Nuclear Power in the 21st Century: Statu

nd Trends in Advanced Nuclear Technolo

Development and Applications

Lecture presented at the Workshop on Nuclear Reaction Data and

Nuclear Reactors: Physics, Design and Safety

Trieste, Italy
18 March 2002

Debu Majumdar
Nuclear Power Technology Development Section
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
Vienna, Austria

Department of Nuclear Energy

International Atomic Energy
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Outline
 Introduction
- IAEA
- Nuclear Energy Status
 Nuclear Reactors
- Basics
- Challenge
 Evolutionary Reactors
 Small and Medium Reactors
 Integral Reactors
 Gas-cooled Reactors
 Liquid Metal Reactors
 Thorium Cycle
 Generation IV International Forum – USDOE
 INPRO – IAEA
 Non-electric Application
 Conclusion

Department of Nuclear Energy

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The International Atomic Energy Agency

Membership: 130 countries;

Budget: US$ 229 million plus 87
million extra budgetary resources.

Personnel: 2170

Department of Nuclear Energy

International Atomic Energy
Agency
 The IAEA’s Statute includes the following
functions:

 Article III-A.1: “TO ENCOURAGE AND ASSIST

RESEARCH ON, AND DEVELOPMENT AND
PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF, ATOMIC
ENERGY FOR PEACEFUL USES
THROUGHOUT THE WORLD …”
 Article III-A.3: “ TO FOSTER THE EXCHANGE
OF SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL
INFORMATION ON PEACEFUL USES OF
ATOMIC ENERGY.”

Department of Nuclear Energy

International Atomic Energy
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 IAEA Principal
Activities
Verification of peaceful uses;
Promotion of safety
Transfer of Nuclear Technology for
peaceful purposes

Department of Nuclear Energy

International Atomic Energy
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 Global energy demand
 Demand is estimated to triple in 50 years
 Current primary energy demand:
 54% developed countries
 34% developing countries
 By the year 2020:
 44% developed countries
 45% developing countries

Department of Nuclear Energy

International Atomic Energy
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 NUCLEAR CONTRIBUTION TO
ELECTRICITY GENERATION
World's Electricity Production (TWh)

14000
Hydro
12000 Nuclear Others Hydro
16.1 % 19.1 %
0.4%
10000
Thermal
8000 64.4 % Nuclear

6000 2000 Share

4000
Thermal
2000
0
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

Year
Department of Nuclear Energy
International Atomic Energy
Agency
 NUCLEAR
PLANTS
GENERATE
ELECTRICITY
IN MANY
COUNTRIES

Nuclear Share (%)

of Electricity
Generation
in 2000

Global Nuclear Share:

~ 16%, 2450 TWh

Note: The nuclear share of electricity supplied in Taiwan, China was 23.6% of the total.

Department of Nuclear Energy

International Atomic Energy
N Agency
 MANY
REACTORS
ARE
OPERATING
IN THE WORLD
Number of Nuclear
Reactors in Operation
and under Construction
in 2000

In Operation: 438
Total Capacity: 351
GWe
Under Construction: 33
Total Capacity: 28.6
GWe
Operating Experience: 9819
RYs
Number of Countries: 31
(Including Taiwan, China)
Note: Six reactors are in operation in Taiwan, China

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 Number of NPP under construction

China 8
Ukraine 4
Korea Rep. 4
Japan 3
Slovakia 2
Russia 2
Iran 2
India 2
Romania 1
Czech 1
Argentina 1

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Department of Nuclear Energy

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 Nuclear
Energy

Hot Source Cold Fluid

Hot Fluid
Nuclear
Reactions
FUEL PRIMARY COOLANT
 Indirect
Cycle

T1 T2

Gases: Compressor
Liquids: Pumps

PRIMARY
COOLANT SECONDARY COOLANT
 Direct Cycle

T1 T2

PRIMARY COOLANT
Reactor Types
– PWR
– CANDU
– BWR
– Magnox
– AGR
– HTGR
– RBMK
– FR
Department of Nuclear Energy
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TABLE 1: MAIN TYPES OF NUCLEAR POWER
REACTORS
Reactor Type Fuel Moderator Coolant (pressure in bars) Steam generation

PWR uranium dioxide ordinary pressurized water (160 bars) separate circuit
(approx. 3.2% U-235) water
CANDU Unenriched uranium dioxide heavy heavy water pumped at separate circuit
(0.7% U-235) water pressure (90 bars)
BWR uranium dioxide ordinary pressurized ordinary water which boils and
(2.6% U-235) water produces steam directly (70 bars)

Magnox natural uranium graphite carbon dioxide (40 bars) separate circuit

AGR uranium dioxide graphite carbon dioxide (20 bars) separate circuit
(2.3% U-235)
HTGR uranium dioxide in coated graphite helium (approx. 60 bars) separate circuit
particle fuel (approx. 8-19%) or direct helium
cycle
RBMK uranium dioxide(2.4% U- graphite pressurized ordinary water which boils and
235) produces steam directly (70 bars)
FR uranium/plutonium oxide None liquid sodium at low pressure separate circuit
(about 16-20%) (~5 bar)
 Nuclear Power Challenges
The Challenges facing nuclear power include:

 Continuing to assure the highest level of safe

operation of current plants,
 Implementing disposal of high level waste,
 Achieving consensus on the effects of small
doses of radiation,
 Establishing a sound basis for defining the
potential of nuclear power to contribute to
sustainable development.

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 Nuclear Power Challenges
(Cont’d)
 Achieving further technological advances to assure that
future nuclear plants will be economically competitive with
fossil alternatives, especially in deregulated and privatised
electricity markets;
 Developing economical small and medium sized reactor
designs to provide the nuclear power option to developing
countries which have small electricity grids, and also for
non-electric applications such as seawater desalination, and
 Preserving intellectual capabilities in nuclear power
technology.

IAEA addresses all of these challenges

in its programmatic activities.
Department of Nuclear Energy
International Atomic Energy
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 To assure that nuclear power
remains a viable option,
considerable design and
development is underway
worldwide
 New designs are being developed for all major
lines (LWRs, HWRs, HTGRs, LMRs)
 Common goals
 High availability,
 Competitive economics
 Compliance with stringent safety objectives
 Expenditures are more than US$2B/year-
reflecting confidence in the future of nuclear
power
Department of Nuclear Energy
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Agency
Advanced
Designs
 Evolutionary designs which aim to achieve improvements over
existing designs through small to moderate modifications
 Innovative designs which incorporate radical conceptual changes
in design approaches or system configuration and may require a
prototype or demonstration plant as part of the development
programme.

si g ns
Cost of Development

ve d e
va ti
In no
Prototype
and/or
y d esig ns Demonstration plant
n a r
Evolutio
+
Confirmatory testing
Confirmatory +
testing Engineering
+
Engineering Engineering Substantial R&D

Departure from Existing Designs

Department of Nuclear Energy
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Department of Nuclear Energy
International Atomic Energy
Agency
 SOME EVOLUTIONARY WATER COOLED
REACTORS ARE STARTING OPERATION OR ARE
UNDER CONSTRUCTION, OTHERS HAVE BEEN
CERTIFIED BY REGULATORY AUTHORITIES,
•
AND SOME ARE UNDER DEVELOPMENT...
Evolutionary LWRs
 USA/Japan: 1360 MWe ABWR (GE-Hitachi-Toshiba) and
1700 MWe ABWR-II (Japanese utilities, GE-Hitachi-Toshiba); and 1530 MWe
APWR (Mitsubishi-Westinghouse)
 USA: 600 MWe AP-600 and 1350 MWe System 80+ (Westinghouse) and
1350 MWe ABWR (General Electric);
also: 1000 MWe AP-1000 (Westinghouse) and 1380 MWe ESBWR
 France/Germany: 1545 MWe EPR and 1000 MWe SWR-1000 (Framatome ANP)
 Rep. of Korea: 1000 MWe KSNP+ and 1400 MWe APR-1400 (KEPCO and
Korean Industry)
 Sweden: 1500 MWe BWR90+ (Westinghouse Atom )
 Russia: WWER-1000 (V-392); WWER-1500; and WWER-640 (V-407)
(Gidropress and Atomenergoprojekt)
 China: 1000 MWe CNP-1000 (CNNC) and 600 MWe AC-600 (NPIC)

Department of Nuclear Energy

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 SOME EVOLUTIONARY WATER COOLED REACTORS ARE
STARTING OPERATION OR ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION,
OTHERS HAVE BEEN CERTIFIED BY REGULATORY
AUTHORITIES,
AND SOME ARE UNDER DEVELOPMENT

• Evolutionary HWRs
– Canada: AECL’s evolutionary CANDU programme
• 700 MWe CANDU-6
• 935 MWe CANDU-9
• 400-650 MWe Next Generation CANDU
– India: Nuclear Power Corporation of India, Ltd.
• 500 MWe HWR

Department of Nuclear Energy

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 Overview of Toshiba, Hitachi
and General Electric ABWR
• Development started in 1970s (by design organizations and utilities, with
support from government of Japan)
• strong application of “test before use”, even if features had been incorporated
in BWRs outside of Japan
• Key developments: reactor internal pumps, improved control rod drives, re-
inforced concrete containment, improved efficiency turbine, additional means
of injecting water under accident conditions, advanced I&C and control room
• 2 ABWRs (1356 MWe) are operating: Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Unit 6
(construction: 11/92-12/96); Unit 7 (construction: 7/93-7/97)
• 2 ABWRs are under construction (Hamaoka-5 and Shika-2) in Japan, and 8
more are planned
• U.S. version was designed to meet EPRI URD and received U.S.NRC Design
Certification (5/97)
• 2 units under construction in Taiwan, China

Department of Nuclear Energy

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 The ABWR reactor coolant
re-circulation pumping system is
simpler

Department of Nuclear Energy

International Atomic Energy
Agency