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ELSY: European Lead-cooled System
The ELSY consortium intends to design a Lead-cooled Fast Reactor system that complies with all GEN IV goals and gives assurance of investment protection. The EC FP6-ELSY project aims to demonstrate that it is possible to design a competitive and safe fast critical reactor using simple engineered technical features.
ELSY is a 36-months project (starting September 1, 2006) partially funded as a "Specific Targeted Research Project" entitled to the European Commission in the Thematic Priority Area “Management of Radioactive Waste: Research Topic Transmutation”.
Project summary
The GEN IV initiative considers fast reactors mandatory for a sustainable development of the Nuclear Energy. Europe has a large experience in the field of sodium-cooled fast reactors (e.g. SPX1) and has made a big effort in the Lead-Bismuth Eutectic (LBE) technology for use in the sub-critical reactors in both the past FP5 and the ongoing FP6.
The natural development is the use of pure lead since less expensive, less corrosive and of lesser radiological concern than LBE. Lead is chemically inert and has good neutronic characteristics that are unique among the coolants for a fast reactor.
Objectives
The ELSY project aims to demonstrate it is possible to design a competitive and safe fast power reactor using simple technical engineered features. The high lead density has the advantage that, in the hypothetical case of a core disruption, it is unlikely to lead to core compaction scenarios which might cause the insertion of large amounts of reactivity in a short time.
The use of compact in-vessel steam generators and of a simple primary circuit with possibly all Internals being removable are among the reactor features for competitive electric energy generation and long-term investment protection.
Europe is taking the initiative to promote this ambitious project and it’s relevant to note that the FP6 is the last opportunity to carry out a very innovative activity with participation of young engineers and scientists, who would learn from engineers and scientists near to retirement with large experience in fast reactors design. GEN IV partners outside Europe are also willing to participate in design and development of a common large-scale LFR.
Work-Packages
The activity consists of management and technical activity subdivided into six Work-Packages:
- WP1: Design objectives, cost estimate, future R&D needs and compliance with the GEN IV goals.
- WP2: Core design and performance assessment.
- WP3: Main components and systems.
- WP4: System integration.
- WP5: Safety and transient analysis.
- WP6: Lead technology.
SCK•CEN contribution
The ELSY project matches obviously the scope of the "Institute for Advanced Nuclear System" in gestation at SCK•CEN.
The ELSY design will rely as much as possible on the know-how and results of the ADS activities performed within the European programme on transmutation (FP6-EUROTRANS, PDS-XADS,…). This means a valorisation of our experience gained through the MYRRHA project.
SCK•CEN is a major partner within the ELSY project.
Partners
The Consortium is constituted by Partners from:
- Industry (Ansaldo, Del Fungo Giera Energia, Empresarios Agrupados);
- Utilities (EDF);
- European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC/IE-Petten);
- National research organisations (CESI, CNRS, ENEA, FZK, INR, NRG, UJV-REZ, PSI and SCK•CEN );
- Universities (AGH, CIRTEN and KTH);
- International partners, namely SNU (Korea), MIT (USA) and KESRI (Korea).
The total eligible costs amount to 6.69 M€, with 2.95 M€ contribution from the European Commission.
Website: http://www.elsy-lead.com
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