Abstract:
In 2007, the sodium-cooled fast reactors which are currently operating or have operated throughout the world will have accumulated collective experience of 385 years of operation for 18 different reactors.
This paper summarizes the various incidents and problems which have impacted these reactors’ operations, ranks them by function and lists the solutions which were brought. This paper solely looks at the operating problems which occurred in the “sodium” part of the fast reactors. Problems encountered in the classic water/steam part are not described herein
A review is made for all these reactors on:
-The water/sodium reactions occurred in the steam generators.
-The technical difficulties on the primary components (pumps and exchangers) and the repair operations.
-The incidents in handling operations
-The spurious leaks or transfers of sodium and their consequences.
-The intakes of air or impurities
-The experience from fuel and clad failures.
-The neutronic operations.