Reactor Basics
Larry Nelson
November 2008
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Overview
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Primary Containment
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BALANCE OF
PLANT (BOP)
Moisture Separator
and Reheater
Steam
Reactor
Vessel
Turbine
Generator
HP
LP
LP
Separators
and Dryers
Condenser
Feedwater
Extraction Steam
Core
Demineralizers
Recirc
Pump
Recirc
Pump
Extraction Steam
Feed
Pumps
Heaters
Condensate
Pumps
Drain
Pumps
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Heaters
BALANCE OF
PLANT (BOP)
Reactor
Vessel
Moisture
Separator
Reheater
Main
Steam
Low
Pressure
Turbine
Generator
Feedwater
Suppression
Pool
High
Pressure
Turbine
Condenser
Feedwater
Pump
Offgas
System
CP
High Pressure
Feedwater Heater
Stack
Low Pressure
Feedwater Heaters
Steam Jet
Air Ejector
Gland Steam
Condenser
CBP
Condenser
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Condensate
Purification
System
BWR Major
Components
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Lower Plenum
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Shroud
and Sep
Core Spray
Spargers
hroud
abilizer
yp of 4)
Ecentric
Aligner
Top
Guide
Core Plate
Stud
(Typical)
Ecentric
Aligner
Cor
Shro
Core
Shroud
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Steam Separator
Wet
Steam
Ret
W
ing
r
Turning vanes
impart rotation to
the steam/water
mixture causing the
liquid to be thrown
to the outside
z 163 standpipes
z
T
(
To
ecirc
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Steam Dryer
Provides Qsteam dryer =
99.9% to the Main
Turbine
z Wet steam is forced
horizontally through
dryer panels
Forced to make a
series of rapid
changes in direction
Moisture is thrown
to the outside
z
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BWR Evolution
Dresden 1
KRB
Oyster Creek
Dresden 2
ABWR
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ESBWR
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BWR Development
VBWR (Vallecitos Boiling Water Reactor)
1st General Electric BWR power plant
Built in 1957 (near San Jose, California)
1st commercial BWR; 5 MWe supplied to Pacific
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BWR Development
BWR1
z
Introduced in 1955
BWR2
z
Introduced in 1963
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BWR Development
BWR3
BWR4
Introduced in 1965
Introduced in 1966
9 plants
Characteristics:
Low power density core
Internal Jet Pumps
2 Recirculation loops
25 Plants
Characteristics:
High power density core
Mark I or II containment
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BWR Development
BWR5
BWR6
Introduced in 1969
z Improved safeguards (ECCS)
z Recirculation flow control
valves
z 8 plants
Characteristics:
Valve flow control load
Introduced in 1972
z Added fuel bundles; increased
output; Improved fuel safety
margins
z Improved Recirc system
performance
z 8 plants
z Characteristics:
following
Valve flow control
ECCS injects into core shroud
8 x 8 fuel bundle
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BWR Development
ABWR
ESBWR
Introduced in 1991
z Currently in licensing and design
z Blend of best features:
z Characteristics:
operating BWRs, available new
Passive Safety
technologies, & modular
Natural Circulation; No Recirc
construction techniques
Loops or Pumps
z 4 plants
Safety improvements (reduced
z Characteristics:
core damage frequency)
Safety improvements
Design life 60 years
(reduced core damage
Larger Main Generator (~1600
frequency)
MWe)
Design life 60 years
No external Recirc Loops;
Reactor Internal Pumps
z
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BWR/4
(Browns Ferry 3)
BWR/6
(Grand Gulf 1)
ABWR
ESBWR
3293/1098
3900/1360
3926/1350
4500/1590
21.9/6.4
21.8/6.4
21.1/7.1
27.6/7.1
764
800
872
1132
3.7
3.7
3.7
3.0
50
54.2
51
54
Recirculation pumps
2 (large)
2 (large)
10
zero
185/LP
193/LP
205/FM
269/FM
18
zero
zero
1E-5
1E-6
1E-7
1E-8
120
170
180
135
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After
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Pressurizer
Pressure/Temperature
Chemical &
Volume Control
Reactor
Pressure
Vessel
T/G
T/G
Turbine
Generator
Turbine
Generator
Steam Generator
Reactor
Pressure
Vessel
Condenser
Condenser
2 loops
heat balance/
heat transfer
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1 loop
heat balance/
heat transfer
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PWR
psig)
z RPV Temperature 288 oC
(550 F)
z Steam Generated in RPV
(with Separator & Dryer)
z Bulk Boiling Allowed in RPV
psig)
z RPV Temperature 326 oC (~618
F)
z Steam Generated in Steam
Generator (via Second Loop)
z No Bulk Boiling in RPV
BWR
BWRhas
hasLower
LowerRPV
RPVPressure
Pressureand
andSimplified
SimplifiedSteam
SteamCycle
Cycle
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Pressurizer
z Natural Circulation (ESBWR)
z RPV mounted pumps (ABWR)
z Bottom Entry Control Rod Drives
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PWR
z RPV
z 2 - 4 Steam Generators
z 1 Pressurizer
z Reactor Coolant Pumps
outside of RPV
z Top Entry Control Rod
Clusters
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Electrochemical Potential
(ECP) Concept
Operating BWRs
N. America Europe Asia
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4
11
Non-GE
0
16
21
80,000 MWe installed
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Total
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38
Repair costs
>$1B / BWR
E=mc2
235
U
Etc.
235
U
HEAT
n
n
Moderator
Water
or
Graphite
n
238
U
high energy
neutron
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Pu
low energy
neutron
H20
X,Y
H+ + OH-
Radioactive
by-products
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H2
H*
n
e
OH*
H2 O
H2 O
+
O2
H2O2
OHHO2
HO2
Commonly
Observed
species
(n,p)
-
N2
NO2NO3-
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Cr depletion occurs
during welding of
stainless steels with high
carbon levels
Stress
Microstructure
20
15
1.E-05
1.E-06
0
-25
-20
-15
-10
-5
10
15
20
25
10
CW A600
42.5
28.3
14.2
in/h
CW A600
GE PLEDGE
Predictions
30 MPam
Sens SS
0.5
2000 ppb O2
Ann. 304SS
200 ppb O2
0.25
Weld
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2000 ppb O2
25
200 ppb O2
500 ppb O2
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Outside
1.E-08
0.1
0.06 S/cm
GE PLEDGE Predictions for Unsensitized
Stainless Steel (upper curve for 20% CW)
1.E-09
-0.6
-0.5
-0.4
-0.3
-0.2
-0.1
0.0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
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LAB
Lab understanding &
data must be verified
by plant data before
use in BWR prediction
PLANT
PREDICTION
Insights yield
novel technology
like NobleChem
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High
Hydrogen
NobleChem Basics
200
NWC In-core
NWC - Piping
0
- 200
- 400
HWC
NobleChem
- 600
0.5
1.0
1.5
//
2.0
With excess H2, O2 is consumed & its level at the surface is zero
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Full Function
Data Acquisition
System
Air Conditioner
Recirculation\Decon Flange
Assembly (4 ECP Sensors)
Multiplexer
Personal Computer
Digital Multimeter
Deskjet Printer
AC Line
Conditioner
Drywell
Multimeter/
Multiplexer
Core
Plate
EDM one new
hole in Guide
Tube
Simplified
Data Acquisition
System
Personal
Computer
Inlet to LPRM
(ECP sensors
inside and
above)
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Fe/Fe3O4
Platinum
Noble Metal
Treated SS
Electrode
Core
Plate
2.75 in.
(70 mm)
200
100
HWC is Effective
In Mitigating IGSCC
ButLower Plenum
Requires More H2
Middle
Bottom
-100
-200
-300
Core Plate
ECP
-400
-500
0
0.5
1.5
2.5
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1.0
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2.0
(ppm)
40
200
TM
ECP mV(SHE)
TM
-200
IGSCC Mitigation
-400
-600
0
0.4
0.8
1.2
1.6
Feedwater H2 (ppm)
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TM
300
200
100
ECP mV(SHE)
-100
Upper Core - UC
-200
-230 mV(SHE)
-300
Lower Core - LC
-400
Lower Plenum - LP
-500
RRS
-600
0
0.5
1.5
2.5
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S TATI STICS
M ean :
6.1
Std . De v. :
2.3
Minim um :
2.1
Ma xim um :
2 1.8
O bject Co unt : 17 331
(b ased on num b er)
25%
20%
90%
nm
nm
nm
nm
80%
70%
60%
50%
15%
40%
10%
30%
Cumulative Number
30%
20%
5%
10%
0%
100 nm
0%
0.5
1.5
2.5
3.5
4.5
5.5
6.5
7.5
8.5
9.5
10.5 11.5 12.5 13.5 14.5 15.5 16.5 17.5 18.5 19.5
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Summary
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