HEAT EXCHANGERS IN NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS

Tasneem Kabir, TY Mechanical, SPCE

Priti Shete, TY Mechanical, SPCE
 OUTLINE

1. Introduction to nuclear power plants

2. Heat exchangers in nuclear power plant
3. Design considerations for the heat exchangers
4. Nuclear power plant stations in India
5. References & acknowledgements
Introduction to Nuclear Power Plants (NPP)
Components:

A. Primary Circuit:
1.Nuclear reactor core
2.Reactor pressure vessel
3.Control rod

B. Secondary Circuit:
1. Steam generator
2. Turbine hall
3. Cooling tower
4. Condenser
 Heat Exchanger

A heat exchanger is a device designed to

efficiently transfer or "exchange" heat from
one matter to another.[1][4]

• Working: Heat is exchanged by the fluids,

the hot fluid cools down and the cold fluid
warms up, without them actually coming
into contact and mixing.
• Heat exchangers are used for various
purposes such as steam generator,
condenser, economizer, etc.[4]
 Introduction to Nuclear Power Plants

Classification of Reactors

Integrated (Direct) Non-Integrated (Indirect)

Boiling Water Reactor(BWR) Pressurized Water

Reactor(PWR)
Steam Generator Heavy Gas Cooled Reactor(GCR)
Water Reactor(SGHWR) Liquid metal cooled
reactor (LMCR)
 Integrated Reactors (Direct):[3]
• Boiling water reactor(BWR):
1. Enriched Uranium is Fuel.
2. The only HE used is condenser.
3. Reactor vessel itself acts as a steam
generator.
4. The reactor coolant is the working
medium.
• Working conditions[1] :
1. Nuclear fuel temperature: 320 deg C
2. Coolant pressure: 12.5 Mpa
3. Steam pressure: 3 Mpa
Non-Integrated Reactors(Indirect )[1]
• Gas cooled reactor:
1. Gas is circulated through the reactor core.
2. This gas is passed through HE to
generate steam.
3. Gas used can be air, hydrogen,
helium.
4. Graphite is used as moderator.

• Working conditions:
Primary circuit:
Gas Cooled Reactor [6]
1. Gas pressure: 1.05 to 1.40 Mpa
Non-Integrated Reactors(Indirect )[3]
• Pressurized Water Reactors(PWR)[1]:
Primary circuit:
1. A separate steam generator & condenser is used.
2. Boiling of water is prevented by
pressurizing it to 160 atm
3. Temp. of fuel : 345 deg C

Secondary circuit:
4. Steam pressure: 7.5 to 8 MPa
5. Steam temperature: 290 to 320 deg C
 Non-Integrated Reactors(Indirect )[1]
• Liquid Metal Cooled Reactor:
1. It uses sodium graphite reactor(SGR).
2. In IHE NaK is used & through which heat
is transferred to water & steam is
generated.

• Working conditions:
1. Temp of liquid sodium : 560 deg C
2. Steam pressure : 30 atm
3. Steam temp. : 400 deg C
 Design:
• Shell & Tube heat exchanger:
1. Liquid to liquid units are basically of this
type
2. High pressure applications
3. It consists of cylindrical drum as a shell and
tubes.

Eg. : For a Nuclear Power Plant of 1000 MW

capacity :
a) No. of tubes : 18000
b) Mean tube length : 16 m
c) Tube outer diameter : 22 mm
Selection Criterion:
• According to temperature & pressure needs:
1. High pressure in primary circuit- Eg. PWR
2. Low pressure in primary circuit- Eg. LMCR

• According to Steam water flow:

1. PWR, PHWR, CANDU : U tube
2. GCR : Straight tube in cylindrical shell/
involute tube in annular shell
3. BWR : Helical tube
Materials[3] :
Type of reactor Type of part Material

BWR Tubes Monel

PWR Tubes Monel 400,

Incoloy 800
AGR Evaporator tubes 9 Cr- 1 Mo

GCR Evaporator tubes 21/4 Cr – 1 Mo

Kudankulam NPP:
• It is the highest capacity power plant(2000 MW ) in India.
• Commissioned in 2013 with 6 VVER-1000(Water-Water Energy
Reactor) (2 reactors operational at present).
• It uses series pressurized water reactors(PWR).

Tarapur NPP:

• It is the second highest capacity power plant (1400 MW) in India.

• Commissioned in 1969 with 2 Boiling water reactors.
• At present : 4 reactors (2 BWR & 2 PHWR).
• Fuel used is enriched uranium.
 References:
[1] Sharma P. C. ,Power Plant Engineering , S. K. Kataria & Sons,2013.
[2] Arora S.C. , S. Domkundwar , A. V. Domkundwar , Power Plant
Engineering , Dhanapat Rai & co. , Fifth edition.
[3] Gilli P. V. , University of Technology, Graz, Austria, “Review of problems
governing the design optimization of heat exchangers in nuclear
power plant”.
[4] nptel.ac.in, gas-cooled reactors.
[5] thermopedia.com