BOR-60
Russian fast neutron research reactor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The BOR-60 is an operational Russian research sodium-cooled fast reactor designed to test nuclear fuels, structural materials and coolants, as well as scientific experiments under fast neutron irradiation.[1]
| BOR-60 | |
|---|---|
| Reactor concept | Fast-neutron reactor[1] |
| Status | Expected to shutdown in 2025[2] |
| Location | Dimitrovgrad, Russia, Russia |
| Main parameters of the reactor core | |
| Fuel (fissile material) | MOX (UO2-PuO2)[3] |
| Neutron energy spectrum | Fast |
| Primary coolant | Sodium[3] |
| Reactor usage | |
| Power (thermal) | 60 MW[3] |
| Power (electric) | 12 MW[3] |
History
The BOR-60 reactor was constructed to perform tests for the commercial BN-350, BN-600 and BN-800 reactors, which also use fast neutron breeding.[4] Construction began in 1964, and it reached first criticality in 1968.[4] It was commissioned the following year, in 1969.[1]
Originally it used highly enriched uranium, but in 1981 it switched over to burning MOX fuel containing weapons-grade plutonium from decommissioned nuclear warheads.[5]
BOR-60 was intended to be decommissioned in 2010,[5] but was prolonged until 2025, after which the MBIR will replace it.[2]
In 2025 a new technology is being developed for processing of radioactive liquid sodium for proper decommissioning of fast neutron reactors such as BOR-60 and BN-350 (in future it can be used when BN-600 and BN-800 reach the end of life).[6]
Reactor design
The BOR-60 reactor is designed to operate on a mixed-oxide MOX fuel, based on UO2 (highly enriched uranium, 45%-90% 235U) and PuO2.[7] The reactor is mainly constructed out of stainless steel.[8]
Core
Grey: fuel assemblies
White: blank assemblies
Blue: experimental material assemblies
Green: experimental fuel assemblies
Red: control rods
Yellow: experimentation channels
The core is made up of a hexagonal grid containing 265 separate elements, with fuel channels, control rods, various experimental assemblies and an outer section of solid blanket assemblies (blanks).[8] The reactor vessel also has several experimentation channels in the outer hull, with widths varying from 90 mm to 230 mm.[9]
Coolant
The reactor is a sodium-cooled fast reactor, which uses liquid sodium as the coolant.[4] It uses two separate sodium loops, and these are connected to a main water-cooled loop which feeds the steam generators and turbines for producing electricity.[8] The sodium coolant is pressurized to 5.5 MPa, and is heated to over 500 °C in the reactor.[7]
Capabilities
BOR-60 allows for wide-scale tests of fuels, materials, coolants and detectors for various fast reactors.[10] It is capable or burning a wide range of fuels, including weapons-grade material, as well as various metallic, oxide, nitride and carbide variations.[5] Thus it has been used to test fuels and reactor physics for a wide array of reactors, such as the BN-350, BN-600 and BN-800, as well as the MBIR and proposed BREST-300 lead-cooled reactors.[4][11]
See also
- MBIR - multi-loop research reactor intends to replace BOR-60. In construction since 2015, est. completion in 2027.
- BN-800 reactor - generation IV sodium-cooled fast breeder reactor, operational since 2016
- BREST-300 - generation IV lead-cooled fast reactor, in construction since 2020
- Versatile Test Reactor - a similar US project, the funding was canceled in 2022