Construction of the Dounreay Fast Reactor


Abstract The Prototype Fast Reactor (PFR) at Dounreay, UK, started operation in 1975 and was closed down in 1994. The present report contains a description of the PFR nuclear power plant, based on information available in literature and on information supplied during a visit to the plant. The report covers a description of the site and plant arrangement, the buildings and structures, the reactor core and other vessel internals, the control system, the main cooling system, the decay heat removal system, the emergency core cooling system, the containment system, the steam and power conversion system, the fuel handling system, plant safety features, the control and instrumentation systems and the sodium purification systems. The report was prepared as part of the NKS RAK-2 programme.
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Dounreay has been the principal center for the British development of fast reactors. Two fast power reactors have been built at Dounreay. Firstly the Dounreay Fast Reactor (DFR) with an electric power of 15 MW (60 MWC) which started operation in 1960 and in 1962 became the first fast reactor power plant to supply electicity to a national grid. The DFR was closed down in 1977. In 1975 the second fast reactor, the Prototype Fast Reactor (PFR) was connected to the grid. It had an electric power of 250 MW. It was closed down in 1994. In addition to the two fast reactor power plants a fuel reprocessing plant to process fast reactor fuel was built at Dounreay. The plant has also been used to reprocess highly enriched fuel from research reactors. In addition to the fast reactor facilities a research reactor, the Dounreay Materials Testing Reactor, a heavy water reactor of 10 MW, was commissioned in 1958 and closed down in 1969. Dounreay has also been the center of the British development of submarine propulsion reactors, i.e. pressurized water reactors. Two prototype reactors have been built and operated at Dounreay, PWR-1 and PWR2. These have been used for testing the plants and their components as well as new fuel loadings. In 1984 PWR-1 was closed down and converted to a full-size test rig where loss-of-coolant accidents could be tested. The tests lasted for 4 years. The PWR2-facility, called Shore Test Facility (STF) is provided with the same reactor plant as the Vanguard class submarines. It is a new, all British design.
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