               JSFR
Electric generating
system with higheconomic efficiency
and reliability

FaCT project
Development of innovative technologies
to improve economy and reliability

Prototype fast
breeder reactor ・Demonstration of reliable operation“MONJU” ・Establishment of sodium handling technology
・Initial Criticality : 1994
・Power : 714MWt / 280MWe・Temperature : 529℃
Experimental
fast reactor ・Confirmation of fast reactor principles“JOYO” ・Verification of safe and stable operation
・Initial Criticality : 1977
・Power: 50MWt→100MWt→140MWt
・Temperature : 435℃→500℃→500℃

2.0M

Unit construction cost (JP Yen/kWe)

Demonstration: around 2025
Commercialization: before 2050

0.6M
0.5M

Scale merit

Innovativetechnologies
DFBR(1999)
ca.50＊2670MWe

・Two-loop cooling system
・Compact reactor vessel
・Shortened piping with high-chromium steel
・Primary pump integrated with intermediate
heat exchanger
・Large steam generator
・Others (ODS steel for fuel cladding, etc.)

Scale merit

0.4M

Cost reduction by innovative technologies
0.3M

Twin effect

0.2M
0.1M

Development for electricity
Generation system,
Scale-up, High performance

Innovative technologies to reduce construction cost

＊1

MONJU ca.200
280MWeLearning effect

Up to18＊2

Target of FaCT

Large sodium-cooled reactor
1,500MWe×2 (First plant)*1: Actual construction cost divided by output.
*2: Evaluated based on the design.

Construction cost taking account of learning
effect by building multiple plants (notincluding interest during construction)                                                                      

In the FaCT project, we are carrying out a design study ofan advanced loop-type sodium-cooled fast reactor (FR),namely the Japan Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (JSFR), andrelated research and development (R&D), aiming for it to beeconomically competitive with future light water reactors bytaking advantages of the loop-type reactor’s merits inmaintenance, repair, fabrication and construction.
Japan is aiming to commercialize FRs by utilizing
experience accumulated through the design, construction, andoperation of the experimental fast reactor “JOYO” and theprototype fast breeder reactor “MONJU”, and attempting toapply to JSFR innovative technologies to improve economic
efficiency and reliability (Fig.1-2).
Fig.1-3 shows approaches to reduce construction cost. In
the JSFR design, the cooling system is simplified by a twoloop configuration satisfying the high flow velocity
conditions in large-diameter pipes with electricity generationof 1,500MWe, as well as by piping shortened with highchromium steel. Efforts to realize a compact reactor vessel(RV) are made by, for example, removing the spaceconventionally provided for refueling in the upper internal
structure (UIS), and moving this inside the RV. These
innovative technologies are attempted to reduce thecommodity. We are pursuing considerable reduction ofconstruction cost by scale merits, a twin plant configurationand the learning effect.

Enhancement of safety is always required at all
development stages, and JSFR is equipped with safetysystems to accomplish the rapid reactor shut down and thesecure decay heat removal in emergencies. We aredeveloping innovative technologies using only passive safetyfunctions to avoid core disruptive accidents (CDAs), and, tocontain the consequences of a CDA within the RV. We arealso pursuing higher reliability by adopting a doubleboundary concept for the piping to strengthen the design
measure against sodium leaks, and a reactor system of simple
configuration with shorter welding lines which makeinspection targets easy to access and reduce inspection load.
We have carried out experimental studies to elucidate
various thermal-hydraulic phenomena induced by high flow
velocity of sodium in a compact RV, so that the effectivenessof the design measures against these phenomena isconfirmed. Full scale tests of the fuel handling machine
moving fuel in a slit made in the UIS to eliminate the spaceneeded for transferring the UIS during refueling, as well as
development of equipment to test the reactor internal
structural elements in sodium, are being carried out, and theobtained results are being steadily applied to the plant design.
We will steadily continue the design study and thedevelopment of elemental technologies, aiming toward thecommercialization of FRs around 2050.



Uto, N. et al., Conceptual Design for Japan Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor (1) : Current Status of System Design for JSFR, Proceedings of 2009 International
Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP ’09), Tokyo, Japan, 2009, paper 9298, 11p., in CD-ROM.

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