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Advanced Nuclear Reactors Design
and Features
Course No: NEOP 4201
Department of Nuclear Engineering
Dhaka University
Dr. Md. Abdul Malek Soner
CSO & Director
Center for Research Reactor
Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission
mamalek90@yahoo.com
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Components of Nuclear Reactor
Components of Power Plant
In each plant, whether nuclear or fossil-
fueled, the following basic components
are present:
Heat source: Provides heat to generate
steam. In a nuclear power plant, the heat
source is the nuclear reactor, often
referred to as the reactor core.
Turbine/generator: Uses the energy of
the steam to turn a turbine/generator that
produces electricity.
Condenser: Condenses the steam back
to water so that it can be returned to the
heat source to be heated again.
Pump: Provides the force to circulate the
water through the system.
Components of Nuclear Power Plant
A Nuclear Reactor mainly consists of
a) Fuel
b) Moderators
c) Control rods
d) Reflector
e) Coolant
f) Shielding
g) Cooling Systems
h) Nuclear Reactor Structures, etc.
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Components of Nuclear Power Plant Components of Nuclear Power Plant

There are several components common to most types of reactors: Pressure vessel: Usually a robust steel vessel containing the
Fuel: Uranium is the basic fuel. Usually pellets of uranium oxide reactor core and moderator/coolant, but it may be a series of tubes
(UO2) are arranged in tubes to form fuel rods. The rods are holding the fuel and conveying the coolant through the surrounding
arranged into fuel assemblies in the reactor core. moderator.

Moderator: Material in the core which slows down the neutrons
released from fission so that they cause more fission. It is usually
water, but may be heavy water or graphite.
Control rods: These are made with neutron-absorbing material
such as cadmium, hafnium or boron, and are inserted or withdrawn
from the core to control the rate of reaction
Coolant: A fluid circulating through the core so as to transfer the
heat from it. In light water reactors the water moderator functions
also as primary coolant. Except in BWRs, there is secondary
coolant circuit where the water becomes steam.
Steam generator: Part of the cooling system of pressurized water
reactors (PWR & PHWR) where the high-pressure primary coolant
bringing heat from the reactor is used to make steam for the
turbine, in a secondary circuit. Reactors have up to six 'loops', each
with a steam generator.
Containment: The structure around the reactor and associated
steam generators which is designed to protect it from outside
intrusion and to protect those outside from the effects of radiation in
case of any serious malfunction inside. It is typically a metre-thick
concrete and steel structure.

Nuclear Reactor Systems Nuclear Reactor Systems

• Primary coolant system
• Primary coolant system - Reactor pressure vessel

• Secondary coolant system - Pressurizer

• Auxiliary systems - Steam generator

- Main circulating pump

• Safety systems
- Hot leg and cold leg piping system

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Nuclear Reactor Systems
• Secondary coolant system
- Steam lines
- Turbine set
- Condenser
- Preheater
- Feed water pump and piping
Nuclear Reactor Systems
• Safety systems
- Emergency core cooling system in PWR
 High pressure injection system
 Low pressure injection system
 Accumulators
- Emergency core cooling system in BWR
 High pressure injection system
 Low pressure injection system
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Nuclear Reactor Systems
• Auxiliary systems
- Chemical and volume control system
- Safety injection system
- Residual heat removal system
- Containment spray system
- Ventilation and air-conditioning system
- Compressed air system
- Fire protection system
Nuclear Reactor Systems
Emergency
There are two core cooling
purposes of system:
the emergency core cooling
systems (ECCS).
 The first is to provide core cooling to minimize fuel damage
following a loss of coolant accident. This is accomplished
by the injection of large amounts of cool, borated water into
the reactor coolant system.
 The second is to provide extra neutron poisons to ensure
the reactor remains shutdown following the cooldown
associated with a main steam line rupture, which is
accomplished by the use of the same borated water source.
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Nuclear Reactor Systems Nuclear Reactor Systems

Steam
Steam turbine is a common
generator: Pressurizer:
feature of all thermal power  The pressurizer is the
plants. Steam Turbine was component in the reactor
invented in 1884 by Sir Charles coolant system which
Parsons. The reactor coolant provides a means of
flows from the reactor to the
controlling the system
steam generator. Inside of the
steam generator, the hot reactor
pressure.
coolant flows inside of the many  Pressure is controlled by the
tubes. The secondary coolant, or use of electrical heaters,
feed water, flows around the pressurizer spray, power
outside of the tubes, where it operated relief valves, and
picks up heat from the primary safety valves.
coolant. When the feed water
absorbs sufficient heat, it starts
to boil and form steam.

Nuclear Reactor Systems Nuclear Reactor Systems

 The
Reactor
purpose
Coolant
of the
Pump:
reactor coolant pump is to
provide forced primary coolant flow to remove the
amount of heat being generated by the fission
process.
 Even without a pump, there would be natural
circulation flow through the reactor. However, this
flow is not sufficient to remove the heat being
generated when the reactor is at power.

 Natural circulation flow is sufficient for heat

removal when the plant is shutdown (not critical).
Reactor Pressure Vessel & Primary Cooling piping

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Nuclear Reactor Systems Nuclear Reactor Systems

The purposes of the reactor vessel assembly are to:
• House the reactor core,
• Serve as part of the reactor coolant pressure
boundary,
• Support and align the fuel and control rods,
• Provide a flow path for circulation of coolant past
the fuel.
 Cooling
A cooling tower is a heat rejection
tower
device which extracts waste heat to
the atmosphere through the cooling
of a water stream to a lower
temperature. Cooling towers may
either use the evaporation of water
to remove process heat and cool the
working fluid to near the wet-bulb air
temperature or, in the case of closed
circuit dry cooling towers, rely solely
on air to cool the working fluid to
near the dry-bulb air temperature.

Nuclear Reactor Systems Nuclear Reactor Structure

The structure around the reactor and associated Molten Core Catcher (MCC):
steam generators which is designed to protect it The system of catching and
from outside intrusion and to protect those outside cooling of molten core
from the effects of radiation in case of any serious beyond the reactor, which
basic component is MCC.
malfunction inside. It is typically a metre-thick The MCC is intended for
concrete and steel structure. retention and cooling of liquid
and solid fragments of the
destroyed core at severe
accidents with core
meltdown.

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Nuclear Reactor Structure Nuclear Reactor Systems

Multiple barriers: Multiple barriers like

(1) fuel matrix
(2) fuel cladding
(3) reactor pressure vessel as well as primary
piping and
(4) containment building are used to prevent any
Ref. Indian PHWRs
release of radioactivity into the atmosphere.

Containment Spray System (CSS)

Gen-III+ Safety Barriers Nuclear Reactor Structure

Containment building is the single most important part of the
Multiple Barriers provided against radioactive release

5 Second 1.2 m PROTECTION AGAINST

containment EXTERNAL HAZARDS
Fuel Assembly
First containment with 1.8 m
4 6 mm thick steel liner
1 m thick concrete
structure with steel lining
3 0.8 m
2
1
800 m (min)

The Double Containment provides protection against External Events

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Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) Boiling Water Reactor (BWR)

 These are reactors cooled and
The two main types of Power Reactors (also called BWR:
moderated by water

LWRs or Light Water Reactors) are The water is allowed to boil in the
reactor pressure vessel
 Inside BWR vessel, a steam
– PWR (Pressurised Water Reactor) water mixture is produced when
water (reactor coolant) moves
(> 60% of the operating reactors are PWRs) 
upward through the core.
The steam-water mixture leaves
the top of the core and enters the

– BWR (Boiling Water Reactor) two stages of moisture

( 20% of the operating reactors are BWRs)
separation, where water droplets
are removed before the steam is
allowed to enter the steam line.
 The steam turn the turbine with
attached electrical generator to
produce electricity.

Pressurized Water Reactor (BWR) Basic Safety Functions

 PWR is the most common
types of commercial reactor
and was initially developed in Three (3) Basic Safety Functions to be
incorporated in Nuclear Reactors for
the US for submarine
propulsion.

ensuring safety:
In a PWR, water at 150 times
atmospheric pressure is
used as a coolant.
 The high pressure keeps the
water from boiling and at a 1. Control Reactivity
heat exchanging device
known as a steam generator, 2. Remove Decay Heat
 A separate stream of water is
heated in a secondary closed 3. Contain and Confine Radioactivity
circuit at about 70 times
atmospheric pressure and
280°C to produce steam to
drive a turbine-generator
which produces electricity.

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Basic Safety Functions Basic Safety Functions

Decay Heat/Power Animations on

Time after Decay Power
Shut (% of Operating Passive Safety Features of Gen-III+ Reactors for
Down Power
addressing 3 Basic Safety Functions, i.e., –
1s 07%
1m 05%
(1) Control Reactivity,
1h 1.5% (2) Removing Decay Heat and
1d 0.5% (3) Confining Radioactivity
1w 0.3%
1m 0.15%
1y 0.03%
Decay power of 4.5 MW after 1 month
for a 10000 MWe NPP

Basic Safety Functions Basic Safety Functions

Passive Quick Boron Injection Systems for Controlling Reactivity (SF Passive Decay Heat Removal Systems (SF #2)
#1)
System ensures long-
Steam
 System ensures Reactor generator term removal of reactorDrag shaftDrag shaft

reactor shut down core decay heat in

absence of all power
 Injects high
supplies
concentration
borated water into hffhff LOSS OF POWER
primary coolant by Quick
ГЦН acting Steam
inertial rotation of RCP valve generator
cooling pumps.

LOSS OF POWER Boric

Atmospheric Atmospheric
Atmospferic air
acid tank Reactor
air air
Animation on Safety of Gen-III+ Reactor Animation on Safety of Gen-III+ Reactor

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Basic Safety Functions Reactor Accidents

Animation on Safety of Gen-III+ Reactor
Core Catcher (Contain/Confine, SF #3)
Three Mile Island (TMI) Accident (March 28, 1979):
1 TMI Unit-2
1 - reactor; 4 3
1. Maintain Sub-criticality
2 - core catcher;
2. Remove Decay Heat
3 - fuel pool;
4 - monitor chamber for
3. Contain Radioactivity
reactor internals;
5 - pipeline of water
supply to the surface
TMI Unit-2 Reactor:
of molten corium; Power: 900 MWe
6 - water supply pipeline 2
Type: PWR (Pressurized Water Reactor)
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from external source 5 Note: TMI Unit-1 is a 800 MWe PWR commissioned in
1974 . The reactor is still operating with very good
Date of accident: 28 March, 1979 records.

Loss of life/over exposure to radiation: None

33 PWR, Gen-II

Reactor Accidents Reactor Accidents

Chernobyl Accident (April 26, 1986): Fukushima Accident (March 11, 2011):
1. Maintain Sub-criticality RBMK 1. Control Reactivity BWR, Gen-II
2. Remove Decay Heat 2. Remove Decay Heat
3. Contain Radioactivity 3. Contain and Confine Radioactivity

Fukushima Diichi Reactors:

Chernobyl Unit-4 Reactor:
Power: 1x460 MWe & 3x784 MWe
Power: 1000 MWe
Type: BWR
Type: RBMK (Graphite moderated BWR)
Date of accident: 11 March, 2011
Date of accident: 26 April, 1986
Loss of life: 2 crew members
Loss of life: 62 (as of 2008)
Cases of cancer: 1000 (expected)
Cases of cancer: 4000
Evacuation/resettlement: 300,000
Evacuation/resettlement: 335,000

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Reactor Accidents Reactor Accidents

Fukushima Diichi NPP Accident Fukushima Accident (March 11, 2011)

Note:
- When earthquake occurred, all
Grid line
Grid line
March 11, 2011 the operating reactors were
Diesel Generator (D/G) put to shutdown automatically. Loss of external
- Emergency D/Gs had been power supply
working properly until the due to Earthquake
Tsunami attacked.

Tsunami (over 14m) Reactor

Reactor Building
Building Turbine
Turbine Building
Power Building
Estimated maximum Tsunami facilities
height 5.7m above sea level

5.7m Elevation 10m above sea level Elevation: Loss of D/G function due to Tsunami flood
Approx. 10m Approx. 10m
Seawater Loss of all A/C power (Station Black
Level out)
Seawater
Level
Seawater Pump Loss of all motor-driven pump functions
Seawater Pump (including ECCS pumps)

Reactor Accidents Reactor Accidents

Plaster Board

RCC
Containment

Fukushima Diichi NPP after Hydrogen

Explosion

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Reactor Accidents
Tsunami Wall Height : 5.7m
Safety of Gen-III Reactors
Safety features of Gen-III+ Reactors
include the followings:
 Inherent safety features,
 Engineered / Active safety features, and
 Passive safety features.
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Reactor Accidents
One of the most important lessons learned from the
Fukushima Accident:
 While developing the design basis, due
attention must be given to the historical data of
all natural events.
Safety of Gen-III Reactors
Both the Engineered and Passive Safety
Systems of Gen-III+ Reactors have been
designed in a way such that they can
ensure all three safety functions during
normal as well as abnormal operating
conditions including BDBAs*.
BDBAs: Beyond Design Basis Accidents
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