Editing Integral fast reactor (section)

==Safety==
In traditional [[Light-water reactor|light-water reactors]] (LWRs) the core must be maintained at a high pressure to keep the water liquid at high temperatures. In contrast, since the IFR is a [[liquid metal cooled reactor]], the core could operate at close to [[ambient pressure]], dramatically reducing the danger of a [[loss-of-coolant accident]]. The entire reactor core, [[heat exchanger]]s, and primary cooling pumps are immersed in a pool of liquid sodium or lead, making a loss of primary coolant extremely unlikely. The coolant loops are designed to allow for cooling through natural [[convection]], meaning that in the case of a power loss or unexpected reactor shutdown, the heat from the reactor core would be sufficient to keep the coolant circulating even if the primary cooling pumps were to fail.

The IFR also has [[passive nuclear safety|passive safety]] advantages as compared with conventional LWRs. The fuel and [[Cladding (nuclear fuel)|cladding]] are designed such that when they expand due to increased temperatures, more neutrons would be able to escape the core, thus reducing the rate of the fission chain reaction. In other words, an increase in the core temperature acts as a feedback mechanism that decreases the core power. This attribute is known as a negative [[temperature coefficient of reactivity]]. Most LWRs also have negative reactivity coefficients; however, in an IFR, this effect is strong enough to stop the reactor from reaching core damage without external action from operators or safety systems. This was demonstrated in a series of safety tests on the prototype. Pete Planchon, the engineer who conducted the tests for an international audience, quipped "Back in 1986, we actually gave a small [20 MWe] prototype advanced fast reactor a couple of chances to melt down. It politely refused both times."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ne.anl.gov/About/hn/logos-winter02-psr.shtml |title=Passively safe reactors rely on nature to keep them cool |publisher=Ne.anl.gov |date=2013-12-13 |access-date=2014-01-24}}</ref>

Liquid sodium presents safety problems because it ignites spontaneously on contact with air and can cause explosions on contact with water. This was the case at the [[Monju Nuclear Power Plant]] in a 1995 accident and fire. To reduce the risk of explosions following a leak of water from the [[steam turbine]]s, the IFR design (as with other [[sodium-cooled fast reactor|SFR]]s) includes an intermediate liquid-metal coolant loop between the reactor and the steam turbines. The purpose of this loop is to ensure that any explosion following the accidental mixing of sodium and turbine water would be limited to the secondary heat exchanger and not pose a risk to the reactor itself. Alternative designs use lead instead of sodium as the primary coolant. The disadvantages of lead are its higher density and viscosity, which increases pumping costs, and radioactive activation products resulting from neutron absorption. A lead-bismuth [[Eutectic system|eutectate]], as used in some Russian submarine reactors, has lower viscosity and density, but the same activation product problems can occur.