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This preliminary specification sheet summarizes the results of the FNR-300 Design set out at www.xylenepower.com > Nuclear Power
OVERVIEW:
The FNR-300 is a fast neutron reactor. A 20 m diameter primary sodium pool contains vertical fuel tubes that passively maintain a temperature of 460 degrees C. Heat is removed from this primary sodium pool via perimeter intermediate heat exchange bundles containing isolated and pumped NaK. The reactor thermal power is controlled by modulating the NaK flow rate through the intermediate heat exchange bundles. This heat is transferred to a low pressure nitrate salt loop and then to steam generators for electricity production.
PURPOSE:
Provide a modular power FNR with a thermal power output that is continuously variable from 80 MWt to 1000 MWt. Modules to be factory fabricated and truck/rail transportable. To the extent possible use existing readily available materials and technology.
REALESTATE:
Design the nuclear power plant for installation on a property 114 m X 114 m (one square city block) surrounded by 20 m wide perimeter roads. Hence the minimum site size including perimeter roads is 154 m X 154 m.
Reactor and Heat Exchange Gallery building footprint: 49 m X 49 m
Interior lane width between buildings: 10 m
Each FNR-300 needs 12 remote sites for its 50 m high remote cooling towers. Typically each such remote cooling tower site has a cooling tower with a base diameter of 25 m and needs a plot of land about 38 m X 38 m which is obtained by expropriating two adjacent urban residential lots, each 19 m X 38 m (62.3 ft X 124.6 ft)
If the property is vacant purchase of each such residential lot will likely cost about $1 million. Hence the vacant property cost for the remote cooling towers will be about $24 million. The vacant property value of the reactor site will likely be about another $18 million. In practical expropriation, due to demolition of existing structures, the total property acquisition cost for one FNR will likely be of the order of $100 million.
ADOPTED DIMENSIONAL STANDARDS:
PRIMARY SODIUM POOL DIAMETER: 20.0 m
PRIMARY SODIUM POOL DEPTH: 15.0 m
PRIMARY SODIUM PRESSURE: 101 kPa
PRIMARY SODIUM POOL WALL THICKNESS: 2.0 m
PRIMARY SODIUM SURFACE ELEVATION BELOW THE POOL DECK: 1.0 m
POOL DECK ELEVATION ABOVE GRADE = 2.0 m
FUEL TUBE LENGTH: 6.0 m
INTERMEDIATE HEAT EXCHANGE TUBE LENGTH: 6.0 m
NaK / SALT HEAT EXCHANGE TUBE LENGTH: 6.0 m
DISTANCE FROM BOTTOM OF PRIMARY SODIUM POOL FLOOR TO BOTTOM OF FIXED FUEL TUBES: 3.0 m
DISTANCE FROM BOTTOM OF PRIMARY SODIUM POOL TO TOP OF OPEN STEEL LATTICE: 1.5 m
OVERALL FUEL BUNDLE LENGTH: 8.00 m
MAXIMUM AIRLOCK INSIDE LENGTH: 10.0 m
MAXIMUM AIRLOCK OUTSIDE WIDTH: 2.0 m
FUEL BUNDLE LENGTH BELOW FUEL TUBES: 1.5 m
FUEL BUNDLE LENGTH ABOVE FUEL TUBES: 0.5 m
MOVABLE FUEL BUNDLE WITHDRAWAL DISTANCE: 1.1 m
MOVABLE FUEL BUNDLE SUPPORT PIPE MATERIAL: 6 inch schedule 160 pipe, 6.625 inch OD, 0.718 inch wall
FUEL TUBE OUTSIDE DIAMETER: 0.500 inch
FUEL TUBE CENTER TO CENTER DISTANCE: 0.625 inch
FUEL TUBE GRID: RECTANGULAR
MOVABLE FUEL BUNDLE MAXIMUM OUTSIDE DIMENSIONS: [19 X (5 / 8) inch ] X [19 X (5 / 8) inch]
FIXED FUEL BUNDLE MAXIMUM OUTSIDE DIMENSIONS: [23 X (5 / 8) inch] X [23 X (5 / 8) inch]
ACTUATOR BOTTOM PLATE SIZE: 10.625 inch X 10.625 inch
ACTUATOR STABILIZATION PLATE SIZE: 10.625 inch X 10.625 inch
INTERMEDIATE HEAT EXCHANGE MANIFOLD MAXIMUM DIAMETER: 1.00 m
RADIAL NaK PIPE SIZE: 12 inch SS, 12.750 inch OD, 0.375 inch wall
NaK INDUCTION PUMP BARREL SIZE: 16 inch SS, 16.000 inch OD, 0.375 inch wall
RADIAL NITRATE SALT PIPE SIZE: 8 inch, 8.625 inch OD, 0.322 inch wall
THICKNESS OF GAMMA RADIATION ABSORBING REINFORCED CONCRETE WALL: 1.0 m
PRIMARY SODIUM POOL SPACE: Octagonal 25 m face to face
CERAMIC FIBER WALL AND CEILING THICKNESS: 1.0 m
SERVICE SPACE THICKNESS: 1.0 m
PRIMARY SODIUM POOL ENCLOSURE OUTSIDE DIMENSIONS: 31 m X 31 m
FNR DOME ROOF PLAN VIEW OUTSIDE DIMENSIONS: 33 m X 33 m
HEAT EXCHNGE GALLERY WIDTH: 8.0 m
HEAT EXCHANGE GALLERY OUTSIDE WALL THICKNESS: 1.0 m
MAXIMUM FNR DOME HEIGHT ABOVE GRADE: 26.2 m
DOME MAXIMUM HEIGHT ABOVE SUPPORTING WALL: 6.5 m
SUPPORTING CONCRETE WALL HEIGHT ABOVE GRADE: 19.7 m
MAXIMUM FOUNDATION DEPTH BELOW GRADE: 19 m
MAXIMUM NATURAL DRAFT COOLING TOWER HEIGHT ABOVE GRADE: 50 m
DOME CONTAINED PRIMARY SODIUM FIRE SUPPRESSENT VOLUME:_______
GANTRY CRANE MAXIMUM RATED LOAD: 10 tonnes
FNR RATED ELECTRICAL POWER: 300 MWe
FNR GROSS THERMAL POWER: 1000 MWt
FNR FULL LOAD PRIMARY SODIUM DISCHARGE TEMPERATURE:
460 degrees C
MINIMUM FULL LOAD PRIMARY SODIUM RETURN TEMPERATURE:
375 degrees C______
FUEL BURNUP FRACTION / FUEL CYCLE:
~ 15%
FEATURES:
- High utilization of natural uranium
- Little long lived fuel waste
- No decommissioning waste
- Safe for urban installation and maintenance
- Urban district heating
- High availability due to many redundant heat transport and electricity generation paths
Metallic U-Pt-Zr core fuel rods, metallic U-Zr blanket fuel rods, primary sodium natural circulation, secondary NaK induction pump assisted natural circulation, passive high temperature fission reaction shutdown, two independent safety cold shutdown systems, no critical moving parts, 945 active fuel bundles, gamma ray emission, temperature and vertical position sensing for each movable fuel bundle, independent vertical position control for each movable fuel bundle, 8 to 16 independent secondary heat transport/electricity generation subsystems for high heat removal reliability, reactor site sufficiently above local flood level for certain exclusion of flood water from sodium, four independent on-site cooling towers for safety and minimum environmental impact, 12 remote cooling towers, overhead dome for resisting a missile atack.
MODULAR CONSTRUCTION:
Reactor is field assembled from truck transportable modules. A fuel bundle inside its biosafety transportation container can be transported by a conventional 18 wheel flat deck truck. Apart from the gantry crane components, all the steel beams and pipe sections are less than 15.8 in overall length for ease of transport. Deeep penetration stainless steel field welding is required to assemble the primary liquid sodium pool.
SITE:
Must have a bedrock base;
SITE:
Local water table must always be below the bottom of the primary sodium pool;
REACTOR SITE:
Must have sufficient elevation and natural drainage to ensure no possibility of flooding;
Must be architecturally suitable for siting of 4 X 50 m high dry cooling towers on site corners and 1 central 26.5 m high dome.
REMOTE SITES:
There must be 12 remote sites, each 38 m X 38 m for accommodating 50 m high remote cooling towers.
COOLING TOWERS:
Each cooling tower is 25 m in diameter at the base, 17 m in diameter at the throat, rised 50 m above grade and is served by 24 inch OD supply and return water pipes with variable speed pumped treated water and evaporation water flow control. Each cooling tower has variable air flow dampers for freeze protection.
PRIMARY COOLANT:
Pure liquid sodium
SECONDARY COOLANT:
NaK: 60% Na, 40% K by weight
TERTIARTY COOLANT:
Nitrate solar salt
TURBINE WORKING FLUID:
Pure steam
PRIMARY LIQUID SODIUM VOLUME:
~ 4712 m^3 less fuel tube, intermediate heat exchange and hollow steel ball volumes
PRIMARY LIQUID SODIUM MASS:
4712 m^3 X 0.927 tonne / m^3 = _______4368 tonnes
SECONDARY LIQUID NaK VOLUME:
~ 200 m^3__________
NET LIQUID SODIUM REQUIREMENT:
~ 4700 ________tonnes
REACTOR CORE ZONE HEIGHT:
~ 0.30 m to 0.60 m
REACTOR BLANKET TOP AND BOTTOM THICKNESS:
1.5 m - 1.8 m
REACTOR BLANKET EDGE RADIAL THICKNESS:
4 X 21 X (5 / 8) inch = 52.5 inch = 1.3335 m
COOLING ZONE RADIAL THICKNESS:
42 X (5 / 8) inch = 26.25 inch = 0.66675 m
FUEL TUBE ASSEMBLY MAXIMUM OUTSIDE DIAMETER:
16.6 m
CORE ZONE APPROXIMATE OUTSIDE DIAMETER:
16.6 m - 4.0 m = 12.6 m
GADOLINIUM NEUTRON ABSORPTION SKIRT DIMENSIONS:
Thickness ~ 4 mm _____
Height = ______
Bottom elevation above floor = _______
Diameter = 16.6 m
LIQUID SODIUM POOL THERMAL INSULATION:
Low density fire brick, 2.0 m thick
FIRE BRICK VOLUME REQUIREMENT:
Pi[((12 m)^2 X 18.0 m) - ((10 m)^2 X 16.0 m)]
= 3117 m^3
PRIMARY LIQUID SODIUM POOL SURFACE TEMPERATURE:
460 deg C at full load
LIQUID SODIUM POOL BOTTOM TEMPERATURE:
400 deg C at full load
PRIMARY LIQUID SODIUM CIRCULATION:
Natural circulation
PARASITIC PRIMARY SODIUM POOL HEAT LOSS VIA THERMAL CONDUCTION:
~ 0.13 MWt
CONDUCTED HEAT REMOVAL:
Forced air through 1 m wide air cooling channel underneath and around the primary sodium pool enclosure
Air cooled surface area of primary liquid sodium pool outer wall surface:
Pi [(12.0 m)^2 + 24 m (18.0 m)]
= Pi [12.0 m (48.0 m)]
= 1809.6 m^2
OUTER POOL WALL SURFACE HEAT FLUX:
= 130,000 W / 1809.6 m^2
= 71.8 W / m^2
RATED CORE FUEL TUBE WALL TEMPERATURE DROP:
8 C
FUEL TUBE INITIAL DIMENSIONS:
0.500 inch OD, 0.035 inch wall, 6.0 m long,
ID = 0.43 inch = 10.922 mm
FUEL TUBE DIAMETERS AT MAXIMUM PERMITTED 15% LINEAR SWELLING:
0.575 inch OD, 0.4945 inch ID
ACTIVE FUEL TUBE FILL:
1 core rod, 10 blanket rods
PASSIVE FUEL TUBE FILL:
12 blanket rods
FUEL TUBE GRID:
Square, 0.625 inch center to center
FUEL TUBE MATERIAL:
HT-9 (85% Fe + 12% Cr), Mn < 1.5%, C = 0, Ni = 0
FIXED FUEL BUNDLE:
fuel tubes + bottom grating + outer shroud + 4 outer corner girders
+ reinforcing diagonal plates + inlet filter + indicator tube
NUMBER OF FUEL TUBES PER FIXED FUEL BUNDLE:
384
NUMBER OF FUEL TUBES PER MOVABLE FUEL BUNDLE:
248
FIXED FUEL BUNDLE MASS:
~ 4 tonnes____
MOVABLE FUEL BUNDLE MASS:
~ 3 tonnes____
TOTAL NUMBER OF FUEL BUNDLE POSITIONS:
1689
NUMBER OF ACTIVE FUEL BUNDLES:
945
NUMBER OF PASSIVE FUEL BUNDLES:
516
NUMBER OF POTENTIAL COOLING FUEL BUNDLE POSITIONS:
1689 - 945 - 516 = 228
MINIMUM NUMBER OF COOLING FUEL BUNDLE POSITIONS REQUIRED FOR COOLING:
945 / 5 = 188.8 = 189
NUMBER OF MOVABLE ACTIVE FUEL BUNDLES:
464
NUMBER OF FIXED ACTIVE FUEL BUNDLES:
481
NUMBER OF ACTIVE FUEL TUBES:
481 (384) + 464(248) = 184,704 + 115,072
= 299,776 active fuel tubes
THERMAL LOAD / ACTIVE FUEL TUBE:
10^6 kWt / 299,776 active tubes = 3.336 kWt / active fuel tube
NUMBER OF CORE FUEL RODS / FNR:
1 rods / active fuel tube X 299,776 active tubes
= 299,776 core fuel rods
CORE FUEL ROD AT START OF FUEL CYCLE:
9 mm OD X 60 cm long, U-238 = 70%, Pu-239 = 20%, Zr = 10%
CORE FUEL BURN-UP:
15% / fuel cycle
CORE ROD ALLOY AT END OF FUEL CYCLE:
62.3% U-238, 12.7% Pu, 10% Zr, 15% fission products
INITIAL CORE ROD OD:
9.00 mm
INITIAL CORE ROD DENSITY:
16.006 gm / cm^3
INITIAL CORE ROD LENGTH:
0.60 m
INITIAL CORE ROD VOLUME:
38,170 mm^3 = 38.170 cm^3
CORE ROD MASS:
38.170 cm^3 / core rod X 16.006 gm / cm^3
= 610.954 gm
= 0.610954 kg / core rod
TOTAL CORE ROD MASS:
299,716 core rods X 0.610954 kg / core rod = 183,113 kg
= 183.113 tonnes
REQUIRED PLUTONIUM MASS:
183.113 tonnes X 0.2 = 36.622 tonnes
NUMBER OF PASSIVE FUEL BUNDLES:
516
NUMBER OF PASSIVE FIXED FUEL BUNDLES:
268
NUMBER OF PASSIVE MOVEABLE FUEL BUNDLES:
248
NUMBER OF PASSIVE FUEL TUBES:
268 (384) + 248 (248) = 102,912 + 61,504
= 164,416 passive fuel tubes
NUMBER OF BLANKET FUEL RODS:
= 299,776 active tubes X 10 blanket rods / active fuel tube
+164,416 passive fuel tubes X 12 blanket rods / passive fuel tube
= 2,997,760 + 1,972,992
= 4,970,752 blanket fuel rods
INITIAL BLANKET ROD ALLOY:
90% U, 10% Zr
BLANKET ROD DENSITY:
15.884 gm / cm^3
BLANKET ROD OD:
10.0 mm
BLANKET ROD LENGTH:
0.360 m
0.360 m BLANKET ROD VOLUME:
28,274.33 mm^3 = 28.274 cm^3
BLANKET ROD MASS:
28.274 cm^3 X 15.884 gm / cm^3 = 449.1095 gm
= 0.44911 kg
TOTAL BLANKET ROD MASS / REACTOR:
0.44911 kg / rod X 4,970,752 blanket fuel rods
= 2,232,414 kg
= 2,232 tonnes
NUMBER OF POTENTIAL FUEL BUNDLE COOLING POSITIONS:
228
NUMBER OF POTENTIAL FIXED FUEL BUNDLE COOLING POSITIONS:
112
NUMBER OF POTENTIAL MOVABLE FUEL BUNDLE POSITIONS:
116
INTERMEDIATE HEAT EXCHANGE BUNDLE DESIGN:
counter flow, single pass
INTERMEDIATE HEAT EXCHANGE BUNDLE TUBE WALL TEMPERATURE DROP:
10 C
INTERMEDIATE HEAT EXCHANGE TUBE SIZE:
0.500 OD_______, 0.065 inch wall
INTERMEDIATE HEAT EXCHANGE TUBE LENGTH:
6.0 m
INTERMEDIATE HEAT EXCHANGE TUBE GRID:
square, 0.70 inch________
INTERMEDIATE HEAT EXCHANGE TUBE MATERIAL:
Inconel 600
INTERMEDIATE HEAT EXCHANGE TUBE BUNDLE:
800_______ tubes
INTERMEDIATE HEAT EXCHANGE TUBE BUNDLE MANIFOLD LENGTH:
______
INTERMEDIATE HEAT EXCHANGE BUNDLE TUBED DIAMETERS:
24 inches OD, 38 inch manifold OD and 5.5 inch flange width allowance
INTERMEDATE HEAT EXCHANGER CIRCLE = 18 m diameter. Distance from outer edge of manifold to pool wall = 0.7 m
INTERMEDIATE HEAT EXCHANGE BUNDLE OPERATING PRESSURE:
0.5 MPa gauge pressure
NOMINAL THERMAL FLUX THROUGH EACH INTERMEDIATE HEAT EXCHANGE BUNDLE:
1000 MW / 48 = 20.833 MWt
NUMBER OF NaK INDUCTION PUMPS:
48
NaK INDUCTION PUMP THROAT PIPE:
16 inch OD,0.375 inch wall, Schedule 40SS
NUMBER OF NaK LOOPS:
48
NaK PIPE:
12.75 inch OD, Schedule 40SS
NaK LOOP PRESSURE CONTROL:
Compressed argon in each NaK loop dump tank keeps NaK in heat transport loop. This argon pressure is controlled by a liquid NaK level sensor at the top of each NaK loop.
NUMBER OF NaK/NITRATE SALT HEAT EXCHANGERS:
48
MAXIMUM TOTAL NaK FLOW:
48 X 0.153 m^3 / s = 8.56 m^3 / s_____
REACTOR THERMAL POWER CONTROL:
Control the NaK flow rate through the intermediate heat exchange bundles. The NaK return temperature to the intermediate heat exchange bundle is ~ 340 C - 360 C due to the action of the steam generator PRV.
NaK LOOP HIGH TEMPERATURE AT FULL LOAD:
450 C
NaK LOOP TEMPERATURE DIFFERENTIAL AT FULL LOAD:
450 C - 360 C = 90 deg C
NITRATE SALT LOOP PIPE DIAMETER:
8 inch, 8.625 inch OD, 0.322 inch wall
NUMBER OF STEAM GENERATORS:
48
NUMBER OF CONDENSATE INJECTION PUMPS:
48
TURBOGENERATORS:
8 X 37.5 MWe = 300 MWe
or
16 X 18.75 MWe = 300 MWe
STEAM GENERATOR LIQUID TO LIQUID TUBE WALL TEMPERATURE DROP AT FULL LOAD:
10 C______
WATER TEMPERATURE IN STEAM GENERATOR AT FULL LOAD:
~ 310 C (608 F)
SATURATED STEAM PRESSURE IN STEAM GENERATOR AT FULL LOAD:
= 10 MPa
MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE TRANSIENT STEAM WORKING PRESSURE:
12 MPa
DRY STEAM TEMPERATURE AT NO LOAD:
460 C - 10 C = 450 C
DRY STEAM TEMPERATURE AT FULL LOAD:
450 C - 40 C = 410 C
SATURATED STEAM TEMPERATURE:
310 C
FNR START FUEL AVAILABILITY FROM EXISTING CANDU SPENT FUEL:
Sufficient for 7 _____X 300 MWe FNRs
MATERIAL SWELLING CONSTRAINT:
Fuel tube linear diameter swelling should be kept to less than 15% to maintain the specified reactor output power and fuel bundle safety margins. In this respect use of HT-9 or similar Fe-Cr fuel tube material with low Ni and low C is recommended.
INDIVIDUAL FUEL BUNDLE DISCHARGE TEMPERATURE MONITORING:
Uses movable fuel bundle positioning to keep all fuel bundle primary sodium discharge temperatures the same irrespective of uneven fuel bundle fissionable atom concentration and uneven fuel tube swelling. As a fuel bundle ages its thermal output power will gradually decrease due to reduced primary liquid sodium flow caused by fuel tube swelling.
FOUR INDEPENDENT FISSION SHUTDOWN MECHANISMS:
Movable fuel bundle red group withdrawal, movable fuel bundle black group withdrawal, fission shutdown via fuel thermal expansion, fission shutdown via fuel disassembly.
MELTDOWN PREVENTION:
Mechanical movable fuel bundle insertion rate limit, disassembly of fuel inside sealed fuel tube, shutdown due to local high temperature or local high gamma output, primary sodium floor cover configured to prevent critical mass accumulation if fuel melts.
EARTHQUAKE PROTECTION:
Top surface of primary sodium is not confined. In an earthquake the intermediate heat exchangers move with the pool wall. The fuel assembly remains nearly statioary due to all bering mount. Earthquake induced transient liquid sodium pool level changes of up to 8 m are tolerable without causing a reactivity increase due to exposing reactor core.
Primary liquid sodium waves are partially attenuated by the intermediate heat exchange bundles and the assembly of fuel bundles and gadolinium skirt.
The earthquake protection system allows for earthquake induced horizontal pool wall accelerations of up to about 1.25 g._____
COMMENTS:
1) The FNR design parameters have been set out in sufficient detail on this web site that a team of competent engineering technologists should be able to proceed with initial CAD drawings.
2) The next step is to meet with persons who have hands on experience with high volume 0.5 inch Fe - Cr steel tube production, welding and quality control to identify the provisions that must be made for automated: fuel rod fabrication, fuel tube and fuel bundle assembly and testing.
3) The reactor fabrication is dominated by proper alloy mixes and automated: fuel rod, fuel tube and fuel bundle production, heat exchange bundle assembly, quality control, and testing issues. Each FNR has over 900,000 gas tight fuel tube end plug welds. This welding must be highly automated. The economics of FNRs is entirely dependent on this manufacturing automation.
4) Moving this project forward likely requires an alliance between an existing 0.500 inch OD steel tube producer, an existing tube and shell type heat exchanger producer and an existing producer of automated tube welding equipment. To be economic the automated weld rejection rate must be very low.
5) There are 945 active fuel bundles of which 464 are movable fuel bundles. The movable fuel bundles must be positioned to keep each movable bundle's full load discharge temperature at 460 C. It is important that the movable fuel bundle position control systems be independent of each other.
6) In normal operation the fuel geometry remains fixed.
7) From a control and safety perspective this power FNR is a collection of 464 small reactors inside a common enclosure. The system must be fault tolerant. A fault in one movable fuel bundle or its actuator must not prevent safe shutdown of adjacent fuel bundles. Shutdown of the 4 nearest neighbor movable fuel bundles should make a faulty movable fuel bundle sub-critical regardless of its insertion position.
8) From a financial perspective the value of one 300 MWe FNR is:
$4 billion in spent CANDU fuel disposal cost savings plus (300,000 kWe X $6,000/ kWe)
= $4 billion + $1.8 billion
= $5.8 billion
This budget must include the cost of fuel recycling.
9) A FNR will likely be a reasonable financial investment provided that full automation of the fuel recycling system is achieved.
10) Major near term Ontario political considerations are future FNR siting and related electricity transmission and district heating piping planning.
This web page last updated August 9, 2022
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