Science &

Technology
Types of Nuclear Reactor

By Prahallad Kumar
 Type of Nuclear Reactors
Classification on the basis of Use

Research civil/civilian military

1. in electricity generation ❖ in atomic bomb

2. in the manufacture of
Use in ❖ in submarine
radioisotopes
Research warships
 Research reactor

Under BARC Under IGCAR Indira gandhi

Apsara 1. Dhruv Centre For Atomic Research
Cirus 2. Apsara U
Zarlina 3. Vishakhapatn (1) Fast Breeder reactor
Purnima I am (2) KAMINI
Purnima II 4. Advanced (3) PFBR
Purnima III Heavy Water
Reactor –
Critical Facility
(AHWR-CF)
Reactors currently operating :-
Civil Reactors:-
❖ Tarapur (Maharashtra) (1969 with
the help of USA)
❖ Rawatbhata (Rajasthan) (Canada)
❖ Narora (U.P)
❖ Kakrapar ( Gujarat)
❖ Kaiga (Karnataka)
❖ Kalpakam Tamilnadu
❖ Kudankulam (With the help of
Russia)
 Reactor Reference Unit Power Grid
Name Model
Type (MWe) Connection
Horizontal Pressure
Kaiga 1 PHWR 202 2000-10
Tube type
Horizontal Pressure
Kaiga 2 PHWR 202 1999-12
Tube type
Horizontal Pressure
Kaiga 3 PHWR 202 2007-04
Tube type
Horizontal Pressure
Kaiga 4 PHWR 202 2011-01
Tube type
Horizontal Pressure
Kakrapar 1 PHWR 202 1992-11
Tube type
Horizontal Pressure
Kakrapar 2 PHWR 202 1995-03
Tube type
Kakrapar 3 PHWR-700 PHWR 630 2021-01
5
Kudankulam 1 VVER V-412 PWR 932 2013-10

Kudankulam 2 VVER V-412 PWR 932 2016-08

Horizontal Pressure
Madras 1 PHWR 205 1983-07
Tube type
Horizontal Pressure
Madras 2 PHWR 205 1985-09
Tube type
Horizontal Pressure
Narora 1 PHWR 202 1989-07
Tube type
Horizontal Pressure
Narora 2 PHWR 202 1992-01
Tube type
Horizontal Pressure
Rajasthan 1 PHWR 90 1972-11
Tube type
Horizontal Pressure
Rajasthan 2 PHWR 187 1980-11
Tube type
6
 Horizontal Pressure Tube
Rajasthan 3 PHWR 202 2000-03
type
Horizontal Pressure Tube
Rajasthan 4 PHWR 202 2000-11
type
Horizontal Pressure Tube
Rajasthan 5 PHWR 202 2009-12
type
Horizontal Pressure Tube
Rajasthan 6 PHWR 202 2010-03
type
Tarapur 1 BWR-1 (Mark 2) BWR 150 1969-04

Tarapur 2 BWR-1 (Mark 2) BWR 150 1969-05

Horizontal Pressure Tube
Tarapur 3 PHWR 490 2006-06
Type
Horizontal Pressure Tube
Tarapur 4 PHWR 490 2005-06
Type 7
 Construction
Reactor Name Model Reactor Type Gross Capacity
Start
Kakrapar 4 PHWR-700 PHWR 700 2010-11-22
Kudankulam 3 VVER V-412 PWR 1000 2017-06-29
Kudankulam 4 VVER V-412 PWR 1000 2017-10-23
Kudankulam 5 VVER V-412 PWR 1000 2021-06-29
Kudankulam 6 VVER V-412 PWR 1000 2021-12-20
PFBR Prototype FBR 500 2004-10-23
Horizontal
Rajasthan 7 Pressure Tube PHWR 700 2011-07-18
type
Horizontal
Rajasthan 8 Pressure Tube PHWR 700 2011-09-30
type
8
9
under construction
Gorakhpur (Haryana)

As proposed
Mahi (Banswara)
Mithivirdi (Gujarat)
Jaitapur (Maharashtra) With the help of France
Kovada (Andhra Pradesh)
11
 nuclear reactor based on retarder

Water (H2O) Heavy water (D2O) Graphite No moderator

(1) Boiling (1) Gas Cooled Fast

Pressurized
Water (2) Water Breeder
Heavy water
Reactor Cooled Reactor
Reactor
(2) Pressurized
Water
Pressurized Water Reactor :-
1) fuel = low enriched uranium
2) (H2O)/Diluent = Ordinary water (H2O)
3) coolant = pressurized water
4) characteristic = simple design low cost
5) use = submarine in power generation
6) Plant = Kudankulam (VVER - based on PWR technology)
Boiling Water Reactor :-
1) fuel = low enriched uranium
2) (H2O)/Diluent = ordinary water (H2O)
3) coolant = Normal water
4) Characteristic = Simple design, low cost, less safe/efficiency is
less
5) use = in power generation
6) Plant = Tarapur (Maharashtra)
 Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor :-
1) fuel = natural uranium
2) diluent = heavy water (D2O)
3) coolant = pressurized heavy water
4) Specility = CANDU (Canada)
Most of the rector in INDIA are PHWR
5) उपयोग = use = power generation
Plutonium(Pu) in production
6) Total = 22 Units
7) PHWR-220 and PHWR-700
Gas Cooled Graphite Based Reactor :-
1. fuel = low enriched uranium
2. diluent = graphite
3. Coolant = CO2 gas / Helium(He) gas
4. Specialty = U.K prevalent in France
5. usage = power generation
plutonium production
Water Cooled Graphite Based Reactor :-
1. fuel = low enriched uranium
2. diluent = graphite
3. (H2O)/Coolant = Ordinary water (H2O)
4. Characteristic = prevalent from Russia (Chernobyl Incident)
5. usage = power generation
6. Plutonium Production
Fast breeder Reactor:-

1. Fuel = Natural Uranium, Plutonium (239Pu)

2. diluent = no diluent used
3. coolant = liquid sodium
4. Characteristic = No moderator is used in this reactor because
arrowhead neutron is used. In this reactor plutonium which used as
fuel is also obtained at the end of the reaction hence it is called
breeder sector
5. Utilization = Power Generation
6. In production of plutonium
7. Plant = Fast Breeder Test Reactor (Kalpakkam)
 Num
Reactor type Main countries GWe Fuel Coolant Moderator
ber
USA, France,
Pressurized
Japan, Russia, enriched
water reactor 307 293.4 water water
China, South UO2
(PWR)
Korea
Boiling water USA, Japan, enriched
61 61.9 water water
reactor (BWR) Sweden UO2
Pressurized
natural heavy heavy
heavy water Canada, India 47 24.3
UO2 water water
reactor (PHWR)
Light water
enriched
graphite Russia 11 7.4 water graphite
UO2
reactor (LWGR)
 Num
Reactor type Main countries GWe Fuel Coolant Moderator
ber
natural U
Advanced gas-
(metal),
cooled reactor UK 8 4.7 CO2 graphite
enriched
(AGR)
UO2
Fast neutron PuO2 and liquid
Russia 2 1.4 none
reactor (FBR) UO2 sodium
High
temperature enriched
China 1 0.2 helium graphite
gas-cooled UO2
reactor (HTGR)
TOTAL 437 393.3