Belgium centre unveils safer nuclear reactor design
A new, safer method of operating lead-cooled nuclear reactors has been demonstrated at the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre. The operational model, Guinevere, uses a particle accelerator to control nuclear reactions.
As the new reactor design – referred to as an Accelerator Driven System [ADS] – requires an external neutron source to operate, an immediate shutdown can be brought about by simply turning off the particle accelerator. This makes Guinevere both much safer and easier to control.
In addition, a Guinevere-style reactor produces less radiotoxic by-products, through the generation of rapid neutrons, which split up the longer-lived waste typical of normal nuclear plants.
While Guinevere has a limited output, this method of reactor control offers great possibilities for the future: such as the planned Myrrha reactor, which is scheduled to begin operation, in Belgium, in 2023.
Guinevere, built in collaboration with a partnership of eleven European laboratories, including CNRS, which constructed the accelerator. The core was partly designed by the CEA, who also provided the fuel for the reactor.
For more information, please visit the Belgium Nuclear Research Centre website.
