The ELSY Project

This paper presents the current status of development of ELSY - European Lead-cooled System - a pooltype lead-cooled 600 MWe fast reactor, under development since September 2006, within the Sixth EURATOM Framework Programme. ELSY aims to demonstrate the possibility of designing a fast reactor using simple engineered technical features, whilst fully complying with the Generation IV goals of sustainability, economics, safety, proliferation resistant and physical protection. The elimination of the Intermediate Cooling System and the compact and simple primary circuit with all internal components removable, are among the features to assure reduced capital cost and construction time, competitive electric energy generation and long-term investment protection. The relatively small vessel size is the result of advanced solutions adopted for the primary system which features a cylindrical inner vessel, primary pumps installed into the inner zone of innovative spiral-tube steam generators, fuel elements substantially supported by lead and whose head hanging system extends over the vessel lid through a steel stem, allowing fuel handling from the above reactor hall under full visibility. Safety relies on the physical characteristic of lead, redundant and diversified DHR systems, innovative features which make the primary system more tolerant to Steam Generator Tube Rupture accident.

CINOTTI Luciano;  LOCATELLI Giuliano;  AÏT ABDERRAHIM H;  MONTI Stefano;  BENAMATI Gianluca;  TUCEK Kamil;  STRUWE Dankward;  ORDEN Alfredo;  CORSINI Giovanni;  LECARPENTIER D; 

2008-10-01

Paul Scherrer Institut

JRC46855

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC46855,