DECLASSIFIED

UNI-2000 VOL13 PT1

REPLACEMENT N REACTOR
(RNR)

DUAL PURPOSE REACTOR SYSTEM
CONCEPTUAL DESIGN DESCRIPTION

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Prepared By
The Staff of The Advanced Concepts Section
RPR Program Office

UNC NUCLEAR INDUSTRIES
Richland, WA 99352

April 30, 1981

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This document contains the data and conclusions developed in the Replacement Production Reactor evaluation program. The objective of the program was to develop and evaluate a consistent base of technical and operational data for DOE to use in making a decision on an RPR concept. The program was started in mid-1980 and completed in April 1981.

The entire document consists of sixteen volumes and includes contributions from organizations with some of the best technical expertise in the country. A list of the individual volumes and their titles is given on the next page.

UNC Nuclear Industries was assigned the role of program manager by DOE. Technical experts were drawn from a wide segment of the nuclear community, with a major portion of the assistance coming from Los Alamos, Savannah River and Hanford. A concept custodian was selected for each of the production concepts. Argonne National Laboratory was custodian for the LMFBR, General Atomic for the HTGR, Brookhaven National Laboratory for the ENB, Savannah River Project for the LTHWR and HTHWR, UNC Nuclear Industries with the assistance of Westinghouse Nuclear Energy Systems for the LWR, and UNC Nuclear Industries for the RNR. United Engineers and Constructors was selected to provide a consistent concept cost data base. In addition, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Savannah River Laboratory, Rockwell Hanford Operations, and UNC Nuclear Industries provided technical information in areas such as safety, fuel cycle analysis, unit cost analysis and target and fuel technology. Pacific Northwest Laboratory, EG&G, and Westinghouse Hanford Company also provided analytical and technical support to the project.

Without the contributions of many individuals in these organizations, this report could never have been completed. The RPR Office appreciates the dedicated efforts of those individuals, as well as the help of the UNC support staff.

DOCUMENTS CONTAINED IN UNI-2000

           VOLUME                                           DOCUMENT

                                               EXECUTIVE SUMMARY [VOL. l3, PT. 1]

           1                                 SUMMARY REPORT REPLACEMENT PRODUCTION REACTOR TECHNICAL EVALUATION

           2                                 EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR ASSESSING THE TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF RPR CONCEPTS AND ASSOCIATED FUEL CYCLE FACILITIES

           3                                 REPLACEMENT PRODUCTION REACTOR SUMMARY CONCEPT DESCRIPTIONS AND PERFORMANCE

           4                                 ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF REPLACEMENT PRODUCTION REACTOR CONCEPTS

           5                                 REPLACEMENT PRODUCTION REACTOR DESIGN REVIEW AND EVALUATION SUBCOMMITTEE REPORT

           6                                 FUEL CYCLE ANALYSIS IN SUPPORT OF THE REPLACEMENT PRODUCTION REACTOR

           7                                 REPLACEMENT PRODUCTION REACTOR SAFETY SUBCOMMITTEE EVALUATION REPORT

           8                                 HIGH TEMPERATURE GAS REACTOR, REPLACEMENT PRODUCTION REACTOR CONCEPT DESCRIPTION

           9                                 HIGH TEMPERATURE HEAVY WATER REACTOR, REPLACEMENT PRODUCTION REACTOR CONCEPT DESCRIPTION

           10                               LIGHT WATER REACTOR, REPLACEMENT PRODUCTION REACTOR CONCEPT DESCRIPTION

           11                               LIQUID METAL FAST BREEDER REACTOR, REPLACEMENT PRODUCTION REACTOR CONCEPT DESCRIPTION

           12                               LOW TEMPERATURE HEAVY WATER REACTOR, REPLACEMENT PRODUCTION REACTOR CONCEPT DESCRIPTION

           13                               REPLACEMENT "N" REACTOR, REPLACEMENT PRODUCTION REACTOR CONCEPT DESCRIPTION

           14                               ELECTRONUCLEAR BREEDER, REPLACEMENT PRODUCTION REACTOR CONCEPT DESCRIPTION

           15                               COMPARATIVE COST ESTIMATES FOR CAPITAL, OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE COSTS FOR REPLACEMENT PRODUCTION REACTORS

           16                               TARGET TECHNOLOGY FOR REPLACEMENT PRODUCTION REACTORS

SYNOPSIS

As part of the Department of Energy's (DOE's) Replacement Production Reactor (RPR) program, a conceptual study was prepared of an advanced materials production reactor similar to the Hanford N Reactor. This report presents the design and production capability of the special purpose reactor identified as the Replacement N Reactor (RNR).

The RNR uses horizontal pressure tubes, a graphite moderator, light water cooling, and metallic uranium fuel for the production of special nuclear materials concurrent with electric power. The reactor described in this study can produce goal amounts of weapons grade plutonium, or tritium, and other special isotopes and generate 1130 MW of electrical power. The reactor has a thermal power rating of 3830 MWt.

The reactor concept is based on the well developed N Reactor and LWR reactor technology; it complies with or exceeds existing and projected safety and environmental requirements; it demonstrates a unique and high degree of product control and flexibility; it is an economical producer of both special nuclear products and electrical power; and its fuel and target elements can be reprocessed in existing fuel cycle facilities.

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