The Superphénix-2 Project

The Superphénix-2 (SPX-2) core is presented with an explanation of the choice of the main options. The SPX-2 core delivers a total power 20% higher than SPX-1 in a reactor vessel of almost the same size, including internal storage of the burned fuel, which is specific to SPX-2. This leads to a drastic reduction in the capital cost of the reactor, which is accompanied by a strong reduction in the cycle cost due to improvements in the fuel burnup. Some specific core problems are described, such as shutdown requirements for control rods, fuel management, start-up core, and core monitoring systems, where the increased burnup and the simplified overall reactor design require modifications from SPX-1.