BREST is best

摘要

Professor Evgeny Adamov (see page 46) and professor Victor Orlov of the Research and Development Institute of Power Engineering (NIKIET) have examined the BREST reactor concept in some detail. The preliminary investigations into the physics, thermal engineering, material behaviour and technology of the concept have been completed. These paved the way for design studies for a 300MWe pilot plant and a 1200MWe commercial plant. The new reactor design had to satisfy the following conditions: 1. Unlimited availability of fuel through the use of plutoni-um from spent fuel, efficient use of natural uranium and, subsequently, thorium. 2. Exclusion of severe accidents resulting from equipment failure, human error, or external impact through engineering based on inherent safety. 3. Environmentally safe energy production and waste management in a closed fuel cycle. 4. Prevention of nuclear weapons proliferation by phasing out reprocessing and enrichment, and through physical protection. 5. Improving economic competitiveness and efficiency without adding to the complexity of plant design or imposing extreme requirements on equipment and personnel.