NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

Swami Keshvanand Institute of Technology

Management & Gramothan, Jaipur

Submitted to:- Submitted by:-

MR. YUSUF SHARIF Nidhi Mahawar (18ESKEE738)
Nikhil Chopra (18ESKEE739)
MR. GARVIT KUMAR GUPTA
Monika Jareda (18ESKEE736)
Mohit Vishnani ( 18ESKEE735)
CONTENT:-
 Introduction And Definition
 Site Selection

 Working Principle Of Nuclear Power Plant

 Nuclear Reaction

 Main Parts Of Nuclear Power Plant

 Types Of Nuclear Reactor

 Precaution Of Nuclear Reactor

 Advantages And Disadvantages Of Nuclear Reactor

 Flow Chart Of Nuclear Power Plant

 Conclusion
 Introduction
A nuclear power plant is a thermal power station in which the heat source is
a nuclear reactor. As it is typical of thermal power stations, heat is used to
generate steam that drives a steam turbine connected to a generator that
produces electricity.

Definition of Nuclear Power Plant

A nuclear power plant is a facility that converts atomic energy into

usable power. In a nuclear electric power plant, heat produced by a reactor is
generally used to drive a turbine which in turn drives an electric generator.
 Nuclear Power Plant Site Selection

 Availability of water resources.

 Disposal of wastes.
 Distance from populated area.
 Transportation facilities.
 Working Principle

1. A nuclear power plant works in a similar way as a thermal power

plant. The difference between the two is in the fuel use to heat the
water in the boiler(Steam generator).
2. Inside a nuclear power station, energy is released by nuclear
fission in the core of the reactor.
3. 1kg of Uranium-235 can produce as much energy as the burning
of 4500 tons of high grade variety of Coal or 2000 tons of oil.
 Nuclear Chain Reactions
A chain reaction refers to a
process in which neutrons
released in fission produce an
additional fission in at least one
further nucleus. This nucleus in
turn produces neutrons, and the
process repeats. The process may
be controlled (nuclear power) or
uncontrolled (nuclear weapons).
 Fission Reaction
When a large fissile atomic nucleus such as uranium-235 or plutonium-
239 absorbs a neutron, it may undergo nuclear fission. The heavy nucleus splits
into two or more lighter nuclei, (the fission products), releasing kinetic
energy, gamma radiation, and free neutrons. A portion of these neutrons may be
absorbed by other fissile atoms and trigger further fission events, which release
more neutrons, and so on. This is known as a nuclear chain reaction.
To control such a nuclear chain reaction, neutron poisons and neutron
moderators can change the portion of neutrons that will go on to cause more
fission.
 Fusion Reaction
Fusion reactions occur when two or more atomic nuclei come close enough for
long enough that the nuclear force pulling them together exceeds the electrostatic
force pushing them apart, fusing them into heavier nuclei.
 Main parts of Nuclear Power Plant
 Nuclear reactor
 Core
 Moderator
 Control rods
 Coolant
 Fuel
 Cooling tower
 RPS(Reactor Power System)
 Nuclear Reactor
Heat is produced in the reactor due to nuclear fission of the fuel U235. The heat
liberated in the reactor is taken up by the coolant circulating through the core. Hot
coolant leaves the reactor at top and flows into the steam generator (boiler).
 Core
A nuclear reactor core is the portion of a nuclear reactor containing the nuclear fuel
components where the nuclear reactions take place and the heat is generated.
Typically, the fuel will be low-enriched uranium contained in thousands of individual
fuel pins.
 Moderator
The moderator, which is of importance in thermal reactors, is used to moderate,
that is, to slow down, neutrons from fission to thermal energies. Commonly
used moderators include regular (light) water , solid graphite and heavy water.
Beryllium and beryllium oxide (BeO) have been used occasionally, but they are
very costly.

Why the moderator is needed?

The probability of the fission U-235
becomes very large at the thermal
energies of slow neutrons. This fact
implies increase of multiplication
factor of the reactor .
 Control Rods
Control rods are used in nuclear reactors to control the fission rate of uranium or
plutonium. Their compositions includes chemical elements such as boron,
cadmium, silver, and indium.
Control rods are inserted into the core of a nuclear reactor and adjusted in order
to control the rate of the nuclear chain reaction and, thereby, the thermal
power output of the reactor, the rate of steam production, and the electrical
power output of the power station.
 Coolant
A nuclear reactor coolant is a coolant used to remove heat from the nuclear
reactor core and transfer it to electrical generators and the environment. Carbon
dioxide, Helium and Liquid Sodium can be used as coolant in a nuclear reactor.
Frequently, a chain of two coolant loops are used because the primary coolant
loop takes on short-term radioactivity from the reactor.

Nuclear Fuel
Nuclear fuel is the fuel that is used in a nuclear reactor to sustain a nuclear
chain reaction. These fuels are fissile, and the most common nuclear fuels are
the radioactive metals uranium-235 and plutonium-239.
 Reactor Protection System(RPS)

A reactor protection system (RPS) is a set of nuclear safety and security components
in a nuclear power plant designed to safely shut down the reactor and prevent the
release of radioactive materials. The system can "trip" automatically (initiating
a scram), or it can be tripped by the operators. Trips occurs when the parameters
meet or exceed the limit set point. A trip of the RPS results in full insertion (by
gravity in pressurized water reactors or high-speed injection in boiling water
reactors) of all control rods and shutdown of the reactor.
 Cooling Tower
Water from the cooling tower
basin circulates through the
plant's condenser, absorbs heat
from the steam and travels back
to the cooling tower. The water
is then sprayed onto a grid in
the centre of the cooling tower.
Cool air flows up from the
centre, which is hollow, and
passes the warm falling water.
 TYPES OF NUCLEAR REACTOR

There are mainly three types of nuclear reactor on the basis of

coolant:-

1. Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR).

2. Boiling Water Reactor (BWR).
3. Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR).
 Pressurised Water Reactors (PWRs)
PWR is the most common type of nuclear reactor, representing about 60% of all
nuclear power reactors in the world.
PWRs use light water (ordinary water) for neutron moderation and reactor heat
removal. The water inside the primary cooling circuit of PWR is under high pressure,
and it will not turn into steam even under high temperature. The primary circuit and
the secondary circuit are completely separated, and heat energy will be transferred
from the primary circuit to the secondary circuit. With a lower pressure in the
secondary circuit, steam is raised to drive a turbine-generator to produce electricity.
 Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs)
BWRs representing about 20% of all nuclear power reactors in the world.
BWRs use light water for neutron moderation and reactor heat removal. The heat
raises steam directly in their reactor pressure vessel to drive a turbine-generator to
produce electricity.
BWR's basic design is similar to that of
PWR, except that it uses only one single
circuit in which the water is at lower
pressure. As the water around the core
of the reactor always contains some
Traces of radionuclides.
Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs)
Usually referred as CANDU, PHWR was developed in the 1950s. PHWR represents
about 10% of all nuclear power reactors in the world.
It uses heavy water for neutron moderation
and reactor heat removal. Heavy water
absorbs the fewest neutrons among common
moderator material so that it will least
suppress the chain reaction. This heavy
water flows inside pressure tubes filled with
Uranium, taking away reactor heat and
delivering it to an adjoining circuit to raise
steam and drive a turbine-generator for
production of electricity.
 Some Precautions For Nuclear
Power Plant
 A nuclear power plant should be constructed away from human habitation.
 The materials used for construction should be of required standards .
 Waste water should be purified.
 should have a proper safety system, plant could be shut down when required.
 While disposing off the wastes it should be ensured that it does not
contaminate the river or sea.
 Advantages Of Nuclear Power Plant
1. Space needed for operating a nuclear power plant is less as compared to other
conventional power plants for production of same amount of energy.
2. A nuclear power plant consumes very small quantity of fuel. Thus fuel
transportation cost is less and large fuel storage facilities are not required.
3. Nuclear power plants are not effected by the unfavourable weather conditions.
4. Nuclear power plants are well suited to meet large demands of power
requirement. They give better performance at higher load factors of 80 to 90%.
5. It does not need large quantity of water.
6. It does not contribute to global warming.
7. Power station has very long lifetime. The life time period of nuclear power plant
is long.
Disadvantages Of Nuclear Power Plant

1. Initial cost to set up nuclear power plant is higher as compared to hydro or steam
power plant.
2. Nuclear power plants are not well suited for varying load conditions.
3. Radioactive wastes if not disposed carefully may have an effect on the health of
operators and the population nearby.
4. Maintenance cost of the nuclear power plant is high.
5. Trained people are required to handle nuclear power plants.
India's Operating Nuclear Power Reactors
Flow Chart of Nuclear Power Plant
 Conclusion

 A nuclear power plant works in a similar way as a

thermal power plant. The difference between the
two is in the fuel use to heat the water in the
boiler(Steam generator).
Inside a nuclear power station, energy is released by
nuclear fission in the core of the reactor.
1kg of Uranium-235 can produce as much energy as the burning of
4500 tons of high grade variety of Coal or 2000 tons of oil.