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Concept
Lead-bismuth eutectic
Summary
Lead-Bismuth Eutectic or LBE is a eutectic alloy of lead (44.5 at%) and bismuth (55.5 at%) used as a coolant in some nuclear reactors, and is a proposed coolant for the lead-cooled fast reactor, part of the Generation IV reactor initiative.
It has a melting point of 123.5 °C/255.3 °F (pure lead melts at 327 °C/621 °F, pure bismuth at 271 °C/520 °F) and a boiling point of 1,670 °C/3,038 °F.
Lead-bismuth alloys with between 30% and 75% bismuth all have melting points below 200 °C/392 °F.
Alloys with between 48% and 63% bismuth have melting points below 150 °C/302 °F.
While lead expands slightly on melting and bismuth contracts slightly on melting, LBE has negligible change in volume on melting.
The Soviet Alfa-class submarines used LBE as a coolant for their nuclear reactors throughout the Cold War.
OKB Gidropress (the Russian developers of the VVER-type Light-water reactors) has expertise in LBE reactors. The SVBR-75/100, a modern design of this type, is one example of the extensive Russian experience with this technology.
Gen4 Energy (formerly Hyperion Power Generation), a United States firm connected with Los Alamos National Laboratory, announced plans in 2008 to design and deploy a uranium nitride fueled small modular reactor cooled by lead-bismuth eutectic for commercial power generation, district heating, and desalinization. The proposed reactor, called the Gen4 Module, is planned as a 70 MWth reactor of the sealed modular type, factory assembled and transported to site for installation, and transported back to factory for refueling.
As compared to sodium-based liquid metal coolants such as liquid sodium or NaK, lead-based coolants have significantly higher boiling points, meaning a reactor can be operated without risk of coolant boiling at much higher temperatures. This improves thermal efficiency and could potentially allow hydrogen production through thermochemical processes.
Lead and LBE also do not react readily with water or air, in contrast to sodium and NaK which ignite spontaneously in air and react explosively with water.
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