Pebble Bed Boiling Water Reactor Concept With Superheated Steam

Abstract

An Advanced Nuclear Reactor concept is presented which extends Boiling Water Reactor technology with micro-fuel elements (MFE) and produces superheated steam. A nuclear plant with MFE is highly efficient and safe, due to ceramic-clad nuclear fuel. Water is used as both moderator and coolant. The fuel consists of spheres of about 1.5 mm diameter of UO2 with several external coatings of different carbonaceous materials. The outer coating of the particles is SiC, manufactured with chemical vapor disposition (CVD) technology. Endurance of the integrity of the SiC coating in water, air and steam has been demonstrated experimentally in Germany, Russia and Japan. This paper describes a result of a preliminary design and analysis of 3750 MWt (1500 MWe) plant with standard pressure of 16 MPa, which is widely achieved in the vessel of pressurized-water type reactors. The superheated steam outlet temperature of 550 °C elevates the steam cycle to high thermal efficiency of 42%.

The fixed bed nuclear reactor concept

“…There are similar activities going on in Russia at the All-Russian Nuclear Machinery Institute (VNIIAM) in Moscow, and in the United States at the Battelle, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). It concerns the development of pebble bed boiling water reactor concept with superheated steam [79]. A nuclear reactor with micro fuel element (MFE) cooled and moderated by water is proposed.…”