Next and Last Generation of Nuclear Power Plants Paul Howarth

Transcription

1 Next and Last Generation of Nuclear Power Plants Paul Howarth Exec Director, Dalton Nuclear Institute IMechE Branch Meeting Jan 2009

2 Order of Service Introduction to status of advanced systems The 3 contending designs EPR AP1000 ESBWR Way Forward

3 Mass Balance for Helium

4 Nuclear Fission Reaction

5 Energy Released from Fission U235 + n fission + 2 or 3 n MeV 165 MeV 7 MeV 6 MeV 7 MeV 6 MeV 9 MeV 200 MeV ~ kinetic energy of fission products ~ gamma rays ~ kinetic energy of the neutrons ~ energy from fission products ~ gamma rays from fission products ~ anti-neutrinos from fission products Energy release is equivalent to 80 million kj/g 235U!! Or 4 million x energy in chocolate Or 2 million x energy in Natural Gas.

6 Controlled Nuclear Fission

7 Ceramic Fuel Pellets

8 J A2 Standard Fuel Assembly

9 Slide 8 J A2 Paul Howarth, 13/08/2007

10 How a Fission Reactor Works

11 Nuclear is alive and well around the World Provides 16% of world s electricity 440 nuclear reactors operating worldwide More than 11,000 reactor-years of operating experience 10+ new plants connected since new plants under construction In Europe: Some new build taking place and other countries are revising energy policy China has placed an order with Westinghouse for new AP1000s Middle East, Far East, South American and Australasian counties

12 Issues Surrounding Nuclear Low Carbon Technology Security of supply Safety Base load Generation Economics Waste Management

13 Modern nuclear plant costs are understood and are competitive Typical costs are in range 30-40/MWh All costs are accounted for.. 41% 17% 2% 25% Capital Decommissioning Operations and Maintenance Fuel Spent Fuel Management 2% 13% Financing

14 Building to time and cost Planned schedule Yonggwang 3 Actual Yonggwang 4 Ulchin3 Ulchin 4 Yonggwang 5 Yonggwang 6

15 Expectations Net for Capacity load-factors Factors are high! Source: WANO and Nuclear Energy Institute US world

16 Load Factors for new proto-type plants Average Load Factor Over Last Decade of Operation Average Load Factor (%) Emsland world commercial reactors Superphenix Phenix Dounreay FR PFR Dounreay Windscale AGR Winfrith SGHWR Julich AVR Fort St Vrain HTR

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18 Generation III Technology

19 Current Nuclear Options Reactor Design Type Country of Origin Lead Developer ABWR BWR US Japan GE, Toshiba, Hitachi CANDU-6 PHWR Canada AECL VVER-91/99 PWR Russia Atomstroyexport AHWR PHWR India Nuclear Power Corporation of India APR-1400 PWR Korea, US Kepco APWR PWR Japan Westinghouse & Mitsubishi EPR PWR France, Germany Framatome ANP AP1000 PWR US Westinghouse SWR BWR France, Germany Framatome-ANP ESBWR BWR US GE ACR PHWR Canada AECL

20 AECL - ACR-1000 AREVA- UK EPR GE-Hitachi - ESBWR Westinghouse - AP1000

21 Areva European Pressurised Water Reactor

22 The European Pressurised-water Reactor Design

23 The European Pressurised-water Reactor Design Technology based on existing N4 and Konvoi reactors in France and Germany under construction in Finland, French demonstrator ordered Safety Features Increased Safety Margins Greater volumes to reduce transients enhanced protection against aircraft impact and earthquakes Construction Currently being built in Finland and France

24 EPR characteristics Thermal power 4300 MW Electrical power 1600 MW Efficiency 36% No of primary loops 4 No of fuel assemblies 241 Burnup 60 GWd/t Seismic level 0.25 g Service life 60 years Operating Temp 300 o C Pressure 155 Bar Higher steam efficiency comes from higher steam pressures. Through increased heat exchange surface on steam generators.

25 EPR Simplifications COMPARISON OF EPR EQUIPMENT WITH A TYPICAL 4-LOOP UNIT NORMALISED NUMBER PER MWe 120% 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% Source: Areva 47% fewer valves EXISTING PLANT EPR 16% fewer pumps EXISTING PLANT EPR 50% fewer tanks VALVES PUMPS TANKS HX's EXISTING PLANT COMPONENT TYPES EPR 47% fewer heat exchangers EXISTING PLANT EPR

26 EPR Containment

27 EPR Reactivity Control Enriched boron concentrations to control slow reactivity changes Gadolinium neutron absorbers in form of burnable fuel rods for power distribution Rod Cluster Control Assemblies (RCCAs) for rapid reactivity changes Load following through a combination of RCCA movement and boron concentration

28 Increasing margins to improve fault tolerance and hence safety Larger steam generator volume -> increases secondary side water and steam volume Smoother transients in normal operation reducing unscheduled reactor trips Dry-out time increased to 30 minutes, sufficient time to recover feedwater supply, or initiate other measures Increased RPV volume additional margin to core dewatering in event of LOCA more time available to counteract situation Increased pressuriser volume 25% over N4 smoothes response to operational transients

29 EPR safety systems

30 EPR reinforced protection following core meltdown

31 EPR Core Damage Frequency Predicted Core Damage Frequency for EPR improved by a factor of around 10 compared to N4 and Konvoi Results for Olkiluoto, Finland Transients 45% Loss of coolant accidents 24% Loss of off-site power supply 5% Fires 2% Floods 2% External events 16% Low power and shutdown 6% Total 1.8x10-6 /year

32 Manufacture of the Olkiluoto RPV (upper part) Casting Forging Machining Machining Non-destructive testing

33 Westinghouse AP1000

34 AP overview 1150 MWe development of the AP600 Minimal change to AP600 2-loop design: 4.27m core larger SGs + pressuriser uprated turbo-generator larger containment building US utilities have selected AP1000 & progressing combined license and construction and operation Westinghouse successful in China contract for 4 new reactors

35 AP1000 Characteristics Thermal power Electrical power Source: Westinghouse 3415 MW Around 1100 MW Efficiency 32% No of primary loops 2 No of fuel assemblies 157 Burnup 60 GWd/ t Seismic level 0.30 g Service life 60 years Operating Temp 312 o C Pressure 155 bar

36 AP1000 is Assembled with Proven Components Components Experience Fuel (14 ft. 17x17 ZIRLO) South Texas Reactor Internals Doel 4, Tihange 3 Reactor Vessel Doel 4, Tihange 3 Steam Generators Arkansas, Waterford Pressuriser South Texas Reactor Coolant Pump Other industrial applications Containment Kori 1, 2 & Krsko & Angra Passive safety systems: extensively tested during US licensing

37 AP1000 Safety / Shut Down Systems Reactor Shutdown Systems (control rods and chemical poisoning) Passive core cooling systems (PXS) Containment Isolation Passive Containment Cooling System (PCS)

38 Passive Core Cooling System Automatic Depressurisation System to allow low pressure injection of water Injection and coolant makeup from: 1. Core Make-up tanks (CMT) High pressure injection boronated water 2. Accumulators Medium Pressure larger volumes 3. In-containment Refueling Water Storage tank (IRWST) low pressure gravity feed Passive Residual Heat Removal (protection against transients) PRHR Heat Exchanger (sitting in the IRWST) IRWST as heat sink absorbs decay heat for 2 hours

39 AP1000 Passive core cooling system

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41 AP Reliability of Ultimate Heat Sink

42 AP1000 Simplified safety systems achieve safety goals Standard PWR AP1000

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44 AP1000 simplifications 50% Fewer Valves 35% Fewer Pumps 80% Less Pipe* 80% Fewer Heating, Ventilating & Cooling Units 45% Less Seismic Building Volume 70% Less Cable

45 AP1000 compared with Sizewell B

46 Very high structural integrity of reactor pressure vessel such that failure is not considered credible. Vessel designed to ensure water delivered to cover the core after a circuit break Assuring vessel integrity Ring forged construction No welds in active core region No longitudinal welds Top mounted in-core instrumentation no bottom penetrations Assuring safety injection to cover the core RPV depressurisation and gravity fed water feed

47 Core Damage Frequency U. S. NRC Requirements Current Plants Utility Requirements AP1000 Results 1 x x x x 10-7 Core Damage Frequency per Year

48 ACR-1000 Design

49 CANDU ACR.

50 GE Economic Simplified BWR GE s Economic Simplified BWR (ESBWR)

51 GE s Economic Simplified BWR (ESBWR)

52 Enhanced natural circulation: No Pressuriser No RCP

53 ESBWR characteristics Thermal power Electrical power Fuel Assemblies Efficiency Burn-up Operating Temp Pressure Service Life 4,500 MW 1,550 MW 1, % 50 GWd/t 287 o C 71 Bar 60 years

54 ESBWR schematic

55 Generation III New Nuclear Build in the UK

56 A Timeline for Replacement Nuclear Build

57

58 MWe Possible Future Nuclear Capacity in the UK Existing stations Potential AGR life extension New Build

59 UK Current Situation RWE Npower has secured grid connection capacity of 3600 MWe at Wylfa, in Wales, to accommodate three new nuclear power reactors. British Energy, now under EdF, also has grid connection agreements for Wylfa as well as for its two major announced projects at Sizewell and Hinkley Point, German utility EOn has 1600 MWe grid connection agreed for Oldbury. Total grid connection capacity for new UK nuclear plants is now 18.4 GWe

60 Generation III+ Technology

61 Pebble-Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) Small (~400 MWt) modular pebble bed HTR helium cooled, graphite moderated direct cycle gas turbine no secondary steam circuit high outlet temperature: 900 C good thermal efficiency (~ 42%) flexibility for alternative applications high fuel average burnup (~ 80 GWd/tU initially, higher later) very high degree of inherent safety Design based on ABB-THTR Direct cycle technology introduced by PBMR

62 PBMR fuel design 5mm Graphite layer Coated particles imbedded in Graphite Matrix Dia. 60mm Fuel Sphere Pyrolytic Carbon 40/1000mm Silicon Carbite Barrier Coating Inner Pyrolytic Carbon 40/1000mm Porous Carbon Buffer 95/1000mm 35/1000mm Half Section Dia. 0,92mm Coated Particle Dia.0,5mm Uranium Dioxide Fuel

63 PBMR Main Power System Recuperators Reactor Unit Compressors Turbine Generator Gearbox Inter cooler Pre cooler

64 Generation IV Technology

65 Generation IV Systems Very-High-Temperature Reactor (VHTR) Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor (GFR) Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor (SFR) Lead-Cooled Fast Reactor (LFR) Supercritical Water-Cooled Reactor (SCWR) Molten Salt Reactor (MSR)

66 Sodium Cooled Fast Reactor Outlet temp of 550oC Options are Intermediate size (150 to500mwe) supported by fuel cycle based upon non-aqueous reprocessing at-reactor Med to Large size (500 to 1500MWe) supported by fuel cycle based upon aqueous reprocessing at central location Designed mainly for electricity production

67 Thank you for listening