Nuclear Materials

Power Reactor Design

Queen’s University
KINGSTON, ONTARIO, CANADA.

Outlne
• Key features of a design
• Commercial Reactor Systems
• CANDU vs PWR
• Details of CANDU
• Safety of CANDU

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Key Features of a Power Reactor Core

• Fuel material
• Fuel Cladding
• Coolant
• Moderator
• Pressure boundary

Desirable Fuel Material Properties

• low cost - constituents, fabrication

• good neutron economy

• good corrosion resistance to coolant

• physical stability under effects of irradiation,

temperature, pressure

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Forms of Uranium in Power Reactor Fuel

• uranium metal
• uranium/other metal alloy (e.g., aluminum)
• ceramic uranium oxide
• uranium carbide
• uranium silicide

Desirable Fuel Cladding Properties

• corrosion resistance to coolant

• mechanical durability
• high temperature capability
• good neutron economy
• low cost - material and fabrication
• impermeability to fission products

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 Alternative Fuel Cladding Materials

• aluminum
• magnesium
• stainless steel
• zirconium
• ceramics

Desirable Reactor Coolant Properties

• High heat capacity
• good heat transfer characteristics
• low neutron absorption
• low neutron activation
• non-corrosive to fuel cladding and heat-
transfer system
• low cost

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 Alternative Power Reactor Coolants

• CO2 gas
• helium gas
• light water
• heavy water
• organic fluid
• liquid metal

Desirable Features of a Moderator

• High moderator efficiency (high density of
light elements)
• Low neutron absorption
• Resistance to aging (irradiation, corrosion,
fatigue etc.)
• Low cost (material, manufacture,
installation)

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 Alternative Moderators

• Graphite
• Light water
• Heavy water
• Berylium

Desirable Pressure Boundary Attributes

• Neutron economy
• Longevity (resistance to aging)
• Simple stress analysis
• Inspectability
• Low cost (material, manufacture,
installation)

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 Alternative Pressure Boundaries

• Pressure tubes
• Pass through the core
• Pressure Vessel
• Surrounds the core

Successful Reactor Designs

• Magnox – about 20, 3GWe
• Britain, indigenous only
• Pressured Water Reactor (PWR) - 232, 235GWe
• US, France, Germany, France, Japan, Korea, USSR, China
• Based on US submarine reactor design, much copied
• Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) – 93, 83GWe
• US, exported to Japan, Sweden
• CANada Deuterium Uranium (CANDU) – 35, 20GWe
• Canada, India, Pakistan, Korea, Romania, Argentina, China
• Light Water Graphite Reactor (RBMK) – 14, 14GWe
• USSR, indigenous only
• Advanced Gas Cooled Reactor – about 10, 10GWe
• Britain, indigenous only

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 Magnox

Fuel Natural U metal

(later enriched UO2)
Fuel Cladding Magnesium alloy

Coolant CO2

Moderator Graphite

Pressure Boundary Steel vessel

Magnox

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 Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR)

Fuel Enriched UO2

Fuel Cladding Zircaloy-4

Coolant H2O (liquid)

Moderator H2O (contiguous with coolant)

Pressure Boundary Steel vessel

fuel assemblies indirect coolant cycle

PWR

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 Boiling Water Reactor (BWR)

Fuel Enriched UO2

Fuel Cladding Zircaloy-2

Coolant H2O boiling

Moderator H2O (contiguous with coolant)

Pressure Boundary Steel vessel

BWR direct coolant cycle

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 CANDU
Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR)
Fuel Natural UO2

Fuel Cladding Zircaloy-4

Coolant D2O (liquid)

Moderator D2O (separate from coolant)

Pressure Boundary Zr-2.5Nb pressure tube

©CANada Deuterium Uranium

indirect coolant cycle

CANDU

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 Light Water Graphite Reactor (RBMK)

Fuel Enriched UO2

Fuel Cladding Zr-1Nb

Coolant H2O

Moderator Graphite

Pressure Boundary Zr-2.5Nb pressure tube

direct coolant cycle

RBMK

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 Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR)

Fuel Enriched UO2

Fuel Cladding Stainless steel

Coolant CO2

Moderator Graphite

Pressure Boundary Concrete vessel

indirect coolant cycle

AGR

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Major Differences Between CANDU and PWR

• Reactor
• Coolant/moderator
• Fuel
• Fuel management
• Safety/neutronics

Primary Coolant Circuit

D2O H2O

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 CANDU PWR
Core power density 11 MW/m3 60 MW/m3
Maximum fuel rating 57.3 kW/m 42 kW/m
Neutron Lifetime 9x10-4s 5x10-5s
Fuel burn-up 7.5 MWd/kgU 35MWd/kgU
Uranium Usage 157Mg/MWyr 213Mg/Mwy
Operating pressure 10 MPa 14Mpa
Inlet temperature 266 C 292 C
Outlet temperature 312 C 329 C
Steam temperature 266 C 283 C

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 PWR Vessel

CANDU Fuel Channel

positioning liner
feeder
assembly tube
shield
plug

pressure tube
bellows end-fitting
calandria
tube
spacer

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CANDU
Calandria

PWR Fuel
CANDU Fuel

natural U enriched U

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 Implications of Fuel Differences
PHWR PWR
Refueling Shutdown Never 12-24 months

On-power fuelling frequency Up to 3 times Not Possible

daily
Failed fuel detection/removal On-power At shutdown

Dissolved poison None Variable

Containment access Daily Rarely

Safety/Neutronics
CANDU PWR

Void Coefficient Positive Negative

Core response time Slow Fast

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 CANDU - Further Detail

• Overall layout
• PHTS layout
• Calandria/feeder layout
• Fuel channel/calandria layout
• Fueling
• Steam Generator
• Safety systems

CANDU PHWR - distinguishing features

 D2O moderator at 80°C, D2O coolant at 300°C

 horizontal calandria
 380 of 480 horizontal fuel channels
 760 or 960 feeders
 zirconium alloy pressure tubes and calandria tubes
 natural U fuel
 on-line refuelling
 other fuels can be used (enriched U, MOX, thoria)

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 References
http://canteach.candu.org/
http://canteach.candu.org/catalog.html
see Lecture 3 of Nuclear Power Symposium
and Lecture 1 of Introduction to CANDU 6
in particular
http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf32.htm

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