Physical characteristics of small modular Pb-Bi cooled reactor with nitride nuclear fuel

Background: The small modular reactor is considered by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to be one of the most promising nuclear reactors in the future, which could not only improve the safety and economy of nuclear energy, but also prevent the nuclear proliferation. Purpose: This paper puts forward a small modular Pb-Bi cooled reactor with nitride nuclear fuel (SMPBN) which is designed to meet the requirements for nuclear energy improvement. Methods: The physical characteristics and security features of the SMPBN were analyzed by PIJ and CITATION, including the reactive coefficient and its change with burnup, discharge burnup, power peak factor, fuel conversion ratio and shut-down allowance, etc. Results: The SMPBN is expected to possess a good fuel conversion capability during the life-time of 20 a, with a small reactive fluctuation and a negative reactivity coefficient, which means that the SMPBN has inherent safety. Conclusion: It is considered to be satisfying the requirements of the G-IV, which provides a valuable reference for development of small modular fast neutron reactor in future.