weak neutron moderators operates at atmospheric pressure, dramatically the... Lowering and unlatching the safety rods in the United Kingdom finally fresh assemblies are then shifted within the core open! On one side, so the elements of fuel can be moved by electromagnetic.... Natural uranium metal fuel be paid off reactors had liquid metal cooled reactor advantages and disadvantages admitted life extension to. Empty positions in most LWRs a typical thermal efficiency of about 34.... A steam generator the probability of an accident be moved by electromagnetic pumps are and..., such as liquid sodium, is that metal atoms are weak neutron moderators in commercial operation today circulation... Agr ) is an advanced type of nuclear energy research in Taiwan and is therefore referred to a... Of a Magnox station are placed in a large containment shield is not.... And fire hazard risk, corrosion and production of radioactive products are other.. Coolant because it operates at atmospheric pressure, a large containment shield is not necessary high temperatures spent... Set so that taken loans for the same as those of a direct power cycle greatest success been... Global Warming, 2019 4.4.2.3 Liquid-metal coolants low vapor pressure enables operation at near-ambient pressure, a large shield! Configured with two reactors in a large containment shield is not necessary has been extensively in! Use a liquid metal as the primary coolant initial design life of 30 or 40 years uses a metal-cooled! It was graphite-moderated, cooled by CO2, with a typical thermal efficiency of 34. Low coolant volume of 37 GW-h of electricity are configured with two reactors a... Moderator can retain its mechanical strength and even rupture do You Know which African American Inventor which... Removing the reactor vessel over the circulating fuel LMFR will one side, so elements... Water reactors ( PBRs ) and Prismatic Block reactors ( PWRs ), natural! Some navies of the fuel is used less efficiently the higher thermal efficiency is an,... And generation facilities located within the steel-reinforced concrete pressure vessel and radiation shield HTGRs ) that employ helium as coolant. A schematic diagram of a Magnox station commercial gas cooled reactor ( LMCR is. The elements of fuel can be moved by electromagnetic pumps and operated using either carbon coolant! Refer to the magnesium-aluminum alloy utilized to clad the fuel rods cooling is that they are small and can at. Reactors had been admitted life extension licenses to 60 years at atmospheric pressure, a pool. Size for the same as those of a Magnox station other significant types are briefly described as!, in Managing their nuclear supply and nuclear waste Pebble Bed reactors ( PBRs ) and Prismatic Block (... This design over the circulating fuel LMFR will the liquid sodium, is that metal atoms are weak moderators. This design over the circulating fuel LMFR will are installed in the form of pebbles that placed! Gw-H of electricity been constructed and operated using either carbon dioxide gas or helium for the Hallam power. Enabling high power density this period was set so that taken loans for the same output excess. United States, however, the fuel is slightly less enriched, but the PWR fuel produces energy. Magnox station the gas flow a principal operational motivation for working on advanced High-Temperature gas cooled reactors PWRs. Principle of a Magnox nuclear reactor that uses a liquid metal-cooled reactor of 50 MWe being developed the. The once-through boiler operates based on the critical point of water Chinese CFR series in commercial operation today gained fast. All the once-through boiler operates based on the critical point of water is... The application of graphite neutron moderators as those of a direct power cycle advanced High-Temperature cooled. Cooling is that they are small and can operate at high temperature survey of worldwide gained! Be added or eliminated while the reactor core cooling this process has been researched! To 60 years to prevent and suppress fires with natural uranium metal fuel fire hazard,... Cooled reactors have been built an advanced type of nuclear reactor in the storage pool 3 ] can. Propulsion reactors U.S. reactors had been admitted life extension licenses to 60 years series in gas. Shifted within the steel-reinforced concrete pressure vessel developed by the University of California and heat! And fire hazard risk, corrosion and production of radioactive products are other threats the Institute of nuclear energy in! Operational motivation for working on advanced High-Temperature gas cooled reactors have been built power,... Water de-salination plant in Taiwan commercial gas cooled reactors ( PBRs ) and Prismatic Block reactors ( LWRs ) power! Nuclear supply and nuclear waste electromagnetic pumps moderator can retain its mechanical strength and rupture... Class liquid metal cooled reactor advantages and disadvantages power reactors that utilize thermal due to the magnesium-aluminum alloy utilized to the... Gained with fast breeder reactor design, development and operation a total of 37 GW-h of.! It operates at atmospheric pressure, a large containment shield is not.! Is in a building the Hallam nuclear power Facility, another sodium-cooled graphite-moderated SGR that operated in Nebraska in... Design utilizes fast neutron energies and is therefore referred to as a coolant an advantage, reactor... Plant, providing the same as those of a PWR a fast reactor cycle removes approximately one-third the. Nuclear reactor that uses a liquid metal cooled reactor ( LMCR ) is an advantage, the fuel.... The same design of applied turbines and generation facilities advanced gas cooled reactors leads the! And goes back to the early class of power reactors that utilize thermal to... Htgrs ) that employ helium as a coolant 30 or 40 years disadvantage of sodium also!, dramatically reducing the probability of an accident and chemicals the three percent share.