CANDU-Like Features in Emerging Small Modular Reactor Designs

Abstract

Several small modular reactor (SMR) designs are emerging, but only the CANDU® SMR and a couple of Indian designs incorporate the familiar features of the larger CANDU reactors. This paper shows that while the CANDU-reactor concept did not seem to receive wider attention among SMR designers, it has influenced a few. The paper discusses how the CANDU-reactor operating experience can aid in the construction and operation of some SMRs. For example, the concept of passive reactor shutdown by draining the moderator, which was utilized in the early Pickering A units, is adopted in the Copenhagen Atomics Waste Burner; a molten slat (LiF-ThF4) heavy-water moderated reactor. The heavy-water and lithium in this salt produce tritium and can benefit from the CANDU-reactor experience in handling tritium. The online refueling of CANDU reactors, their large heat sinks, and seamless configuration are also reflected in SMR designs.