Non paywalled version:
https://dae.gov.in/prototype-fast-breeder-reactor-at-kalpakkam-tamil-nadu-attains-first-criticality/
22
OtheDreamer1 day ago
+44
Outstanding accomplishment India!
44
Mobile_Reply_57421 day ago
+17
Coolest read I've had today.
17
Thick-Ad-41681 day ago
+37
These type of reactors literally create more fuel than they use and are one of the most complex reactor designs (Japan was building them but failed and gave up midway).
Only 2 nations have grid connected breeder reactors , Russia and India
37
Miserable_Ad72461 day ago
+26
These reactors turn the fuel they use into a fuel other reactor can use. They do not create more fuel out of fun air, just like burning wood does not create more coals than initial wood mass. Lot of people will read your comment and think that you are implying infinite fuel glitch.
26
Thick-Ad-41681 day ago
+16
they convert substances that aren't fuel into fuel.
They convert u238 which is fertile and can't be used in npps into Pu239 which is fissile and can be used in nuclear plants. Imagine if fuel was just a wet forest with small patches of dry burnable trees, normal nuclear reactors take the entire forest and only burn the dry burnable trees. Breeder reactors initially take a forest already on fire , convert the entire wet forest into dry burnable forest.
An average nuclear plant is only able to harness 0.3% of the power of uranium , breeders can harness 70%
16
LRanger601 day ago
+1
UK operated 2 fast breeder reactors, first started in 1962
1
jefbenet1 day ago
+1
Were they grid tied?
1
Thick-Ad-41681 day ago
+1
and none of them are operational currently
1
LRanger601 day ago
+1
Correct, decommissioned.
1
IntelArtiGen1 day ago
+18
The good part is that they made it, the sad part is the time it took to make it. Hopefully now they can learn and make more of them and faster. And also criticality means it's not 100% complete but it's still a good news. These reactors can also be hard to use / maintain depending on how they're done.
18
W313371 day ago
+23
Criticality means it is simply creating a sustained reaction.
Subcritical is when it can't maintain a reaction.
Supercritical is when you will melt down.
So the reactor is finished otherwise reaching criticality would be a deathwish.
You are correct that a breeder reactor is a very specific type of reactor creating fuel through fission (if I'm correct). This means it's a very advanced and efficient reactor.
23
IntelArtiGen1 day ago
+2
Criticality is one very important step, but for the reactor to really be finished it needs to produce electricity. It should be an "easy" step but it's the entire job of a reactor so it needs to be done.
2
W313371 day ago
+5
You don't go critical if you can't feed the energy to your turbines or cooling tower/river. You need to generate a minimal amount of energy in the order megawatts to go critical. With the insane amount of protocols surrounding nuclear power plants I highly doubt they are casually finishing it whilst pumping around megawatts of thermal energy for fun in an unfinished facility.
A breeder reactor is still a fission reactor. The on off tests you hear about all the time are fusion reactors, that's a whole different ballgame.
5
PhysixGuy20251 day ago
+2
This is the prototype fast breeder reactor. This is to see/verify the actual operation and note down shortcomings if any, before making multiple ones later.
We're supposed to put up a twin reactor later nearby.
16 Comments