Progress in reliability of fast reactor operation and new trends to increased inherent safety

The reasons for the renewed interest in fast reactors and an overview of the progress in sodium cooled fast reactor operation in the last ten years are given. The excellent operational performance of sodium cooled fast reactors in this period is highlighted as a sound basis for the development of new fast reactors. The operational performance of the BN-600 is compared and evaluated against the performance of German light water reactors to assess the reliability. The relevance of feedback effects for safe reactor design is described, and a new method for the enhancement of feedback effects in fast reactors is proposed. Experimental reactors demonstrating the inherent safety of advanced sodium cooled fast reactor designs are described and the potential safety improvements resulting from the use of fine distributed moderating material are discussed.