NSE403/401: Nuclear Power Plant

Engineering

L3: Layout of nuclear power plants

Prof. Dr. Abdus Sattar Mollah

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 Syllabus and lecture plan (Tentative)
Week 1/2 (L1-3): Layout of nuclear power plants;
Week 3/4 (L4-6): structure of reactor core; Fuel
handling mechanisms; control and mechanisms
Week 5/6 (L7-9): pressurizer, demineralizer
Week 7/8 (L10-12): containment buildings; primary
containment vessels
Week 9/10 (L13-15): radwaste systems
Week 11/12 (L16-18): mechanical stress in various
structures
Week 13/14 (L19-21): dual and multipurpose nuclear
plants
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 Components of a Reactor
 Chain reactions of fissionable materials can be controlled
and sustained without an explosion in a nuclear reactor.
Any nuclear reactor that produces power via the fission of
uranium (U-235) or plutonium (Pu-239) by bombardment
with neutrons must have at least five components:
 nuclear fuel consisting of fissionable material,
 a nuclear moderator,
 reactor coolant,
 control rods, and
 a shield/containment system.

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 Control Rods
 Nuclear reactors use control rods (Figure 7.4.57.4.5) to control the fission
rate of the nuclear fuel by adjusting the number of slow neutrons present
to keep the rate of the chain reaction at a safe level. Control rods are
made of boron, cadmium, hafnium, or other elements that are able to
absorb neutrons. Boron-10, for example, absorbs neutrons by a reaction
that produces lithium-7 and alpha particles:

 When control rod assemblies are inserted into the fuel element in the
reactor core, they absorb a larger fraction of the slow neutrons, thereby
slowing the rate of the fission reaction and decreasing the power
produced. Conversely, if the control rods are removed, fewer neutrons
are absorbed, and the fission rate and energy production increase.
 In an emergency, the chain reaction can be shut down by fully
inserting all of the control rods into the nuclear core between
the fuel rods.
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Figure 7.4.57.4.5: The nuclear reactor core (PWR) shown in (a)
contains the fuel and control rod assembly shown in (b).
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 Shield and Containment System
 During its operation, a nuclear reactor produces neutrons and other
types of radiation. Even when shut down, the decay products remain
radioactive. In addition, an operating reactor is thermally very hot, and
high pressures result from the circulation of water or another coolant
through it. Thus, a reactor must withstand high temperatures and
pressures and must protect operating personnel from the radiation.
Reactors are equipped with a containment system (or shield) that
consists of three parts:
1.The reactor vessel, a steel shell that is 3–20-centimeters thick and, with
the moderator, absorbs much of the radiation produced by the reactor
2.The main shield of 1–3 meters of high-density concrete
3.A personnel shield of lighter materials that protects operators from γ rays
and X-rays
4. In addition, reactors are often covered with a steel or concrete dome
that is designed to contain any radioactive materials that might be released
by a reactor accident.

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 Nuclear power plants are designed in such a way that they cannot form a
supercritical mass of fissionable material and therefore cannot create a nuclear
explosion. But as history has shown, failures of systems and safeguards can
cause catastrophic accidents, including chemical explosions and nuclear
meltdowns (damage to the reactor core from overheating).

Figure 7.4.67.4.6: The

containment structure of
the Millstone Nuclear Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant
Power Plant.

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The reinforced frame of the core catcher, weighing 58t, and the embedded
part for the core catcher, weighing 7.5t, have been installed at unit 2 of the
Rooppur nuclear plant in Bangladesh, General Contractor Atomstroyexport
(ASE), the Engineering Division of Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom
said on 1 April, 2021.
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 Primary Heat Removal System
The PWR cooling system is provided in order to circulate the reactor
coolant heated with the thermal energy generated in a reactor core and to
generate high-energy steam by conducting heat exchange at a steam
generator to drive a turbine, and has the following functions;
1. To circulate the reactor coolant heated in a reactor core, to transfer heat
to a secondary system with a steam generator, and to generate high
temperature and high-pressure steam to drive a turbine,
2. To provide adequate core cooling in order not to cause any core damage
during reactor operation,
3. To be a coolant pressure boundary that is a barrier to prevent leakage of
radioactive materials in the reactor coolant to the outside,
4. To be moderator and reflector in addition to a core cooling function, and
to contain the reactor coolant that has a role of solvent of the boron
neutron absorber, and
5. To control the primary system pressure constant with a pressurizer.

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The major equipment that consists of the primary cooling system
are described in the following;
(a) Reactor coolant pump
The reactor coolant pump, which is a vertical-type single-stage,
circulates the coolant for heat transfer to a steam generator, and
flow the coolant back into a nuclear reactor.
This pump seal consists of three-seal structures to prevent
coolant leakage to the outside.
Moreover, a flywheel is provided in the top so as to ensure
adequate coolant to a reactor core by extending the coast down
of the pump even at a power loss.

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 (b) Steam generator
The steam generator is a vertical heat exchanger using heat
transfer tubes of high-nickel alloy (Inconel), and such a structure to
contain a steam-water separator and a moisture separator in the
upper region.
The coolant flows in from a bottom inlet nozzle, transfers heat to
the heat transfer tubes, and flows out from an outlet nozzle. The
feed water to the secondary side is supplied through a feed water
piping, flows down between a lower shell and an internal shell, and
flows upward in the heat-transfer-tube bundle after changing the
direction at a tube sheet, absorbing the heat from the coolant,
and a part of the water becomes steam.
The mixture of rising steam and water is separated with the
steam-water separator, the water circulates as feed water again,
and the steam flows passes the moisture separator and flows out
from a top outlet nozzle.
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 (c) Pressurizer
The pressurizer is provided with a liquid-immersion-type heater
at the bottom end, and a spray, safety valves and relief valves in the
upper region, and during normal operation, the inside of
pressurizer is liquid in the lower one-half and steam in the upper
one-half.
The pressurizer and the high temperature leg of the primary
cooling system are connected with a surge pipe, which absorbs a
pressure surge of the primary cooling system due to load
fluctuation.
Namely, when pressure of the reactor coolant system rises,
the pressurizer pressure is lowered by water-spray operation. And,
when pressure of the reactor coolant system goes down, heating
by the heater raises the pressure, and the pressurizer acts to
maintain the primary-coolant pressure at a rated value.

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Question and discussion

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