Plant considerations for offshore generating stations

Abstract

n e b r e a k w a t e r are under study and offer economics of scale.The breakwater w i l l communicate with the open sea so t h a t t h e p l a n t ' s c i r c u l a t i n g w a t e r w i l l be taken from the basin inside the breakwater and discharged outside of the breakwater. Power w i l l b e t r a n s m i t t e d t o s h o r e v i a u n d e rwater c a b l e s . With t h e p l a n t f l o a t i n g , t h e mooring system, circulating water d i s c h a r g e and e l e c t r i c a l power connection are designed to accommodate t h e movement o f t h e p l a n t d u e t o t i d e s , winds and other environmental phenomena.The basic premise of the design work was t o u s e prwen, accepted and licensed land based nuclear plant designs, systems and technology and apply them t o t h e f l o a t i n g p l a n t .The p l a n t i s b a s ic a l l y a conventional land based nuclear plant arranged and mounted on a f l o a t i n g p l a t f o r m faund a t i o n .PLANT DESIGN Table 1 summarizes the major plant design c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s . The platform structure which supports the power p l a n t c o n s i s t s of a 400 f o o t by 378 f o o t by 40 foot deep grillage arrangement of l o n g i t u d i n a l and transverse bulkheads and s i d e shells s e p a r a t i n g a bottom shell (considered the zero-foot level) and t h e s t r e n g t h d e c k a t t h e f o r t y f o o t l e v e l . The p l a t f o r m s t r u c t u r e c o n s i s t s of a plate-stiffener framing system of a l l welded s t e e l construction designed to meet the requirements of t h e American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) Rules for Building and Classing S t e e l Vessels and Barges. Longitudinal stiffe n e r s are used on the strength deck ani bottom s h e l l i n c o n j u n c t i o n w i t h t r a n s v e r s e g i r d e r s spaced 10 t o 1 2 f e e t between bulkheads. The 40 foot deep bulkheads divide the platform into a t o t a l of 60 s e p a r a t e compartments which are grouped i n t o some 36 w a t e r t i g h t compartments. The platform has a waterproof steel bulwark around the periphery extending from the strength deck a t t h e f o r t y f o o t l e v e l t o t h e s e v e n t y f o o t level, designed as a w e a t h e r p r o o f b a r r i e r t o provide protection from waves o r storms which may be encountered during the towing operation. The major structures on top of t h e p l a t f o r m a r e the containment, turbine building and a u x i l i a r y area buildings. Concrete i s used only in areas where s h i e l d i n g i s required such as the containment, spent fuel p i t , a u x i l i a r y n u c l e a r systems and safeguards areas.The g e n e r a l s u p e r s t r u c t u r e i s s t r u c t u r a l steel of s i m i l a r d e s i g n t o a conventional land plant.The cons t r u c t i o n h a s p r i m a r i l y welded connections with u s e of b o l t e d j o i n t s i n s p e c i a l c i r c u m s t a n c e s .The arrangement of equipment and s t r u c t u r e s on the platform i s similar t o many s i n g l e u n i t...