The ARC-100 is an advanced small modular reactor that utilizes proven prototype experience while integrating modern design improvements. It is a 100 MW(e) sodium-cooled, fast flux, pool-type reactor with metallic fuel that builds on the 30-year successful operation of the EBR-II reactor, built and operated by the Argonne National Laboratory in the U.S.

Technical Parameters

• Reactor type: Liquid metal cooled fast reactor (pool type)
• Coolant/moderator: Sodium
• Thermal/electrical capacity, MW(t)/MW(e): 286/100
• Primary circulation: forced circulation
• NSSS Operating Pressure (primary/secondary), MPa: Non-pressurized
• Core Inlet/Outlet Coolant Temperature (oC): 355/510
• Fuel type/assembly array: Metal fuel (U-Zr alloy) based on enriched uranium
• Number of fuel assemblies in the core: 99
• Fuel enrichment (%): Avg. 13.1
• Core Discharge Burnup (GWd/ton): 77
• Fuel Cycle (years): 20
• Reactivity control mechanism: Control Rods
• Approach to safety systems: Passive, diverse, redundant
• Design life (years): 60
• Plant footprint (m2): 56 000
• RPV height/diameter (m): 15.6/7.6
• Distinguishing features: Inherent reactor safety with passive, diverse and redundant decay heat removal. Core lifetime of 20 years without refueling
• Design Status: Conceptual design

ARC is trying to offer the global energy industry an affordable, flexible, and mature utility-scale nuclear power solution to address the rapidly evolving energy market landscape and the geopolitics of environmental regulation. The ARC-100 plans to offer:

• flexible operations and load following to complement intermittent renewable power sources
• ability to address nuclear waste by recycling used fuel

Target Market ARC-100 will initially target grid-scale electricity generation markets in the developed world. It will then be marketed to remote locations like mine sites and smaller grid markets in the developing world. It will then also be targeted at industrial heat applications and water desalination.

• Sodium as a coolant: The use of sodium instead of water as the coolant allows the reactor to operate at lower pressures, improving the efficiency and safety of the system.
• Recycling waste: The ARC-100 consumes its own waste and recycles its own fuel, leaving almost no long-term waste. In addition, the technology can recycle waste from traditional reactors to generate energy.
• Small size: The total plant size is less than a city block and its modularized components can be shipped and installed at the site using regular commercial equipment, such as barges, rail, trucks, and construction cranes.
• Passive safety: The ARC-100 prioritizes its efforts to be "walk away" fail safe. It does not depend on extra pumps or operator intervention in the event electric power to the plant is disrupted.
• Proprietary core: designed to operate for 20+ years without refueling

The ARC-100 tries to address the four challenges which have limited the public acceptance and expansion of the nuclear industry. First, its 100 MW(e) electrical generation capacity is less than one-tenth the capacity of traditional nuclear power plants, and, consequently, its upfront cost will be smaller. Second, because its coolant is liquid sodium instead of water, its ‘fast’ neutrons have much more energy, giving it the capacity to be fueled with and recycle its own used fuel. Third, the ARC-100 utilizes a metallic alloy of uranium instead of uranium oxide, which provides the foundation for its inherent, walk away safety. And fourth, the operator refuels this power plant only once every 20 years, rather than every 18-24 months which is typical of the light water reactors which dominate the current worldwide market. The long refueling cycle has the goal of reducing operational costs and complexity, and opening markets in the third world and many isolated off-grid applications. Replacement of the entire 20-year fuel cartridge and its removal by the vendor for recycling also greatly reduces the risk of nuclear proliferation.

The philosophy of the ARC-100 reactor is to rely on simple, passive safety features to achieve reactor safety under any normal operational occurrence or accident condition. The ARC-100 has adopted five traditional levels of safety for its defense in depth:

• Minimize risk by the prevention of abnormal operation and failure by maximizing safety margins.
• Protection against abnormal operations and anticipated events via the large thermal inertia of the sodium pool.
• Protection against design basis accidents (DBA) through diverse and redundant systems.
• Control of severe plant conditions through designed passive and inherent safety characteristics of the facility.
• Protection of the public health and safety in case of accidents by designing the inherent and passive safety characteristics such that operator intervention and external power are not required for plant survival. Additionally, the design goal of the plant is that the evacuation zone is limited to the site boundary.