Explain the Principle, Construction and Working of Liquid
metal cooled
Reactor with neat sketch
Here is a clear and structured explanation of Liquid Metal Cooled Reactor (LMCR)
including Principle, Construction, and Working, along with a neat sketch (simplified)
suitable for exams.
Liquid Metal Cooled Reactor (LMCR)
Principle
A Liquid Metal Cooled Reactor works on the principle of:
Controlled nuclear fission of enriched uranium or plutonium in a reactor core,
Heat produced by fission is removed using liquid metal coolant (commonly Sodium
(Na) or Sodium–Potassium alloy (NaK) or Lead/Bismuth) instead of water,
The heat is used to produce steam in a secondary loop which drives a turbine to
generate electricity.
Why Liquid Metal Coolant?
High thermal conductivity
High boiling point (prevents pressurization)
Low neutron absorption
Allows operation at higher temperature and improved efficiency
Construction of Liquid Metal Cooled Reactor
Main components:
1. Reactor Core – contains fuel rods (U-235, Pu-239 or MOX)
2. Moderator – Graphite or sometimes none (in fast breeder reactors)
3. Control Rods – Boron, Hafnium or Cadmium
4. Liquid Metal Coolant Circuit
Primary circuit (coolant flows through reactor core)
Intermediate heat exchanger
Secondary coolant circuit
5. Steam Generator
6. Turbine & Generator
7. Containment vessel and shielding
Working of Liquid Metal Cooled Reactor
1. Nuclear fission occurs in the reactor core producing heat.
2. Primary coolant (Liquid Sodium) absorbs heat from the reactor core.
3. Hot Sodium flows to the intermediate heat exchanger, transferring heat to secondary
sodium loop.
4. The secondary hot sodium passes through the steam generator to convert feedwater
into steam.
5. The high-pressure steam drives a steam turbine.
6. Turbine rotates the generator to produce electrical power.
7. Steam is condensed back to water in the condenser and recirculated.
Neat Sketch (Simplified Diagram)
sql Copy code
┌──────────────────────────────┐
│ Containment Vessel │
│ │
Control │ │
Rods ▼ ▼
┌───────────┐ Primary Sodium Outlet
│ Reactor │───────────────┐
│ Core │ │
└───────────┘ ▼
Primary Sodium ┌──────────────┐
Return ◄────│ Intermediate │
│ Heat Exchanger│
└──────────────┘
│
Secondary Sodium
▼
┌─────────────────┐
│ Steam Generator │
└─────────────────┘
│ Steam
▼
┌────────┐
│Turbine │
└────────┘
│
Output
│
Generator
Advantages
Higher efficiency due to high operating temperature
Low pressure operation → safer design
Suitable for Fast Breeder Reactors
High heat transfer rate
Disadvantages
Sodium is chemically reactive (fire risk with water or air)
Expensive and complex coolant handling
Design complexity
Applications
Fast Breeder Reactors (FBR) used in India (e.g., PFBR Kalpakkam)
Research reactors & advanced power plants
If you want, I can also provide:
A more detailed labeled diagram
Differences between LMCR and PWR/BWR
Example LMCRs around the world
Would you like a comparison table between LMCR, PWR and BWR? 😊
