Nuclear Power Plants

Fission
Moderator Moderator
Uranium-235

Control rods

fission
QuickTime an d a TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor are need ed to see this p icture .

Slow neutron U-235 http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/uf6/fission.gif

Concepts
Review

Prompt neutrons vs Delayed neutron Capture to Fission ratio a New Multiplication factor - k the number of neutrons in this generation/number of neutrons in the previous generation k or keff

Neutron cycle in a reactor

100 fission 259 neutrons produced 59 lost Activation products

100 absorbed in Fuel no fission

100 absorbed in Fuel fission

Multiplication factor k fep

Four factor formula - Reactor of infinite size

Reproduction factor, number of nts released in fission per nts absorbed f Thermal utilization, thermal nts absorbed in fuel per thermal nts absorbed in fuel + thermal nts absorbed in everything else e Fast fission factor, fast nts produced per fast neutron from thermal fission p resonance escape probability, fraction of nts not captured while slowing down.

Neutron Cycle - infinite reactor

Fast Fission Captured Absorbed non fuel Thermal absorption

Resonance absorption

ep

epf

Neutron production

epf

=k

Real reactors
Four factors become 6

Fast non-leakage Lf Thermal non-leakage Lt L=LfLt

keff fepL f Lt keff fepL keff k L

QuickTime and a TIFF (Uncompressed) decompre ssor are neede d to see this picture.

Neutron Cycle - finite reactor

Fast Fission Fast leak

Slowing

eLf
Resonance absorption

e(1-Lf)

Captured eLf(1-p)

Thermal leak

eLfp(1-Lt)

eLfp
Diffusion

Absorbed eLp(1-f) non fuel

epfL

Neutron production

epfL

Thermal absorption

eLfpLt

Fuel Control rod

Basic Components

Steam generator

Control Rods
Used to control the chain reaction
Materials that have larger cross-

sections than fuel

Typical cross sections

U-235 B-10

Thermal neutron

sf=572 b

sc=3000 b

Coolant Flow q=w(hout-hin)

Recirculating
Tout Steam Tout

q q

Tin
Water Tin

Pressurized Water Reactor

PWR
150 bar 2200 psia Light water coolant
Steam

/moderator ~ 3-4 % enriched

Boiling Water Reactor

BWR
No separate steam

generator 70 bar 1000 psia 10% of converted to steam

steam

Comparison PWR-BWR
BWR core power density 1/2 of the PWR but

still greater than Gas cooled Steam generators for PWR requires more upkeep PWR coolant loop is more contained Corrosion in the turbine can pass directly to the BWR causing activation and higher exposures to the operating staff

Comparison Continued
PWR have high decay heat require

cooling even when shut down SS piping in BWR is more susceptible to cracks PWR have a similar issue with the steam generator

LOCA
Address component breakdown or a

combination of component breakdowns that lead to interruption of normal cooling When an interruption occurs, the fission process is terminated, however heat generation continues

Classifications of operation
Normal
Operational transients Upsets

Emergencies
Limiting Fault Conditions includes

Design basis accident DBA Unprotected or beyond DBA

Engineered Safety Systems

The actions are

done as a result of instrument signals Reliability Duplication Diversity

Most common ESS

Alternate cooling
SCRAM - Tripping - insert control rods

to stop fission
Control Cool Contain

Environmental Release
Acid Rain Contribution
1000 MWe

Nuclear SO2 - 0 Coal (1.5% S) SO2 - 90,900 tons Fuel oil (0.37%S) SO2 - 22,496 tons

Gen IV Program (INL.gov)

Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor (GFR) features a fast-

neutron-spectrum, helium-cooled reactor and closed fuel cycle Very-High-Temperature Reactor (VHTR) a graphite-moderated, helium-cooled reactor with a once-through uranium fuel cycle Supercritical-Water-Cooled Reactor (SCWR) a high-temperature, high-pressure water-cooled reactor that operates above the thermodynamic critical point of water

Gen IV Program
Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor (SFR) features a fastspectrum, sodium-cooled reactor and closed fuel cycle for efficient management of actinides and conversion of fertile uranium Lead-Cooled Fast Reactor (LFR) features a fastspectrum lead of lead/bismuth eutectic liquid metal-cooled reactor and a closed fuel cycle for efficient conversion of fertile uranium and management of actinides Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) produces fission power in a circulating molten salt fuel mixture with an epithermalspectrum reactor and a full actinide recycle fuel cycle

Gas-cooled fast reactor GFR

600 MW th 48% net eff Coolant

Inlet 490C Outlet 850C Pressure 90 bar Ave power density 100 MWth/m3 Burn-up 5%

He

Very High Temperature Reactor

Core outlet 1000 C 600 Mw t Water

He

H production

O2 H2

Super Critical Water Cooled

Operates above the

thermodynamic critical point ( 374 C 22.1 MPa 1700 MWe Pressure 25 MPa T outlet is 550C

Sodium cooled fast

T out 550 C
Mixed oxide fuel Two sizes

150-500 MWe 500 - 1500 Mwe

Lead Cooled Fast

300 to 1200 MWe
T outlet 550 - 800 C Fuel is metal or

nitride based

Molten Salt
1000 MWe T outlet 700-800 C Molten salt fuel

Questions