Transient safety analysis of M2LFR-1000 reactor using ATHLET

Abstract

M2LFR-1000 is a medium-power modular lead-cooled fast reactor, developed by University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), aiming at achieving a reactor design fulfilling the Gen IV nuclear system requirements and meanwhile emphasizing the optimum safety and economics. In order to evaluate the safety performance of M2LFR-1000 reactor core, three typical transients are selected from initiating events, which are unprotected transient overpower (UTOP), unprotected loss of offsite power (ULOHS+ULOF) and increase of feedwater flowrate with primary pumps trip (IFW+PLOF). These three transients presented and discussed in this paper are performed with the code Analysis of THermal-hydraulics of LEaks and Transients (ATHLET), which is developed by Gesellschaft für Anlagen-und Reaktorsicherheit gGmbH (GRS). The results indicate that the M2LFR is safe enough under these three transients due to the good inherent safety features of the reactor, without human intervention, the reactor will reach a new steady state under UTOP condition. Keywords: Transient analysis, LFR, Forced circulation, ATHLET