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sodium-cooled fast reactor
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Diagram of a sodium-cooled liquid-metal nuclear reactor showing labeled components including the reactor core, control rods, pumps, heat exchanger, steam generator, turbine, electric generator, and condenser, with arrows illustrating the flow of primary and secondary sodium coolant and steam through the system. Diagram showing three types of power cycles in nuclear power plants: a single-loop cycle with one closed water circuit from reactor to turbine, a two-loop cycle with separate primary and secondary loops connected by a steam generator, and a three-loop cycle adding a tertiary loop and heat exchanger for extra separation between the reactor and turbine systems.
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sodium-cooled fast reactor

physics
Also known as: MLR, liquid-metal reactor
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Diagram of a sodium-cooled liquid-metal nuclear reactor showing labeled components including the reactor core, control rods, pumps, heat exchanger, steam generator, turbine, electric generator, and condenser, with arrows illustrating the flow of primary and secondary sodium coolant and steam through the system.
sodium-cooled liquid-metal reactor Schematic diagram of a nuclear power plant using a pool-type sodium-cooled liquid-metal reactor.

A sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) is a type of nuclear reactor that uses liquid sodium as a coolant and operates with fast neutrons. Unlike thermal reactors, SFRs do not use a moderator to slow down neutrons. This allows them to utilize higher-energy neutrons, which are more effective at causing fission in certain materials and can also breed more fissile material than they consume.12

Liquid sodium is an efficient heat conductor, transferring thermal energy from the reactor core to generate steam for turbines. SFRs can be designed as "loop type" with external heat exchangers or "pool type" where the primary sodium, pumps, and heat exchanger are contained within the reactor vessel. These reactors have received attention for their potential to supply fissile material, though enthusiasm has varied over time.32

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5 Britannica Sources
  1. nuclear reactor - Thermal , intermediate, and fast reactors
  2. nuclear reactor - Coolants and moderators
  3. nuclear reactor - Liquid-metal reactors
  4. nuclear reactor - Systems and structures
  5. radiation - Neutrons

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