The need to reduce carbon emissions has brought the debate over nuclear power to a head. Is it, as its detractors say, expensive, dangerous and inflexible? Or is it an opportunity to invest in a long term large-scale electricity source that will help win the battle against climate change? This book is an accessible primer on how nuclear power works, examining its costs and benefits as part of an electricity supply system, as well as the nuclear power industry's operating record.Also available:Embedded Generation - ISBN 9780852967744Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) - ISBN 9780852967713The Institution of Engineering and Technology is one of the world's leading professional societies for the engineering and technology community. The IET publishes more than 100 new titles every year; a rich mix of books, journals and magazines with a back catalogue of more than 350 books in 18 different subject areas including: -Power & Energy -Renewable Energy -Radar, Sonar & Navigation -Electromagnetics -Electrical Measurement -History of Technology -Technology Management
Author(s): J. Wood
Year: 2007
Language: English
Pages: 256
Contents......Page 6
1.1.1 ‘Rays’ from uranium......Page 12
1.1.2 Inside the nucleus......Page 13
1.1.4 Absorption and fission......Page 15
1.2 Exploiting the fission process......Page 17
1.2.2 Making plutonium......Page 18
1.2.3 Controlling the reaction......Page 19
1.2.5 Building the pile......Page 20
1.2.6 Controlling the reaction......Page 21
1.2.7 The British Programme......Page 22
1.3 After the war......Page 23
1.3.1 Early reactor designs......Page 24
1.4 From research to industry......Page 28
2.1 Production reactors......Page 30
2.2.1 Magnox reactor......Page 31
2.2.2 Advanced gas reactor......Page 36
2.2.3 RBMK (high-power channel reactor)......Page 38
2.2.4 High-temperature gas reactor......Page 39
2.3.1 Pressurised-water reactor......Page 40
2.3.2 The USSR’s PWR – the VVER......Page 42
2.3.3 Boiling-water reactor......Page 45
2.4.1 Canadian deuterium uranium reactor......Page 48
2.4.3 Steam-generating heavy-water reactor......Page 49
2.5.1 Early designs......Page 50
2.5.2 Superphénix......Page 52
2.6 New generations......Page 53
3.1 Defence in depth......Page 56
3.2 Windscale, 7 October 1957......Page 58
3.2.1 Accident sequence......Page 59
3.2.2 Immediate causes of the accident......Page 61
3.3.1 Plant description......Page 63
3.3.2 Accident sequence......Page 64
3.3.3 Health effects......Page 66
3.4 Chernobyl, 26 April 1986......Page 67
3.4.1 The test......Page 69
3.4.2 Examining the accident......Page 71
3.4.3 After-effects of the accident......Page 72
3.4.4 Radiological contamination......Page 73
3.4.5 Remediation on the reactor site......Page 74
4 Operating experience......Page 76
4.1 Improving plant performance......Page 78
4.2 Ageing and maintenance......Page 82
4.2.1 Steam generator replacement......Page 84
4.4 Instrumentation and control......Page 88
4.5 Life limits......Page 90
4.7 Uprating......Page 91
5.2 Mining uranium......Page 94
5.2.1 Conventional mining......Page 96
5.2.2 In situ leaching......Page 99
5.3 Conversion......Page 100
5.5 Gaseous diffusion......Page 101
5.7 Fuel fabrication......Page 102
5.9 Fuel pin construction......Page 103
5.10 Future sources of uranium......Page 104
5.10.1 Assessing the estimates......Page 106
5.10.2 When to decide?......Page 107
5.11 Managing spent fuel......Page 108
5.11.1 Developments of PUREX......Page 109
5.11.2 The once-through cycle......Page 110
5.11.3 Waste management......Page 112
5.12 Life cycle analysis......Page 114
6.2 Regulated and unregulated businesses......Page 118
6.3 Nuclear issues......Page 120
6.3.1 Waste liability......Page 122
6.3.2 The UK approach to waste......Page 123
6.3.3 Unquantifiable costs......Page 124
6.3.5 The end of expansion......Page 128
6.3.7 Nuclear Electric......Page 131
6.3.8 Nuclear Electric to British Energy......Page 133
6.3.9 British Energy in the private sector......Page 134
6.3.10 What went wrong?......Page 136
6.3.11 2002–2003: summarising the year......Page 139
7 A new nuclear programme for the UK?......Page 142
7.1 Renewables Obligation......Page 143
7.2 The gap ahead......Page 144
7.3 A different paradigm......Page 146
7.5 What type of capacity?......Page 148
7.6 The economics of operation......Page 151
7.7 Filling the supply gap......Page 152
7.8 The economics of nuclear power......Page 153
7.9 Types of support......Page 157
7.10 What are the choices?......Page 158
7.11 New designs on offer to the UK......Page 159
8.1 The Sizewell design......Page 162
8.2 European pressurised-water reactor......Page 165
8.2.1 Construction schedule......Page 166
8.2.2 Operation, maintenance and services......Page 167
8.2.4 Safety systems......Page 168
8.2.5 Primary system......Page 169
8.3.1 Passive safety......Page 174
8.3.4 Load following......Page 176
8.3.5 Reactor coolant system......Page 177
8.3.8 Pressuriser......Page 178
8.4.1 Maintenance and operation......Page 179
8.4.2 Instrumentation and control......Page 180
8.5 Advanced CANDU reactor......Page 182
8.6.2 Pebble-bed modular reactor......Page 183
8.6.3 4S......Page 184
8.6.4 Gas turbine-modular helium reactor......Page 185
9.1 Generation IV......Page 186
9.2.1 R&D scope......Page 188
9.2.2 Technology base......Page 189
9.2.4 Fuel cycle R&D......Page 190
9.3 Lead-cooled fast reactor......Page 191
9.3.2 Fuels and materials R&D......Page 192
9.3.3 Safety R&D......Page 193
9.4 Molten-salt reactor......Page 194
9.4.1 Technology base......Page 195
9.5 Sodium-cooled fast reactor......Page 197
9.5.1 Technology base......Page 198
9.5.2 Reactor systems R&D......Page 199
9.6 Supercritical-water-cooled reactor......Page 200
9.6.1 Technology base......Page 201
9.6.3 Design and evaluation......Page 203
9.7 Very-high-temperature reactor......Page 204
9.7.2 Technology gaps......Page 205
9.7.3 Fuel cycle......Page 208
10.1 The theory of fusion......Page 210
10.2 The goal......Page 211
10.3.1 Conditions for the reaction......Page 213
10.4 Fusion parameters......Page 214
10.5.2 Joint European Torus......Page 217
10.5.3 Small tight-aspect ratio tokamak......Page 221
10.5.4 Mega amp spherical tokamak......Page 222
10.5.5 The way ahead......Page 223
10.6 The cost of fusion power......Page 228
10.7 Following ITER......Page 229
Glossary......Page 232
Further reading......Page 242
Index......Page 244
