liquid-metal fast-breeder reactor
Quick Summary
A liquid-metal fast-breeder reactor (LMFBR) is a type of nuclear reactor designed to produce more fissionable material than it consumes. This is achieved by using uranium-238, which is abundant, to create plutonium-239 through radioactive decay. The plutonium-239 is then bombarded with high-speed neutrons, causing it to split and release energy and more neutrons, sustaining a chain reaction. The heat generated is transferred by a liquid sodium coolant to produce steam for electricity generation. While interest in these reactors waned, several countries, including Russia, China, India, and Japan, have them in operation. LMFBRs are a type of fast breeder reactor, and most large power plants of this kind use liquid metal coolants like sodium.12
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