Brest Lead-Cooled Fast Reactor: from Concept to Technological Implementation

The work performed on the creation of the BREST innovative reactor technology based on a lead-cooled fast reactor, mixed uranium-plutonium nitride fuel, operating in a closed nuclear fuel cycle is reviewed. It is shown that a safe and competitive large-scale nuclear energy with practically unlimited fuel resources can be developed based on the BREST reactor technology. The choice of mixed nitride fuel for the BREST reactor as compared with other types of nuclear fuel (oxide, metal, and carbide) is substantiated. The main technical solutions implemented in the BREST-OD-300 project are considered. The results of tests of nitride fuel, computational and experimental substantiation of the core, reactor vessel, operability and safety of the steam generator, development of automated monitoring and control systems, a study of the properties of the coolant and structural materials are presented. The results obtained made it possible to commence designing a commercial high-power BREST-type reactor for large-scale nuclear energy.