BOR-60 is a second stage in the Soviet fast-reactor program, a sodium — cooled fast reactor designed to supersede the BR-5 by producing 60 MWt. It attained 20 MWt in the spring of 1970 and should reach full power early in 1971. It will provide further information for the Soviet program in which the BN-350 and BN-600 plants, 350 MWe and 600 MWe respectively, are already being built (46b).

The sodium for the BOR-60 fast breeder fuel irradiation reactor was
shipped under a layer of paraffin wax. Some of this wax found its way into the sodium storage tanks and has thus resulted in an early clean-up problem. The experience echoed earlier purity assurance problems in Dounreay.

The plant has a conventional building which is not a leaktight contain­ment. The design emphasizes engineered safety features, with a doubly contained primary system up to the isolation valves. Redundant safety circuits are included and backup power is provided as well as a plant designed for natural circulation to ensure that heat removal capability is available under all circumstances.

Fig. 4.42. Cross section of LAMPRE (2).

Because there is a fairly small inventory of sodium in the vessel, the outlet components experience a substantial thermal shock on scram. This is offset by a programmed flow reduction following the scram signal.