Nuclear Power Plants

o In this lecture, we will discuss Nuclear Power

Plant, which includes:
o Types of Nuclear power plants
Fast breeder reactor(FBR):
o Based on neutron energy flux spectrum reactors are classified as thermal reactors and fast
breeder reactors.
o The main advantages of thermal reactors are ease in control, greater inherent safety and
more heat generated per unit volume of core compared to fast breeder reactors.
o On the other hand thermal reactor pose some limitations such as
o (1) Choice of fuel is very much restricted in case of uranium.
o (2) Size and weight of reactor per unit power output is higher and
o (3) More fissile material is consumed.
o Fast breeder reactor convert more fertile material to fissile material and therefore fuel
consumption is less compared to the thermal reactors.
o Most produce fissile plutonium from fertile U-238. The fuel rods in core region thus
contains a mixture of fissile Pu-239 and U-238. The active core region is surrounded by a
blanket of fertile U-238. This region captures neutron that would otherwise be lost through
leakage, thus producing additional fissile material.
Fast breeder reactor(FBR):
o A coolant with excellent heat-transfer properties is required to minimize the
temperature drop from fuel surface to the coolant and also it must be non-
moderating.
o This rules out water and the best coolants for fast breeder reactors are liquid metals
such as sodium(Na).
o Such reactors are also called liquid metal cooled reactors(LMCR).

o Due to induced radioactive of liquid sodium, an intermediate loop also uses Na or

NaK as coolant between the primary radioactive coolant and the steam cycle.
o Therefore, there is a need of two heat exchangers. The primary loop design can be
either pool type or loop type.
o In pool type system, the reactor core, primary pumps and intermediate heat
exchangers are placed in a large pool of liquid sodium contained reactor vessel,
whereas in loop type system all are placed outside the vessel.
Fusion reactor
o Fusion is a process where small nuclei are combined together to form heavy
nucleus. during this process huge energy is released.
o There are several possible reaction. A positively charged nucleus is accelerated
with high kinetic energy to overcome the repulsive forces, by raising the very
high temperature resulting in a plasma
o The main advantages of fusion power plants are:
o 1. Deuterium is available in abundant.

o 2. No radioactive waste production.

o 3. Safe in operation.

o 4. High efficiency.

o 5. Low heat rejection to the environment.