Nuclear Reactors Report Time Line

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

December 1957 – Generation I developed by Duquesne Light Company opened at Shippingport, Pennsylvania, USA

1970s – Generation II developed

1990s – GE develops first Generation III nuclear reaction called Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR)

Late 1990s– Mitsubishi Heavy Industries develop the Generation III Advanced Pressurized Water Reactor (APWR)

September 2001 – Birth of AREVA

October 2003 – AREVA puts forth design of Generation III+ European Pressurized Reactor (EPR) for Finland

Late 2000s – Mitsubishi Heavy Industries develop Generation III United States Advanced Pressurized Water Reactor (US-APWR)

2007 – GE submits Operating License application Generation III+ for Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor (ESBWR)

2030 – Generation IV is developed

Types of Reactors:

Pressurized Water Reactors

Source: http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/analysis/nucenviss2.html#_ftn4

Moderated and cooled with light water kept liquid in the reactor core with the appropriate pressure under normal operating conditions

Most widely used – 2/3 of the reactors now in service worldwide are PWR’s

Will be replaced by European Pressurized Reactor (EPR)

Boiling Water Reactors

Source: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/basic-ref/teachers/03.pdf and http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/analysis/nucenviss2.html#_ftn4

Nuclear reactor moderated and cooled by ordinary water

Brought to boiling point in the core under normal operating conditions to form a steam water

Main Difference:

Steam Void Formation – steam pre-separated by moisture separation, where water droplets are removed before steam enters the steam line. The steam line directs turns the turbine, attached to the electrical generator

Research Reactors

Source: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04807.pdf and http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/analysis/nucenviss2.html#_ftn4

Research Community Only

Smaller than nuclear power reactors, they only produce up to 250 megawatts versus a nuclear reactor produces 3,000 megawatts

Purpose:

Use highly enriched uranium (HEU) as fuel for the production of medical isotopes

US DOE is attempting to replace HEU with low enriched uranium (LEU) because LEU cannot be used in nuclear weapons

United States has 25 Research Reactors

France has 5 Research Reactors

Generation I – Generation IV

Generation I

Shippingport Nuclear Reactor – Generation I

Source: http://files.asme.org/ASMEORG/Communities/History/Landmarks/5643.pdf

Generation I developed by Duquesne Light Company opened at Shippingport, Pennsylvania, USA in 1957

Specifications :

Type Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR)

Capacity 60 MW

Dresden Nuclear Reactor – Generation I

Source: http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/at_a_glance/reactors/dresden.html and http://www.exeloncorp.com/ourcompanies/powergen/nuclear/dresden_generating_station.htm

Developed by General Electric and opened in 1960 and closed in 1978 and operated by Exelon

First privately financed nuclear power plant

Specifications :

Capacity 210 megawatts

Type Boiling Water Reactor (BWR)

Berkeley Magnox Nuclear Reactor – Generation I

Source:http://www.magnoxsouthsites.com/about-us/our-sites/berkeley/site-history

Opened in 1962 in the United Kingdom

Specifications :

Capacity 276 megawatts

Life Span 27 years

Generation II

Generation II

Source:

In operation in China and Brazil because the generations fit the customers’ specific needs in the continuity of their national programs

Specifications:

Capacity 1000 MW

Life Span 20 – 30 years

Generation II Nuclear Reactors

LWR-PWR, BWR

CANDU

VVER/RBMK

AGR

Generation III Reactors

Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR)

Source: http://gepower.com/prod_serv/products/nuclear_energy/en/new_reactors/abwr.htm

Designed and built by GE

Three plants operating in Japan

Specifications:

Capacity 1350 – 1460 MW

Type Light Water Reactor (LWR)

Life Span 60 years

AP 600

Source: http://www.ap600.westinghousenuclear.com/ and http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/analysis/nucenviss2.html#_ftn1

Designed by Westinghouse but did not sell well

Specifications:

Capacity 600 MWe

Type Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR)

System 80+

Source: http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/analysis/nucenviss2.html#_ftn10

Built by Westinghouse and provided basis for APR1400

Developed in Korea

Specifications:

Capacity 1300 MWe

Generation III+ Reactors

European/Evolutionary Pressurized Reactor (EPR)

Source: http://www.areva-np.com/common/liblocal/docs/Brochure/EPR_US_%20May%202005.pdf

Bid on in Finland in 2003 and made by AREVA

100 reactors in service (built 100 of the 303 light water nuclear reactors in service worldwide) – control one third

100,000 MWe of installed power

EPR – large-power pressurized water reactor (PWR) in the range of 1600+ MWe (under construction in Finland, France, and China – in project in the US/UK)

only Gen-3 reactor under construction in the world

significant performance gain, high level of security, simplified operation/maintenance/reduction in uranium consumption, waste production

Design Specifications of EPR:

Developed by Framatome ANP, AREVA and Siemens

Safer, more efficient than PWR

Three safety barriers – prevents radioactivity from spreading outside the building

Core meltdown risk factor decreased by ten

In case of meltdown (when the reactor reaches a temperature where it cannot properly cool down), the following measures are implemented:

Building Spray System

Keeps the pressure and temperature low to guarantee leak tightness and mechanical resistance

Specific compartment

Collects any material that may have escaped

Thick, reinforced concrete shell

Protects reactor from external hazards such as aircraft crash

1.3 meter thick walls

4 sub-system which are independent of each other and are stored in different rooms

EPR – consumes 15% less uranium while generating the same amount of electricity

Can be fully or partially loaded with recycled fuel (MOX) to reduce plutonium inventory and increase recycled fuel use

MOX – nuclear fuel produced by mixing uranium and plutonium oxide

Specifications:

10% less cost

Output: 37% (5% increase)

Power: 1600 MW (200 – 500 increase)

Life Span: 60 years

ATMEA1 – Mid-Sized Generation III+

Source: http://www.atmea-sas.com/scripts/ATMEA/publigen/content/templates/Show.asp?P=57&L=EN

Built by AREVA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI)

Licensing application ready by end of 2009

Specifications:

Thermal Output 2860 – 3150 MWth

Electrical Output 1000 – 1150 MWe (Net)

Type Pressurized Water Reactor

(PWR)

Operation Cycle Length 12 – 24 months

MOX Loading Available 0 – 100%

Design Plant Life 60 years

Regulation Compliance Japan, Europe and US

Severe Accident Mitigation Core catcher and hydrogen

recombiners/ignites, long-term integrity of containment

Provisions for Airplane Crash Safety related buildings

protected against commercial airplane crash through reinforcement and physical separation

Seismic Condition Available for high seismic

area

Public concerns No long-term emergency

planning required

SWR (Temporary Name) – Generation III+

Source: http://www.areva.com/servlet/operations/nuclearpower/reactors&services_division/reactors-en.html

Designed by AREVA

Specifications:

Capacity 1250+ MWe

Type Cutting-edge boiling water reactor

(BWR)

Safety Maximum for the use of nuclear

power

Advanced CANDU Reactor (ACR – 1000) – Generation III+

Source: http://www.aecl.ca/Reactors/ACR-1000.htm and http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/analysis/nucenviss2.html#_ftn4 and

Designed by AECL

In-Service Date: 2016

Specifications :

Capacity 1200 MWe

Life Span 60 years

Type Modified Pressurized Heavy Water

Reactor

AP 1000

Source: http://ap1000.westinghousenuclear.com/index.html and http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/analysis/nucenviss2.html#_ftn4

Designed by Westinghouse Electric Company LLC

Two being built in China

Larger than the AP600

Specifications :

Capacity 1117 – 1154 MWe

Type Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR)

Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactors (ESBWR)

Source: http://gepower.com/prod_serv/products/nuclear_energy/en/new_reactors/esbwr.htm

Designed by GE

Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR)

Specifications :

Capacity 1600 MWe

Efficiency 36 – 37%

Life Span 60 Years

APR – 1400

Source: http://www.apr1400.com/index1.jsp and http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/analysis/nucenviss2.html#_ftn4

U.S. System 80+ (formerly Westinghouse)

Promoted for development in South Korea

Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR)

Specifications :

Capacity 1300 MWe

Customers of Generation III+ AREVA Made Reactors

Source: http://www.areva.com/servlet/operations/nuclearpower/reactors&services_division/reactors-en.html

Finland

Olkiluoto 3 project – BEHNIND SCHEDULE

1 EPR 1600 MWe for TVO

Implementation Date: 2012

France

Flamanville Project – BEHIND SCHEDULE

EDF

Date Began: December 2007

China

Partnership with China Gunagdoing Nuclear Power Corporation (CGNPC)

Construction of 2 EPR nuclear islands

Service Until: 2022

United States

US ERP reactor

Service Date: 2015

United Kingdom

United Kingdom ERP

Service Date: Pending Regulatory Commission

Bulgaria

Belene Power Plant

Command control, electrical systems and ventilation systems

Generation IV

Source:

http://www.gen-4.org/PDFs/GIF_introduction.pdf

Four Goals:

Sustainability

Safety and Reliability

Economics

Proliferation resistance and physical protection

Six Systems selected:

Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor (GFR)

Will minimize production of long-lived radioactive waste

Plans finalized (no longer under development)

Goal is to have experimental technology demonstration reactor in place by 2020

Projected Specifications:

Size 200 – 1200 MWe

Application Electricity, Hydrogen, Actinide

Management (radioactive elements with

atomic numbers 89-103

Lead-Cooled Fast Reactor (LFR)

Still under development

Completion date scheduled for 2025

Advanced designs expected by 2035

Projected Specifications:

Size 50 – 1200 MWe

Application Electricity, Hydrogen Production

Molten Salt Reactor (MSR)

Purpose is to burn up plutonium and minor actinides

Planning has not begun

Scoping and screening phase continues until 2011

Performance phase set to begin in 2018

Projected Specifications:

Size 1000 MWe

Applications Electricity, Hydrogen Production, Actinide

Management

Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor (SFR)

Designed for high-level wastes and management of plutonium

Plans finalized (no longer under development)

Projected Specifications:

Size 300 – 1500 MWe

Application Electricity, Actinide Management

Supercritical-Water Reactor (SCWR)

Purpose is efficient electricity production with an option for actinide management

Plans finalized (no longer under development)

Projected Specifications:

Size 1500 MWe

Application Electricity

Very-High-Temperature Reactor (VHTR)

Purpose to supply electricity and process heat to a broad spectrum of high-temperature and energy intensive processes

Plans finalized (no longer under development)

Projected Specifications:

Size 250 MWe

Application Electricity, Hydrogen