Lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE): A coolant candidate for Gen. IV advanced nuclear reactor concepts

Abstract

LBE is one of the primary coolant candidates of advanced nuclear reactors. The present review conducts an assessment of the coolant based on a series of liquid metal coolant selection criteria first and then identifies the key concerns of using LBE as the primary coolant of a nuclear reactor. The review focuses on the status of the art of these key concerns: materials degradation, protective oxide layer, and polonium production and control in an LBE coolant system. The review also addresses oxidation kinetics of steels in oxygen-containing LBE, development of oxygen technology and comparisons between LBE and liquid sodium. The majority of the data points collected collapse onto one universal curve. While there are still scatters, the general trend growth becomes clear that the Tedmon's equation can represent the oxide layer growth kinetics in liquid lead-bismuth with oxygen controlled. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.