ACADs (08-006) Covered
1.1.4.6
1.1.9.2.1
1.1.9.2.2
1.1.9.2.3
1.1.9.2.4
1.1.9.2.5
1.1.9.2.6
Keywords
History, Three-Mile Island, Idaho Falls, Salem, Davis-Besse, BWR, PWR, HTGR,
Description
Supporting Material
Three Mile Island; Browns Ferry Fire; Davis-Besse; Idaho Falls; Salem Generating Plant
Turbines; Chernobyl Disaster
NUET 1000
Introduction to the
Nuclear Power Industry
Module #1
History of Nuclear Technology
Reactor Designs & Nuclear
Power
3
4
Competencies & Subcompetencies
1. Upon completion of this module of instruction,
the student shall be able to explain the history of
the nuclear power industry to include incidents,
accidents, and lessons learned.
Subcompetencies
i. History of nuclear technology
ii. Early war years
iii. Development of commercial nuclear power
5
Competencies & Subcompetencies
2. common reactor Identify designs to include:
BWR, PWR, HTGR
Subcompetencies
i. Show major components for each reactor
type on a simplified diagram, to include
ALWR (ABWR & APWR) and HTGR
(Pebble Bed HG Reactor)
ii. Demonstrate a knowledge of the basic flow
paths for each power reactor type, to
include, BWR, PWR, HTGR
6
NUET 1000 Module 1
History of Nuclear Technology
Summary
Early Pioneers (1800 – 1939)
George de Hevesy
•1902 Earnest Rutherford (Radioactivity)
•1905 Albert Einstein (Mass-Energy Equivalence)
•1911 Fredrick Soddy, George de Hevesy (Isotopes)
•1932 James Chadwick (Neutron)
Madame Curie
•1938 Otto Hahn & Fritz Strassman (Fission)
•1939 Lise Meitner, Otto Frisch, & Niels Bohr
(Energy from fission)
Niels Bohr
7
NUET 1000 Module 1
History of Nuclear Technology
Early Pioneers (1800 – 1939)
1902 Earnest Rutherford (Radioactivity)
• Developed a fuller understanding of atoms
• Fired alpha particles into nitrogen forming oxygen
• Showed that emission from the nucleus created a different
element
8
NUET 1000 Module 1
History of Nuclear Technology
Early Pioneers (1800 – 1939)
Anyone who doesn't take truth seriously in small matters
cannot be trusted in large ones either
Albert Einstein
•1905 Albert Einstein (Mass-Energy Equivalence)
E = mc2
•Developed theory of the relationship between mass and energy
Formula is E=mc2, or “energy equals mass times the speed of light
squared.”
•Took almost 35 years for someone to prove his theory
9
NUET 1000 Module 1
History of Nuclear Technology
Early Pioneers (1800 – 1939)
1911
George de
Hevesy
1911 Fredrick Soddy
(Isotopes)
• Discovered that naturally-radioactive elements had different isotopes
• George de Hevesy showed that radionuclides were invaluable as
tracers
10
NUET 1000 Module 1
History of Nuclear Technology
Early Pioneers (1800 – 1939)
1932 James Chadwick (Neutron)
• Discovered the neutron
• Neutron was crucial for the fission of uranium 235
• Hughes Medal of the Royal Society in 1932
• Nobel Prize for Physics in 1935
11
NUET 1000 Module 1
History of Nuclear Technology
Early Pioneers (1800 – 1939)
1939 Lise Meitner, Otto Frisch,
& Niels Bohr (Energy from fission)
• Calculated the energy release from fission
200 million electron volts
• Then confirmed experimentally
• First experimental confirmation of
Albert Einstein's theory
• Suggested nucleus, split into two not quite equal parts
12
NUET 1000 Module 1
History of Nuclear Technology
Early Pioneers (1800 – 1939)
1938 Otto Hahn & Fritz Strassman
(Fission)
• Identified the products from fission
• Fission products were about half the mass of uranium
• Suggested that the neutron was captured by the nucleus and caused
fission
13
NUET 1000 Module 1
The War Years: Development of the Bomb
Summary
Manhattan Project (1942 – 1946)
1942 Enrico Fermi (Controlled Chain Reaction)
Chicago “Pile” demonstration
Italian physicist ~ Enrico Fermi
•1942 Manhattan Engineering District (MED – Manhattan Project)
•1945 First Bomb Test at Trinity Site
•1945 (August) Bombs dropped on Japan
•1946 President Truman Atomic Energy Act of 1946 (AEA)
14
NUET 1000 Module 1
The War Years: Development of the Bomb
Manhattan Project (1942 – 1946)
15
NUET 1000 Module 1
The War Years: Development of the Bomb
Manhattan Project (1942 – 1946)
1942 Enrico Fermi’s Chicago Pile: CP-1 (Controlled Chain Reaction)
• Pile of uranium and graphite blocks,
• Assembled under the supervision of Enrico Fermi
• Collaboration with Leo Szilard, discoverer of the chain reaction.
• Contained a critical mass of fissile material, with control rods
• Built by the University of Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory
•Part of the Manhattan Project
16
NUET 1000 Module 1
The War Years: Development of the Bomb
Manhattan Project (1942 – 1946)
1942 Manhattan Engineering District
(MED – Manhattan Project)
• 1942–1946 U.S. Army
•Corps of Engineers (Gen. Leslie R.Groves)
Scientific direction (Robert Oppenheimer)
• Codename for the project to develop the first atomic bombs
• Led by the United States, included participation from the United
Kingdom and Canada
General Leslie Groves
17
NUET 1000 Module 1
The War Years: Development of the Bomb
Manhattan Project (1942 – 1946)
•1945 First Bomb Test at Trinity Site,
about 35 miles (56 km) southeast of
Socorro, New Mexico at
White Sands Proving Ground
• Pre-test explosion to calibrate instrumentation ~ about 180 Tons
of TNT. The test allowed the calibration of instruments to measure
the blast wave, and gave some indication of how fission products
might be distributed by the explosion.
18
NUET 1000 Module 1
The War Years: Development of the Bomb
Manhattan Project (1942 – 1946)
1945 First Bomb Test
at Trinity Site
Weapon's informal nickname
was "The Gadget”
• Test was conducted by the United States Army on July 16, 1945
• Date considered to be the beginning of the Atomic Age
19
NUET 1000 Module 1
The War Years: Development of the Bomb
Manhattan Project (1942 – 1946)
• 1945 Bombs dropped on Japan
• The first atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima (August 6th)
• Contained U-235
• The second bomb dropped on
Nagasaki (August 9th)
•Contained Pu-239
• August 10th
Japanese Government surrenders
20
NUET 1000 Module 1
The Post-War Years
Post War activities (1947 – 1955) ~Summary
1946
• President Truman Atomic Energy Act of 1946 (AEA) Established United
States Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
• Foster and control peace time development of atomic science
and technology
• USN assigns Hymen Rickover to Oak Ridge National Lab 1946
• President Truman signed the McMahon/Atomic Energy Act on
August 1, 1946 :
Transferred control of atomic energy from military to civilian hands,
Effective January 1, 1947
21
NUET 1000 Module 1
Development of Commercial Nuclear Power
Post War activities (1947 – 1955) ~Summary
1951 US Congress authorizes construction of a nuclear submarine
1952 S1W built Nautilus prototype completed
1953 Atomic Energy Commission (Investigates Peaceful Uses)
• United States then launched an "Atoms for Peace" program
• Supplied equipment and information to schools, hospitals, and
research institutions within the U.S. and throughout the world
• First reactors in Iran and Pakistan built under the program by
American Machine and Foundry
23
NUET 1000 Module 1
Development of Commercial Nuclear Power
Post War activities (1947 – 1955)
1953 President Eisenhower
(Atoms for Peace Speech)
Atoms for Peace Speech
24
NUET 1000 Module 1
Development of Commercial Nuclear Power
Post War activities (1947 – 1955)
1954 AEA Amended to allow civilian access to technology
•The Atomic Energy Act of 1954, 42 U.S.C. § 2011 et seq.,
United States federal law
•Fundamental U.S. law on civilian and military uses of nuclear
materials
•Was an amendment to the Atomic Energy Act of 1946 - Increased
support for the possibility of a civilian nuclear industry
25
NUET 1000 Module 1
Development of Commercial Nuclear Power
Post War activities (1947 – 1955)
1955 AEC announces a cooperative program with nuclear power industry
• Power Demonstration Reactor Program
• AEC and industry will cooperate
• Construct and operate experimental nuclear power reactors
• USN Nautilus submarine
“Underway on nuclear power”
January 17th, 1955
26
NUET 1000 Module 1
Development of Commercial Nuclear Power
Post War activities (1947 – 1955)
1955 (July) Arco, Idaho, first U.S. town powered by nuclear energy.
BORAX-III Reactor
• Linked to the local power grid and for about an hour on July 17,
1955, Provided 2,000 kW
• Power to Arco, Idaho (500 kW), & BORAX test facility (500 kW)
•Partially powered the National Reactor Testing Station (1,000 kW)
• Arco became the first city solely powered by nuclear energy
•Reactor continued to be used for tests until 1956
27
NUET 1000 Module 1
Development of Commercial Nuclear Power
Post War activities (1947 – 1955)
1955 (November) EBR west of Idaho Falls, Idaho, partially melts
down
• First nuclear reactor to produce electricity
• On November 29, 1955, about 50 percent of the core melted
• Part of the National Reactor Testing Station - Now known as
the Idaho National Laboratory
Principal cause of this event was human performance
28
NUET 1000 Module 1
Development of Commercial Nuclear Power
Dawn of Nuclear Power (1956 – 1978) ~ Summary
• 1957 Sodium Reactor Experiment at Santa Susana, California,
the first civilian nuclear power unit to go on-line.
• 1957 President Eisenhower signs the Price-Anderson Act
• 1957 First full-scale nuclear power plant in the U.S
(Shippingport, Pennsylvania)
• 1959 The first nuclear power plant in the U.S. without any
government funding, Dresden 1 Illinois
29
NUET 1000 Module 1
Development of Commercial Nuclear Power
Dawn of Nuclear Power (1956 – 1978)
1957 (July) Sodium Reactor Experiment at Santa Susana, California, the
first Civilian nuclear power unit to go on-line.
• Designed by Atomics International
• Sodium Reactor Experiment began in June 1954
• Construction underway in April 1955
• SCE installed a 6.5 MW electric power generating system
30
NUET 1000 Module 1
Development of Commercial Nuclear Power
Dawn of Nuclear Power (1956 – 1978)
1957 (September) President Eisenhower signs the Price-Anderson Act
Signed on September 2, 1957
• Named for Congressman Charles Price and Senator Clinton
Anderson
• Both eventually chaired Congress's Joint Committee on Atomic
Energy
• Financial protection to licensees and contractors in case of accident
• Commercial Nuclear Power not possible without it
31
NUET 1000 Module 1
Development of Commercial Nuclear Power
Dawn of Nuclear Power (1956 – 1978)
1957 First full-scale nuclear power plant in the U.S (Shippingport,
Pennsylvania)
• The plant was able to generate 60 megawatts of electricity
• Used ordinary water to cool the reactor core during the chain reaction
• Showed that nuclear energy could produce electricity for commercial
use
• Encouraged private industry to develop light-water reactors
• Federal programs shifted to developing light-water reactor
technologies
32
NUET 1000 Module 1
Development of Commercial Nuclear Power
Dawn of Nuclear Power (1956 – 1978)
1959 (October) The first nuclear power plant in the U.S. without any
government funding, Dresden 1 Illinois
• First privately-financed nuclear power plant built in the United States
•Laid much of the groundwork for the present-day nuclear power
industry
• General Electric boiling water reactor capable of generating 210 MW
• Commercial Operation in 1960 and retired in 1978
• Not economically feasible to do Three Mile Island (TMI) upgrades
33
NUET 1000 Module 1
Development of Commercial Nuclear Power
Dawn of Nuclear Power (1956 – 1978) ~ Summary
•1961 The SL-1 Accident
•1963 JCP&L Company announces construction of Oyster Creek
•1964 AEC issues construction permit for Oyster Creek
•1966 Accident at Enrico Fermi experimental breeder near Detroit
•1974 President Gerald Ford abolishes AEC
• Replaces with ERDA and NRC
•1975 Fire at Brown’s Ferry Unit 1
•1978 Dedication ceremonies for Three Mile Island Unit 2
34
NUET 1000 Module 1
Development of Commercial Nuclear Power
Dawn of Nuclear Power (1956 – 1978)
January 3, 1961 The SL-1 Accident
• Working on control rod mechanisms,
• Center control rod was lifted manually by an excessive amount
• A violent power excursion resulted
–
Impaled the operator on the ceiling of the building
–
Caused three fatalities - Only three people present
–
Facility was permanently shut down
The principal cause of this event was personnel
performance.
35
NUET 1000 Module 1
Development of Commercial Nuclear Power
Dawn of Nuclear Power (1956 – 1978)
1963 (December) Jersey Central Power and Light Company
announces Construction of Oyster Creek
•December 12, 1963 JCP&L announces its commitment
•First time a nuclear plant is ordered
•An economic alternative to a fossil-fuel plant
36
NUET 1000 Module 1
Development of Commercial Nuclear Power
Dawn of Nuclear Power (1956 – 1978)
1964 (December) AEC issues construction permit for Oyster
Creek
•First of the large-scale plants
•Construction permit issued 12/15/1964
•Began commercial operation 12/01/1969
37
NUET 1000 Module 1
Development of Commercial Nuclear Power
Dawn of Nuclear Power (1956 – 1978)
1966 Enrico Fermi 1 experimental breeder near Detroit, Michigan
accident
•October 5, 1966 partial core melt
•Knew something (unknown) was causing high core
temperatures
•Zirconium liner sheets had become dislodged
•Fuel in four assemblies melted
The principal cause of this event was design
38
NUET 1000 Module 1
Development of Commercial Nuclear Power
Dawn of Nuclear Power (1956 – 1978)
1974 (October) President Ford abolishes AEC.
Replaces with ERDA and NRC
• AEC's regulatory programs came under strong attack
• Congress decided to abolish the agency
• Promotional and regulatory duties should be go to
different agencies
39
NUET 1000 Module 1
Development of Commercial Nuclear Power
Dawn of Nuclear Power (1956 – 1978)
Energy Reorganization Act of 1974: Established Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (USNRC)
• NRC began operations on January 19, 1975
• Regulatory functions went to NRC
• Promotion went to Energy Research and Development
Administration
• Later incorporated into the United States Department of
Energy
40
NUET 1000 Module 1
Development of Commercial Nuclear Power
Dawn of Nuclear Power (1956 – 1978)
1975 Fire at Brown’s Ferry Unit 1
• Searching for air leaks in piping and electrical penetrations
• Worker was using a candle
• Airflow caused Flame to spread to a hidden area
• Shorts caused pumps to start, valves to open/close
41
NUET 1000 Module 1
Development of Commercial Nuclear Power
Dawn of Nuclear Power (1956 – 1978)
1978 (September) Dedication ceremonies held in Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania for Three Mile Island Unit 2
• Deputy Secretary of Energy for the Carter Administration,
John F. O’Leary called the plant a “scintillating success”
and said "it is fair to conclude…nuclear power is a bright
and shining option for this country"
42
NUET 1000 Module 1
Development of Commercial Nuclear Power
Post TMI (1979 – 1996) ~ Summary
•1979 Three Mile Island (TMI 2) accident near Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania.
•1979 Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) created
•1986 Accident at Chernobyl nuclear reactor near Kiev
•1988 Agreement to close and dismantle Shoreham on Long
Island
•1992 Uniform nuclear plant designs are submitted to the NRC
43
NUET 1000 Module 1
Development of Commercial Nuclear Power
Post TMI (1979 – 1996)
Watershed Event:
March 1979, Three Mile Island (TMI 2) accident
near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
• worst accident, to date, at a U.S. nuclear power plant
1.preventable human errors
2.design deficiencies
3.component failures
44
NUET 1000 Module 1
Development of Commercial Nuclear Power
Post TMI (1979 – 1996)
1979 (March) Three Mile Island (TMI 2) accident near Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania.
• Accident is caused by a loss of coolant from the reactor core
• No one is injured, and no overexposure to radiation results
• NRC imposes stricter reactor safety regulations
• NRC imposes more rigid inspection procedures
Caused by a combination of mechanical malfunction
& preventable human errors
45
NUET 1000 Module 1
Development of Commercial Nuclear Power
Post TMI (1979 – 1996)
1979 (October) Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO)
created
• TMI investigation showed nuclear industry it had fundamental
problems
• Problems not limited to one company or one valve design
• Utility self-policing operation aimed at improving reactor
performance
• Nuclear industry acknowledged those problems and took
action
46
NUET 1000 Module 1
WHY WAS THE COUNTRY
LOSING INTEREST
IN NUCLEAR POWER?
47
NUET 1000 Module 1
WHY WAS THE COUNTRY LOSING INTEREST
IN NUCLEAR POWER?
During the period from the TMI event , until the renaissance
of nuclear power there has been a :
• Lack of public understanding of nuclear power
• Many utilities decide to decommission older existing
nuclear power plants
• State regulators would not include rate base funding
construction until completion of plants
• Interveners for a variety of reasons opposed new
nuclear construction
48
NUET 1000 Module 1
Development of Commercial Nuclear Power
Post TMI (1979 – 1996)
1986 (April) Accident at Chernobyl nuclear reactor near Kiev
• Runaway reaction during a test
• Caused a series of explosions that rupture the containment
• Sent massive amounts of radiation through the Northern
Hemisphere
• Worst nuclear accident in history
• Over 75 million people exposed to high levels of radiation
• This design would not be licensed in the United States
49
NUET 1000 Module 1
Development of Commercial Nuclear Power
Post TMI (1979 – 1996)
1988 (May) -- Agreement to close and dismantle the Shoreham nuclear
power plant on Long Island
• Unit built between 1973 and 1984
• Within 60 miles of Manhattan
• 3/03/1983 County Legislature announced could not be safely
evacuated
• Plant was completed in 1984
• 2/28/1984 Cuomo and LILCO announced decommission plan
• Now wind turbines generate 1/8000 what nuclear plant generates
50
NUET 1000 Module 1
Of 102 Formerly Licensed Nuclear Plants, the following are shutdown
UNIT
LOCATION
REACTOR TYPE
DATE SHUTDOWN
Big Rock Point
Charlevoix, MI
BWR
8/29/1997
Dresden 1
Morris, IL
BWR
10/31/1978
Ft. St. Vrain
Platteville, CO
HTGR
8/18/1889
Connecticut Yankee
Haddam Neck
Meriden, CT
PWR
12/5/1996
Indian Point 1
Buchanan, NY
PWR
10/31/1974
Maine Yankee
Wiscasset, ME
PWR
12/6/1996
Millstone 1
Waterford, CT
BWR
7/21/1998
51
NUET 1000 Module 1
Of 102 Formerly Licensed Nuclear Plants, the following are shutdown
UNIT
LOCATION
REACTOR TYPE
DATE SHUTDOWN
Peach Bottom 1
Delta, PA
HTGR
10/31/1974
Rancho Seco
Herald, CA
PWR
6/7/1989
San Onofre 1
San Clemente, CA
PWR
11/30/1992
Three Mile Island 2
Middletown, PA
PWR
3/28/1979
Trojan
Rainier, OR
PWR
11/9/1992
Yankee-Rowe
Rowe, MA
PWR
10/1/1991
Zion 1
Zion. IL
PWR
2/21/1997
Zion 2
Zion. IL
PWR
9/19/199652
NUET 1000 Module 1
WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH
THE DEVELOPMENT OF
COMMERCIAL NUCLEAR
POWER IN THE POST TMI
PERIOD?
53
NUET 1000 Module 1
WHY WAS THE COUNTRY BUILDING NEW INTEREST
IN NUCLEAR POWER?
• More public awareness of nuclear power, many plants
coming online world-wide
• World oil pricing rising, global threats to supply
• State regulators easing inclusion into rate base of
construction funds
• Environmentalists warming to new nuclear construction
as an alternative to carbon emitting generators
54
NUET 1000 Module 1
Development of Commercial Nuclear Power
Post TMI (1979 – 1996) ~ Summary
• 1993 Comanche Peak Unit 2 in Glen Rose, Texas,
goes on-line.
• 1994 NRC issues final design approval for GE’s ABWR
and ABB Combustion Engineering's System 80+.
• 1996 TVA granted a full-power license by NRC for
Watts Bar.
55
NUET 1000 Module 1
Development of Commercial Nuclear Power
Post TMI (1979 – 1996)
1992 (August) Uniform nuclear plant designs are submitted
to the NRC for certification and approval.
•NRC certification and approval done in advance
•Single standard for nuclear power plant construction
56
NUET 1000 Module 1
Development of Commercial Nuclear Power
Post TMI (1979 – 1996)
1993 (April) -- Comanche Peak Unit 2 in Glen Rose, Texas, goes
on-line.
• Construction of the two units began in 1974
• Both Westinghouse pressurized water reactors
• Unit 2 was the second-last power reactor to come online in
the USA
• Unit 1 is rated 1,259 MWe, and Unit 2 is rated 1,245 MWe
57
NUET 1000 Module 1
Development of Commercial Nuclear Power
Renaissance Begins (1994 – Present)
1994 (July) NRC issues its final new design approval for GE’s
ABWR and ABB Combustion Engineering's System 80+
• Utility can choose to use the design and reference it in
an application
• Certified design will not be subject to litigation
58
NUET 1000 Module 1
Development of Commercial Nuclear Power
Renaissance Begins (1994 – Present)
1996 (February) TVA granted a full-power license by NRC for
Watts Bar 1.
• Brought the number of operating nuclear units in the U.S.
to 110
• Construction at Watts Bar began in 1973 and was
completed in 1996
• Winter net dependable generating capacity is 1,167
megawatts
59
NUET 1000 Module 1
New Plants Approved by NRC
Company (Project or Docket Numbers)
Date of
Application
Design
Date
Accepted
Site Under
Consideration
Number of
Units
State
Existing
Operating
Plant
NRG Energy (52-012/013)
09/20/07
ABWR
11/29/07
South Texas Project
2
TX
Y
NuStart Energy (52-014/015)
10/30/07
AP1000
01/18/08
Bellefonte
2
AL
N
UNISTAR (52-016)
07/13/07
EPR
01/25/08
Calvert Cliffs
1
MD
Y
Dominion (52-017)
11/27/07
ESBWR
01/28/08
North Anna
1
VA
Y
Duke (52-018/019)
12/13/07
AP1000
02/25/08
William Lee Nuclear Station
2
SC
N
Progress Energy (52-022/023)
02/19/08
AP1000
04/17/08
Harris
2
NC
Y
NuStart Energy (52-024)
02/27/08
ESBWR
04/17/08
Grand Gulf
1
MS
Y
Southern Nuclear Operating Co. (52025/026)
03/31/08
AP1000
05/30/08
Vogtle
2
GA
Y
South Carolina Electric & Gas (52-027/028)
03/31/08
AP1000
07/31/08
Summer
2
SC
Y
Progress Energy (52-029/030)
07/30/08
AP1000
10/06/08
Levy County
2
FL
N
Detroit Edison (52-033)
09/18/08
ESBWR
11/25/08
Fermi
1
MI
Y
Luminant Power (52-034/035)
09/19/08
USAPWR
12/02/08
Comanche Peak
2
TX
Y
Entergy (52-036)
09/25/08
ESBWR
12/04/08
River Bend
1
LA
Y
AmerenUE (52-037)
07/24/08
EPR
12/12/08
Callaway
1
MO
Y
UNISTAR (52-038)
09/29/08
EPR
12/11/08
Nine Mile Point
1
NY
Y
PPL Generation (52-039)
10/10/08
EPR
12/19/08
Bell Bend
1
PA
Florida Power and Light (763)
06/30/09
AP1000
09/04/09
Turkey Point
2
FL
Y
60
Y
NUET 1000 Module 1
The Nuclear Renaissance
2009 Southern Nuclear Company (SNC) Receives
Early Site Permit (ESP)
• Obtain NRC approval before deciding to build
a plant
• ESP applications consist of three components
– Site safety analysis
– Environmental report
– Emergency planning information
61
NUET 1000 Module 1
The Nuclear Renaissance
2009 SNC Files for Limited Work Authorization for
Vogtle 3 & 4
• Allows certain construction activities on
production and utilization facilities
• May commence before a construction permit
or combined license is issued
• Scope of construction activities
62
NUET 1000 Module 1
The Nuclear Renaissance
• July 2009 SNC/ATC Partnership
• Nuclear Uniform Curriculum Program (NUCP)
NLO, I&C, Mechanical & Electrical
Maintenance tracks
• 1st NET commenced on September 27, 2010
• Spring 2012 first graduating class
63
NUET 1000 Module 1
The Nuclear Renaissance – Vogtle 3&4 Ground-breaking
Sequence
• Notice to proceed on the expansion at Plant Vogtle.
• Excavation had begun prior to August 2009
• August 2006 --- Filed Early Site Permit (ESP) application
• March 2008 --- Filed license application
• April 2008 --- Signed contract with Westinghouse-Shaw consortium
• August 2008 --- Filed resource plan with Georgia Public Service
Commission
• March 2009 --- Public Service Commission decision on certification
• 2009 --- Vogtle 3&4 Groundbreaking
• December 2011 --- NRC decision on plant license
• 2016 --- Commercial operation for Unit 3
64
• 2017 --- Commercial operation for Unit 4
~ BREAK ~
NUET 1000 Module 1
BASIC NUCLEAR REACTOR
TYPES AND
DESCRIPTIONS
NUET 1000 Module 1
COMPETENCIES
2. Identify common reactor designs to include: BWR,
PWR, HTGR
SUBCOMPETENCIES
i. Show major components for each reactor type
on a simplified diagram, to include
ALWR (ABWR & APWR) and HTGR (Pebble
Bed HG Reactor)
ii. Demonstrate a knowledge of the basic flow
paths for each power reactor type, to include:
BWR, PWR, HTGR
67
NUET 1000 Module 1
Reactor Designs
There are 3 reactor designs commonly
used for commercial nuclear power in the
United States and Western Europe:
• Boiling Water Reactor
• Pressurized Water Reactor
• High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor
NUET 1000 Module 1
Pressurized Water Reactor Power Plant
NUET 1000 Module 1
Pressurized Water Reactor Power Plant
© 2009 Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Inc. All rights reserved.
Pressurized Water Reactor Overview
Primary Loop
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Pressurized Water Reactor Overview
Secondary Loop
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Pressurized Water Reactor Overview
Circulatory Loop
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Pressurized Water Reactor Overview
Electrical Production
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Pressurized Water Reactor Overview
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NUET 1000 Module 1
Pressurized Water Reactor Power Plant
View an Animated Image of the
AP1000 Advanced Pressurized
Water Reactor
NUET 1000 Module 1
AP1000 Advantages
• 50% fewer safety related valves
• 80% less safety related piping
• 85% less control cable
• 35% fewer pumps
• 45% less seismic building volume
• Pre-Approved Design, no changes
77
NUET 1000 Module 1
AP1000 Advantages
• Passive core cooling system
• Passive containment cooling system
• Lower cost to build
• Smaller “footprint”
• Quicker construction
78
NUET 1000 Module 1
Boiling Water Reactor Power Plant
Plant Hatch Power Station Diagram
79
NUET 1000 Module 1
Boiling Water Reactor Power Plant
View an Animated Image of
a Boiling Water Reactor
NUET 1000 Module 1
High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor
New Design HTG Reactor – Pebble Bed
What is a Pebble Bed Reactor?
• 360,000 pebbles in core
• about 3,000 pebbles
handled in FHS every day
• about 350 pebbles discarded
daily
• one pebble discharged every
30 seconds
• average pebble cycles
through core 15 times
• fuel-handling most intensive
part of plant
NUET 1000 Module 1
New Design HTG Reactor – Pebble Bed
http://web.mit.edu/pebble-bed
/
NUET 1000 Module 1
Resources:
Additional information available at:
BWR http://www.acme-nuclear.com/Manual.htm
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/basic-ref/glossary.html
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/basic-ref/students.html
Modular Pebble Bed Reactor
NUET 1000 Module 1
History of Nuclear Technology
& Reactor Designs
<<<REVIEW>>>
Questions ?
84
NUET 1000 Module 1
History of Nuclear Technology
& Reactor Designs
Questions
What % of the US total electrical output is from nuclear
reactors?
Over 20%
What about the world’s total electrical output is from
nuclear reactors?
~ 14%
85
NUET 1000 Module 1
History of Nuclear Technology
& Reactor Designs
What are the advantages does
the new AP1000 design
present?
86
NUET 1000 Module 1
History of Nuclear Technology
& Reactor Designs
AP1000 Advantages
• 50% fewer safety related valves
• 80% less safety related piping
• 85% less control cable
• 35% fewer pumps
• 45% less seismic building volume
• Pre-Approved Design, no changes
87
NUET 1000 Module 1
AP1000 Advantages
• Passive core cooling system
• Passive containment cooling system
• Lower cost to build
• Smaller “footprint”
• Quicker construction
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