The Technology of Pressurized Water Reactors: From the Nautilus to the EPR, Volume 1: History of PWRs and Primary Circuit

Acknowledgements
Other Publications
Contents
1 History of the Pressurized Water Reactor
1.1 How to Produce Steam?
1.1.1 Steam Boilers: A Review
1.1.2 Boiler Accidents
1.2 The Beginnings of Water Use in the Nuclear Industry
1.3 The Naval Reactors
1.3.1 Naval Reactors in USA
1.3.1.1 The First Submarine Reactors
1.3.1.2 The Cargo NS Savannah
1.3.2 Naval or Transportable Reactors in the USSR
1.3.2.1 Nuclear Submarines
1.3.2.1.1 The K-3 (Project 627)
1.3.2.1.2 Evolution of Russian Reactors
1.3.2.1.3 Fast Neutron Reactors
1.3.2.1.4 The New Class of SSBN Boreï-A
1.3.2.2 The Lenin Icebreaker
1.3.2.3 The TES-3
1.3.3 Naval Reactors in France
1.3.4 Naval Reactors in the World
1.4 Shippingport (USA)
1.4.1 General Information
1.4.2 Primary and Secondary Circuits
1.4.3 Auxiliary Circuits
1.4.4 The Reactor Vessel
1.4.5 The Nuclear Core and its Fuel
1.4.6 The Control Rods Drive Mechanism
1.4.7 The Breeding Core Using Thorium
1.4.8 Operating the Plant
1.4.9 Safety Aspects
1.4.10 Waste Management
1.5 Indian Point: The First Thorium Reactor (USA)
1.6 The Yankee Rowe Atomic plant (USA)
1.7 The Army Package Power Reactor SM1 (USA)
1.8 The “Mobile High Power 1A” (USA)
1.9 Submerged Reactors
1.10 The BR3 Reactor in Mol (Belgium)
1.11 The Enrico Fermi Reactor of Trino-Vercellese (Italy)
1.12 Tihange (Belgium)
1.13 Sizewell-B (Great-Britain)
1.14 The WWERs Reactor Type (Russia)
1.14.1 Generalities
1.14.2 The WWER-440
1.14.2.1 General Information
1.14.2.2 The Primary Circuit
1.14.2.3 The Vessel
1.14.2.4 The Core
1.14.2.5 Structure of Buildings
1.14.2.6 The Reactor Building
1.14.2.7 WWER 400s Worldwide
1.14.3 The WWER-1000
1.14.4 The WWER-1200
1.15 The French Fleet of PWRs
1.15.1 Chooz A/SENA (France)
1.15.1.1 General Information
1.15.1.2 CHOOZ-A (SENA) Figures of Merit (France)
1.15.1.3 The Incident of the Vessel Internals
1.15.1.4 The Turbine and Feed Water Plant
1.15.1.5 The R&D Program on Vessel Internals Vibrations
1.15.1.6 Brushing the Vessel
1.15.1.7 Decommissioning
1.15.2 The CP0 Standardized Plant
1.15.3 The CPY Standardized Plants
1.15.4 Standardized Plants P4 and P’4
1.15.5 The N4 Standardized Plant
1.15.6 Main Differences Between Standardized Plants
1.16 Plutonium Recycling
1.16.1 History of Plutonium Recycling in PWRs
1.16.2 Differences Between MOX and UOX
1.17 The REP2000 Project
1.17.1 The Increased Moderation Ratio Reactor
1.17.2 The Variable Spectrum Convertible Reactor
1.17.3 Towards Common European Specifications
1.17.4 Towards EPR
2 The Nuclear Island
2.1 Civil Engineering
2.2 The Nuclear Island
2.2.1 General Considerations
2.2.2 Evolution of the Nuclear Island
2.3 The Reactor Building
2.3.1 The Main Components of Reactor Building
2.3.2 The Sumps
2.4 The Containment
2.4.1 Design of the Containment
2.4.1.1 Construction of the Containment
2.4.1.2 Construction of the Inside of the Containment
2.4.2 French Containment Technology
2.4.2.1 Background
2.4.2.2 Evolution of French Containments
2.4.2.3 The Equipment Hatch (TAM)
2.4.2.4 The Containment Penetrations
2.4.2.4.1 Duct and Pipe Penetration
2.4.2.4.2 Electric Penetrations
2.4.2.5 The Containment Inner Liner
2.4.2.6 Mixing and Control of the Containment Atmosphere (ETY)
2.4.2.7 Ventilation of the Containment
2.4.2.8 Depression in the Annular Gap Between the Double-Wall Containments (EDE)
2.4.2.9 Leaks Through Concrete
2.4.2.10 Pressure Measurement in the Containment
2.4.2.11 Prestressing of Concrete
2.4.2.12 Seismic Protection
2.4.2.12.1 Anti-seismic Raft Pads
2.4.2.12.2 Seismic Thrusts of the Vessel Pit
2.4.3 Failure Modes of the Containment
2.4.4 Protection of the Containment
2.4.5 Ageing of the Containments
2.5 The Crane Bridge
2.6 The Reactor Building Pool
2.6.1 General Considerations
2.6.2 The COMABI Lift
2.6.3 The Cofferdam
2.6.4 The Fuel Loading Machine
2.6.5 Handling of Vessel Internals
2.7 The Fuel Building BK
2.7.1 Function of the Fuel Building (BK)
2.7.2 Spent Fuel Evacuation
2.7.3 Constitution of the Fuel Pool (BK) and Connection to the Reactor Pool
2.8 The Fuel Handling Chain
2.8.1 General Information
2.8.2 Constitution of the PMC
2.8.3 Reception of Fresh Fuel Assemblies
2.8.4 Disposal of Spent Fuel Assemblies
2.8.5 Repair of Damaged Assemblies
2.9 Contamination of the Plant by Hot Spots
2.10 Migrant Objects in Pools
2.11 The Nuclear Auxiliary Building BAN
2.12 The Control Room
3 The Primary Circuit
3.1 Generalities
3.2 Constitution of the Primary Circuit
3.2.1 The Main Components of the Primary Circuit
3.2.2 Primary Circuit Supports and Thrusts
3.2.3 Anti-swing or Self-locking Devices of the Primary Circuit
3.2.4 Nature of the Primary Circuit Steels
3.2.5 Primary Circuit Lining and Support
3.3 Secondary Circuit Heating
3.4 Temperature of the Primary Circuit
3.5 Primary Circuit Pressure
3.6 Primary Circuit Flowrate
3.7 Thermal Power of the Core
3.8 Chemistry of the Primary Circuit
3.8.1 General Considerations
3.8.2 The pH of the Primary Water
3.8.3 Boric Acid
3.8.4 The Lithium Hydroxide
3.8.5 Hydrazine
3.8.6 Hydrogen
3.8.7 Chemical Control of Primary Circuit Water
3.9 Activity of the Primary Circuit
3.10 The Accumulators
3.11 Primary Pumps
3.11.1 Short History of Pumps
3.11.2 General Information on Primary Pumps
3.11.3 Holding of Pump Frames
3.11.4 Description of the Primary Pumps
3.11.5 Sealing of Primary Pumps
3.11.6 Theoretical Aspects
3.11.7 Cavitation of Primary Pumps
3.11.8 Risk of Fire in Primary Pumps
3.11.9 Monitoring of Primary Pumps
3.11.10 Primary Low Flow Protection
3.11.11 Detailed Characteristics of a Primary Pump
3.12 The Pressurizer
3.12.1 General Presentation of the Pressurizer
3.12.2 Positioning of a Pressurizer
3.12.3 Operating a Pressurizer
3.12.3.1 General Considerations
3.12.3.2 Detailed Constitution of the Pressurizer
3.12.3.3 Pressurizer Heating
3.12.3.4 Pressurizer Penetrations
3.12.3.4.1 Description
3.12.3.4.2 Cracking of the pressurizer nozzles
3.12.4 The Pressurizer Discharge Tank (RDP)
3.12.5 The Protection Valves of the Pressurizer
3.12.5.1 Brief History of Boiler Protection Valves
3.12.5.2 The Protection Valves of the Pressurizer, Pre-1982 Design
3.12.5.3 SEBIM Valves, Post-1982 Design
3.12.5.4 The Case of the Solid-Head Screws: Gravelines-1
3.12.6 Pressurizer Spray
3.12.7 The Water Level in the Pressurizer
3.12.7.1 Principle
3.12.7.2 Theoretical Aspects
3.12.7.3 Pressure Level Thresholds
3.12.7.4 The Piston Effect
3.12.8 Temperature Measurement of the Pressurizer
3.12.9 Control of the Pressurizer
3.12.10 The Pressurizer Expansion Surge Line
3.12.11 Simplified Elements of Pressurizer Thermal-Hydraulics
3.12.12 Safety Aspects of the Pressurizer
3.12.13 Decontamination of the Pressurizer
3.13 Steam Generators (Primary Circuit Side)
3.13.1 The Different Models of Steam Generator
3.13.2 Manufacturing of Steam Generators
3.13.3 Positioning of the Steam Generators
3.13.4 Constitution of a Steam Generator
3.13.4.1 Steam Generator Body
3.13.4.2 The Tube Bundle
3.13.4.3 The Water Box
3.13.4.4 The Tube Plate
3.13.4.5 The Upper Bottom and the Cylindrical Shells
3.13.5 Stress Corrosion of Inconel
3.13.6 Characteristics of the French Steam Generators
3.13.7 Primary-Secondary Leakage
3.13.8 Control of Steam Generator Tubes
3.13.9 Replacement of a Steam Generator
3.13.9.1 General Considerations
3.13.9.2 Cutting and Replacement Technology for Steam Generators
3.13.9.3 The Paluel-2 Case
3.14 Taps and Thermal Sleeves
3.15 Primary Circuit Regulations
4 The Vessel and Its Internals
4.1 General Description of the Vessel
4.2 Handling of the Vessel
4.3 Manufacture of the Vessel
4.3.1 The Reactor Vessel
4.3.2 The Hot and Cold Leg Nozzles
4.3.3 Installation of the Vessel
4.4 Size of the Vessels
4.5 Support of the Vessel
4.6 Main Features of the Vessel
4.7 The Missile Shield Slab
4.8 The Anti-Seismic Slab
4.9 The Heat Insulation of the Vessel
4.10 The Neo-Boron Ring (CP0)
4.11 The Sealing Ring
4.12 The Vessel Seal
4.12.1 Installing the Vessel Seals
4.12.2 Protection of the Vessel Seal
4.13 The Vessel Dome
4.13.1 The Vessel Head
4.13.1.1 History
4.13.1.2 The Vessel Cover of the French Standardized Plants
4.13.1.2.1 Description
4.13.1.2.2 Access to the Vessel Cover
4.13.1.2.3 The Installation and Removal of the Vessel Cover
4.13.2 Thermal–Hydraulic Aspects of the Dome
4.13.3 The Penetrations of the Vessel Cover
4.13.3.1 Description
4.13.3.2 Cracking of the Adapters
4.13.3.3 Safety Analysis
4.14 The Core Barrel
4.15 Lower and Lateral Vessel Internals
4.15.1 General Considerations
4.15.2 The Lower Core Plate and the Core Support Plate
4.15.3 Lower Instrumentation Guides and Their Support
4.15.4 Secondary Support
4.15.5 Clevis and Sliding Keys
4.16 Upper Internals
4.16.1 The Support Plate for the Guide Tubes and Upper Internals Support Columns
4.16.2 The Upper Core Plate
4.16.3 The Control Rod Guides
4.16.4 Guide Tube Spindles
4.16.5 The Pins of the Upper Core Plate
4.16.6 The Hold-Down Spring
4.17 The By-Pass
4.18 The Core Baffle
4.18.1 Constitution and Role of the Core Baffle
4.18.2 Damage and Replacement of Core Baffle Screws
4.19 The Thermal Shield
4.20 Vessel Bottom Penetrations
4.21 The Vessel Monitoring Program
4.22 Water Level in the Vessel
4.23 Opening the Vessel for Unloading
4.24 In-Service Inspection of the Vessel
4.25 The Embrittlement of Steels Under Irradiation
4.25.1 Position of the Problem
4.25.2 Vessel Thermal Annealing
5 The Core, the Fuel and the Instrumentation
5.1 Loading/Unloading the Reactor
5.2 The Active Core
5.3 The Nuclear Fuel
5.3.1 An Overview of the History of PWR Fuel in France
5.3.2 Fuel Rod Technology
5.3.2.1 General Considerations
5.3.2.2 The Zircaloy Cladding
5.3.2.3 Burnable Poisons
5.3.3 Assembly Technology
5.3.3.1 General Considerations
5.3.3.2 Grids
5.3.3.3 End Caps and Assembly Top Nozzle
5.3.3.4 The Active Length
5.3.4 The MOX Fuel
5.3.5 Fixed Poisons
5.3.6 Gadolinium Poison
5.3.7 Fuel Rod Leakage
5.4 The Control Rod Drive Mechanism (RGL)
5.4.1 Background
5.4.2 Operating Principle of the Control Rods
5.4.2.1 Neutronics of Control Rods
5.4.2.2 Constitution of the Control Rod Banks
5.4.3 Control Rod Drive Mechanism
5.4.3.1 The Control Rod Drive Housing
5.4.3.2 Control Rod Drive and Spider
5.4.3.3 Moving the Control Rod
5.4.3.4 Locking and Unlocking Control Rod Drives
5.4.4 Control Rod Drive Guidance
5.4.5 Power Supply for Control Rod Mechanisms
5.4.6 Cooling of the Mechanisms of the Control Rod Drives
5.4.7 Control Rod Structure
5.4.7.1 SIC Black Rods
5.4.7.2 Grey Control Rods
5.4.7.3 Hybrid Control Rods
5.4.7.4 Thimble Plug Cluster
5.4.7.5 Unmovable Control Rod
5.4.8 Control Rod Bank Step Counting System
5.4.8.1 Instrumentation
5.4.8.2 The Parameter P(1)
5.4.8.3 Overlaps
5.4.8.4 Maximum Operating Insertion
5.4.8.5 Integrated Overlap
5.4.8.6 The Half Step
5.4.8.7 Cumulative Extracted Steps
5.4.9 Layout of the Rod Banks
5.4.10 Partial Control Rod Clusters
5.4.11 Control Rod Wear
5.4.12 Automatic Reactor Shutdown
5.4.13 Control Rod Mechanism Failures
5.4.14 Assembly Distortion and Rod Drop
5.5 Start-Up Neutron Sources
5.5.1 Primary Neutron Sources
5.5.2 Secondary Neutron Sources
5.5.3 Spontaneous Fission Sources
5.6 Reactor Monitoring
5.6.1 The RIC System
5.6.1.1 Operating Principle of a Mobile Fission Chamber
5.6.1.2 Introduction of CFMs into the Core
5.6.1.3 Flux Thimble Finger Rupture
5.6.1.4 Use of CFM Signals
5.6.2 Test Cycles with Collectrons
5.6.3 In-Core Instrumentation of the EPR
5.6.3.1 Aeroball Instrumentation
5.6.3.2 Fixed Internal Instrumentation of the EPR
5.6.3.2.1 Cobalt Collectrons
5.6.4 External Neutron Flux Chambers
5.6.4.1 Principle of Boron Deposition Chambers
5.6.4.2 Use of External Chambers
5.6.4.2.1 Source and Intermediate Chambers
5.6.4.2.2 Power Chambers
5.6.4.3 Access to the RPN Pits
5.6.5 Thermocouples
5.6.5.1 Description
5.6.5.2 Thermocouple Sealing
5.6.5.3 Radial Tilt Measurement
5.6.5.4 Thermocouple Failures
5.6.6 The KIT Computer
5.7 Fuel Management
5.8 Finding the Fuel Loading Pattern
5.8.1 Background
5.8.2 Méthodology
5.8.3 Automatic Search for Fuel Loading Patterns
6 The Secondary Circuit and the Cold Source
6.1 General Considerations
6.2 Functional Description
6.3 Evolution of the French Secondary Circuits
6.4 Chemical Conditioning of Secondary Water
6.4.1 General Considerations
6.4.2 Chemical Conditioning of the Water for Steam Generators
6.5 Mechanical Erosion in the Secondary Circuit
6.6 Corrosion-Erosion of the Secondary Circuit
6.6.1 General Considerations
6.6.2 Chemical Aspects of Corrosion-Erosion
6.7 The Steam Generator on the Secondary Side
6.7.1 General Information on the Secondary Side Steam Generator
6.7.1.1 Geometry and Constitution
6.7.1.2 SG Feed Water Injection
6.7.1.3 Swirl-Vane Moisture Separators
6.7.1.4 Steam Dryers
6.7.2 Water Level in the Steam Generator
6.7.2.1 Steam Generator Level Behavior
6.7.2.2 Steam Generator Water Level Control
6.7.3 Steam Generator Safety Valves and Relief Valves
6.7.4 The APG Steam Generator Purge System
6.7.5 Thermal–Hydraulic Elements of a Steam Generator
6.7.6 Corrosion of SG Tubes on the Secondary Side
6.7.7 Primary-Secondary Leakage
6.7.8 Introduction of Raw Water to the Secondary Circuit
6.8 The Turbine Generator Group (Steam Aspects)
6.8.1 General Considerations
6.8.2 Turbine Control
6.8.3 Average Temperature Control by Turbine Bypass
6.9 Dryer-Superheaters
6.9.1 Principle of Dryer-Superheaters
6.9.2 Construction of a Dryer-Superheater
6.9.3 Evolution of Dryer-Superheaters
6.9.4 Control of Dryer-Superheater
6.9.5 Protection of Dryer-Superheaters
6.10 Valves and Fittings
6.10.1 General Considerations
6.10.2 The Different Types of Taps
6.11 The Condenser
6.11.1 Basic Thermodynamic Considerations
6.11.2 Condenser Functions
6.11.3 Condenser Technology
6.11.3.1 Construction Principles.
6.11.3.2 Inside the Condenser
6.11.3.2.1 The tube bundle
6.11.3.2.2 The Letdown Chamber
6.11.3.2.3 The Extraction of Feed Water from the Condenser
6.11.3.2.4 Extraction of Raw Water from the Condenser
6.11.3.2.5 Effect of Vacuum on the Internals of the Condenser
6.11.4 Vacuum in the Condenser
6.11.4.1 Why Lower the Condenser Pressure?
6.11.4.2 Degassing of Non-condensables
6.11.4.3 Ejector Technology
6.11.4.4 Vacuum Pump Technology
6.11.4.5 Detailed Design of the CVI Condenser Vacuum Circuit
6.11.4.5.1 Starting ejectors
6.11.4.5.2 Vacuum Pumps
6.11.4.5.3 The Ejector Recompression Set
6.11.4.5.4 The Surface Condenser
6.11.4.6 The ‘Vacuum Weight’ in the Condenser
6.11.4.7 Condenser Vacuum Loss
6.11.5 Condenser Control
6.11.6 Turbine Bypass to the Condenser
6.11.7 Physical Principle of the Condenser
6.11.8 Setting the Condenser Level
6.11.9 Raw Water Inlet into the Condenser
6.11.10 Condenser Fires
6.11.11 Continuous Condenser Cleaning
6.12 Turbine Bypass
6.12.1 General Considerations
6.12.2 Alignment
6.12.3 GCTa Atmospheric Steam Dump
6.12.4 Bypassing the Turbine in House-Load Operation
6.13 Condenser Extraction Pumps (CEX)
6.13.1 Function and Use
6.13.2 Description
6.14 Feed Water Reheaters
6.14.1 Function
6.14.2 Nature of the Heaters
6.14.3 The Low-Pressure Station (ABP)
6.14.3.1 CP0 Low-Pressure Reheaters
6.14.3.2 Low-Pressure Heaters of CP1
6.14.3.3 CP2 Low-Pressure Heaters
6.14.3.4 P4 and P’4 Low-Pressure Heaters
6.14.4 The High-Pressure Station (AHP)
6.14.5 Sizing of Heat Exchangers-Reheaters
6.14.6 Heater Operation and Control
6.15 The TPA Feeding Tank and the ADG Degasser
6.15.1 Function
6.15.2 Technology
6.15.3 The Feeding Tank or TPA Tank
6.16 Feed Water Turbo-Pumps
6.16.1 Function of the Feed Water Turbo-Pumps
6.16.2 Turbo-Pump Technology
6.16.2.1 The Booster Pump
6.16.2.2 The Speed Reducer
6.16.2.3 The Steam Turbine
6.16.2.4 The Main Feed Water Pump
6.16.2.5 Filters
6.16.3 Physics of Feed Water Turbo-Pumps
6.16.4 Speed Control of Feed Water Turbo-Pumps
6.17 The Cold Source
6.17.1 General Considerations
6.17.2 Definition of Cold Source Systems
6.17.2.1 Raw Water Intake Systems
6.17.2.2 Circulation Water Discharge
6.17.2.3 Raw Water Treatment
6.17.2.3.1 Scaling
6.17.2.3.2 Corrosion
6.17.2.3.3 Dirt Deposits
6.17.3 Air Coolers
6.17.3.1 General Considerations
6.17.3.2 Elements of Air Cooler Theory
6.17.3.3 Air Coolers in Chinon
6.17.3.4 Specific Problems with Air Coolers
6.17.4 Cold Source Loss
6.17.5 The SEU System: The Ultimate Cold Source
7 Main Circuits
7.1 General Considerations
7.2 The Volumetric and Chemical Control Circuit (RCV)
7.2.1 General Considerations
7.2.2 Normal Operation
7.2.2.1 Discharge
7.2.2.2 Charge
7.2.2.3 The RCV Tank
7.2.2.4 Borication-Dilution Function
7.2.2.5 Purification and Filtration
7.2.2.5.1 General considerations
7.2.2.5.2 Physical Chemistry of Ion Exchange Resins
7.2.2.5.3 Mixed Bed Resins
7.2.2.5.4 The Cationic Column
7.2.2.6 Boron Removal Function (Deborication)
7.2.2.7 Primary Circuit Filling Function
7.2.2.8 Primary Pump Seal Water Circuit
7.2.2.9 Hydrogenation Function
7.2.2.10 Degassing
7.2.2.11 The Regenerative Exchanger
7.2.3 Incidental Operation
7.2.3.1 Incidents on the Discharge Line
7.2.3.2 Incidents on the Charging Line
7.2.3.3 External Incidents
7.2.4 RCV Protection System
7.3 The Boron Water Makeup Circuit (REA)
7.4 Residual Heat Removal Circuit (RRA)
7.4.1 Principle
7.4.2 RRA Rescue
7.4.3 Constitution of the RRA
7.4.4 Connecting the RRA with the RCV
7.4.5 Connecting the RRA with the PTR
7.4.6 RRA Cooling Transient
7.4.7 RRA Heat-Up Transient
7.4.8 Using the RRA During a Cold Shutdown
7.4.9 The Low Water Level in Hot Leg-RRA Connected Situation (PTB-RRA)
7.4.9.1 Principle
7.4.9.2 The Prairie Island Incident
7.4.9.3 The Bugey Incident
7.4.10 Thermal Cycling of the RRA
7.5 Safety Injections (RIS)
7.5.1 Principle and Generalities
7.5.2 Constitution of the RIS
7.5.3 High Pressure Safety Injection (CP0 and CPY Standardized Plant)
7.5.3.1 Background
7.5.3.2 Constitution of the RIS-HP
7.5.4 Accumulator Tanks (All Standardized Plants)
7.5.5 Medium-Pressure Safety Injection (P4 and Later)
7.5.6 Low Pressure Safety Injection (All Standardized Plants)
7.5.7 RIS Engagement During a Depressurization Scenario
7.5.7.1 Case of CP0 and CPY Standardized Plants
7.5.7.2 Case of Standardized Plants from P4
7.5.8 The RIB Cartridge (CPY)
7.5.9 Engagement of the RIS
7.5.10 RIS Leakage
7.6 The Intermediate Refrigeration Circuit (RRI)
7.6.1 Generalities
7.6.2 Constitution and Uses
7.7 The Nuclear Sampling Circuit (REN)
7.8 The Purge and Vent System (RPE)
7.9 The Main Steam Circuit (VVP)
7.9.1 Principle
7.9.2 Description of the VVP
7.9.3 Steam Pipe Support
7.9.4 Protected Pipe Sections
7.9.5 Steam Line Isolation
7.9.6 Steam Generator Safety Valves
7.9.7 Discharge Valve Silencer
7.10 Turbine Bypass (GCT)
7.11 Atmospheric Steam Dump (GCTa)
7.11.1 Generalities
7.11.2 Atmospheric Steam Dump Valves
7.12 The Steam Generator Feed Water System (ARE)
7.12.1 Principle
7.12.2 Description of the ARE
7.12.3 Supporting Feed Water Pipes
7.13 The Steam Generator Emergency Water Supply (ASG)
7.13.1 Principle
7.13.2 Constitution of the ASG
7.13.3 Engagement of the ASG
7.13.4 Safety Function of the ASG
7.14 The Containment Spray Circuit (EAS)
7.14.1 Principle
7.14.2 Constitution of the EAS
7.14.3 Cooling and Soda Injection
7.14.4 Operation
7.14.5 Periodic Testing of EAS Lines
7.14.6 Spray Efficiency
7.15 The Pool Refrigeration and Purification System (PTR)
7.15.1 Function
7.15.2 Different Operating States of the PTR
7.15.2.1 The Normal Operating Regime
7.15.2.2 Special Permanent Regimes
7.15.2.3 Filling the Reactor Pool
7.15.2.4 Refueling
7.15.2.5 Draining the Reactor Pool
7.15.2.6 Emptying and Filling the Transfer Compartment
7.15.3 Incidents on the PTR Circuit
7.15.3.1 Loss of RRI
7.15.3.2 Loss of Cooling Pumps
7.15.3.3 Lack of Tension
7.16 Treatment of Effluents
7.16.1 Generalities
7.16.2 Effluent Pathway
7.16.3 General Information on Effluent Treatment Devices
7.16.3.1 Liquid Filters
7.16.3.2 Degassers
7.16.3.3 Demineralizers
7.16.3.4 Evaporators
7.16.3.5 Ventilation Filters for Gases
7.16.3.6 Iodine Traps
7.16.4 Primary Circuit Effluent Treatment (TEP)
7.16.4.1 Function
7.16.4.2 Constitution
7.16.4.3 TEP Degasser
7.16.4.4 The TEP Evaporator
7.16.4.5 Operating Plant
7.16.4.6 Shutdown Plant
7.16.4.7 Liquid Radioactive Discharges
7.16.5 Treatment of Gaseous Effluents (TEG)
7.16.5.1 Generalities
7.16.5.2 Function
7.16.5.3 Constitution
7.16.5.4 Gaseous Radioactive Release
7.16.6 Used Effluent Treatment (TEU)
7.16.6.1 Generalities
7.16.6.2 Operation
7.16.7 Solid Effluent Treatment (TES)
7.16.8 Secondary Circuit Effluent Treatment
7.16.8.1 Steam Generator Blowdown (APG)
7.16.8.2 Feed Water and Condensate Plant Purge (SEK)
7.16.9 Reinjection of Effluent into the Reactor Building in an Accident Situation
7.17 Ventilation (EVF, EVC, EBA, ETY, DVN)
7.17.1 Generalities
7.17.2 Function
7.17.3 Description of the EVF Circuit
7.17.4 Description of the EVC Circuit
7.17.5 ETY Circuit Description
7.17.6 The Ventilation of the BAN (DVN)
7.18 Containment Gap Pressure Drop (EDE)
7.19 Depressurization of Mobile Protective Shelters
7.20 Demineralized Water Production (SDP)
7.21 The Demineralized Water Circuit (SED, SER)
7.22 The Chilled Water Circuit (DEG)
7.23 Compressed Air (SAP, SAT, SAR)
7.24 The Computerized Control System (KIC, KIT, TCI)
7.24.1 General Information on Computerized Control
7.24.2 KIC Objectives
7.25 Circuit Trigrams
8 The Turbine-Alternator Set and the Electricity Production
8.1 General Information on Electricity Generation
8.1.1 Brief History of the French Pre-nuclear Grid
8.1.2 The Modern French Grid and the Risks Involved
8.1.3 Nuclear Energy Supply
8.1.3.1 General Considerations
8.1.3.2 Energy Supply to the Nuclear Island
8.2 The Turbine Building
8.3 The Turbine
8.3.1 Generalities
8.3.2 Brief History of Power Turbines
8.3.2.1 Evolution of Turbine Power
8.3.2.2 The ALSTOM Epic
8.3.2.3 EDF’s Post-war Action
8.3.2.4 The ARABELLE Turbine
8.3.3 Description of a Turbine
8.3.3.1 General Information on the Turbine
8.3.3.2 Diaphragm, Vanes and Bandages
8.3.3.3 The Rotor
8.3.3.4 The Stator
8.3.3.5 Bearings
8.3.3.6 Turning Gears
8.3.3.7 Steam Inlet Valves
8.3.3.8 General Information on HP Bodies and LP Bodies
8.3.3.9 The CP1 Plant Turbine
8.3.3.10 The CP2 Plant Turbine
8.3.3.11 The P4 and P’4 Plant Turbine
8.3.3.12 The N4 Plant Turbine
8.3.3.13 General Information on Turbine Casing Sealing
8.3.3.14 Principle of the Turbine Steam Inlet
8.3.4 Turbine Performance
8.3.4.1 Concept of the Thermodynamic Cycle
8.3.4.2 The Hirn Cycle with an Intermediate Superheat and Discrete Steam Extractions
8.3.4.3 Application to a Nuclear Reactor Turbine
8.3.5 Fluid Letdown in the Turbine
8.3.6 Erosion in the Turbine
8.3.7 Opening the Flow of a Turbine
8.3.8 Turbine Control
8.3.8.1 Frequency Control
8.3.8.2 Secondary Remote Control
8.3.9 Turbine Blade Failure
8.3.10 Turbine Shaft Failure
8.4 The Alternator
8.4.1 Generalities
8.4.2 The Alternator Rotor
8.4.3 The Alternator Stator
8.5 Power Transformers
8.5.1 Generalities
8.5.2 The Main Power Transformer
8.5.3 The Stepdown Transformer
8.5.4 The Auxiliary Transformer
8.5.5 Noise Disturbance
8.6 Auxiliary Power Supply
8.6.1 Generalities
8.6.2 Power Supply to 6.6 kV Switchboards
8.6.3 Power Supply for 380 V AC Switchboards
8.6.4 Power Supply for 125 V DC Switchboards
8.6.5 Power Supply for 48 V DC Switchboards
8.6.6 Power Supply for 220 V AC Switchboards
8.6.7 Power Supply for 30 V DC Switchboards
8.7 Emergency Power Generators
8.7.1 Function of Diesel Generators
8.7.2 Commitment Criteria
8.7.3 Basic Design and Qualification
8.7.4 900 MWe Plant Diesel Units
8.7.5 Diesel Units for the 1300 MWe Plants
8.7.6 Diesel Units for the 1450 MWe Plants
8.7.7 Feedback
8.7.8 Exceptional Use Generators
8.7.9 The Ultimate Supply Diesel (DUS)
8.8 An Example of Power Loss: Dampierre-3 (2007)
9 Pressurized Water Reactors of the Twenty-First Century
9.1 The AP1000® (USA)
9.1.1 The Nuclear Island
9.1.2 The Reactor Building
9.1.3 The Primary Circuit
9.1.4 The Vessel
9.1.5 The Core
9.1.6 The Cooling of the Spent Fuel Pool
9.2 The Hualong-One (China)
9.2.1 Introduction
9.2.2 The Nuclear Island
9.2.3 The Primary Circuit
9.2.4 The Vessel
9.2.5 The Core
9.2.6 Safeguard Systems
9.2.6.1 Auxiliary Feed Water Supply for Steam Generators (ASG)
9.2.6.2 Safety Injections
9.2.6.3 Passive Residual Power Cooling System (ASP)
9.2.6.4 Passive and Active Containment Cooling Systems (EHR)
9.2.6.5 Reflooding of the Vessel Pit
9.2.6.6 Additional Active Cooling of Heat Sources in the Reactor Building and Fuel Building (ECS)
9.3 The European Pressurized Reactor (France)
9.3.1 The Nuclear Island
9.3.2 Safeguard Systems
9.3.3 The Vessel and Internals
9.3.4 The Reactor Core
9.3.5 The Heavy Reflector
9.3.6 The Core Instrumentation
9.3.7 The 4-Train Principle
9.3.8 Removal of the Steam Generator Feeding Turbo-Pumps
9.3.9 The Core Catcher
Conclusion
Annex 1: Dictionary, Acronyms and Abbreviations
Annex 2: Performance of the French Fleet’s Nuclear Plants
Annex 3: Regulatory Aspects of Pressure Vessels
References
Index