Chapter 7

Nuclear Power Plant

 Working principle
 A nuclear power plant works in a similar way as
a thermal power plant. The difference between the
two is in the fuel they use to heat the water in the
boiler(steam generator).
 Inside a nuclear power station, energy is released
by nuclear fission in the core of the reactor.
 1 kg of Uranium U235 can produce as much
energy as the burning of 4500 tonnes of high
grade variety of coal or 2000 tonnes of oil.
 Nuclear chain reaction
proton
neutron
U-235 nucleus

 Neutrons released in fission

trigger the fissions of other nuclei
 Chain Reaction…
 Uranium exists as an isotope in the form of U235 which
is unstable.
 When the nucleus of an atom of Uranium is split, the
neutrons released hit other atoms and split them in turn.
More energy is released each time another atom splits.
This is called a chain reaction.

Nuclear fission:
 Nuclear fission…
 Nuclear fission: heavy nuclei split into two
smaller parts in order to become more stable

Kr-92 nucleus

energy

U-235 nucleus

Ba-141 nucleus
 Nuclear fission….
• It is a process of splitting up of nucleus of fissionable material
like uranium into two or more fragments with release of
enormous amount of energy.
• The nucleus of U235 is bombarded with high energy neutrons

• U235+0n1 Ba 141+Kr92+2.50n1+200 MeV energy.

• The neutrons produced are very fast and can be made to fission
other nuclei of U235, thus setting up a chain reaction.
• Out of 2.5 neutrons released one neutron is used to sustain the
chain reaction.

1 eV = 1.6X10-19 joule.
1 MeV = 106 eV
 Nuclear fission…
 U235 splits into two fragments (Ba141 & K92) of approximately equal size.
 About 2.5 neutrons are released. 1 neutron is used to sustain the chain
reaction. 0.9 neutrons is absorbed by U238 and becomes Pu239. The
remaining 0.6 neutrons escapes from the reactor.
 The neutrons produced move at a very high velocity of 1.5 x 107 m/sec
and fission other nucleus of U235. Thus fission process and release of
neutrons take place continuously throughout the remaining material.
 A large amount of energy(200 Million electron volts, Mev) is produced.

 Note : Moderators are provided to

slow down the neutrons from the
high velocities but not to absorb
them.
Parts of a Nuclear Power Plant
 Moderator
• The fast moving neutrons are far less effective in causing the fission
of U235 and try to escape from the reactor.
• To improve the utilization of these neutrons their speed is reduced.
• It is done by colliding them with the nuclei of other material which
is lighter, does not capture the neutrons but scatters them.
• Each such collision causes loss of energy, and the speed of the fast
moving neutrons is reduced, such material is called Moderator.
• The slow neutrons (Thermal Neutrons) so produced are easily
captured by the nuclear fuel and the chain reaction proceeds
smoothly.
• Graphite, heavy water and beryllium are generally used as
moderator.
• Reactors using enriched uranium do not require moderator
Control rods
• The energy produced in the reactor due to fission of
nuclear fuel during chain reaction is so much that if it is not
controlled properly the entire core and surrounding
structure may melt and radioactive fission products may
come out of the reactor thus making it uninhabitable.
• This implies that we should have some means to control
the power of reactor.
• This is done by means of control rods Control rods in the
cylindrical or sheet form are made of boron or cadmium.
• These rods can be moved in and out of the holes in the
reactor core assembly. Their insertion absorbs more
neutrons and damps down the reaction and their
withdrawal absorbs less neutrons. Thus power of reaction
is controlled by shifting control rods which may be done
manually or automatically.
 Reflector
• The neutrons produced during the fission process will be partly
absorbed by the fuel rods,
• Moderator, coolant or structural material etc. Neutrons left
unabsorbed will try to leave the reactor core
• Never to return to it and will be lost. Such losses should be
minimized. It is done by surrounding the
• Reactor core by a material called reflector which will send the
neutrons back into the core. The returned
• Neutrons can then cause more fission and improve the neutrons
economy of' the reactor. Generally the
• Reflector is made up of graphite and beryllium.

Reactor Vessel
• Is a strong walled container housing the cure of the power reactor.
•contains moderator, reflector, thermal shielding and control rods.
 Biological Shielding
• Shielding the radioactive zones in the reactor roan
possible radiation hazard is essential to protect, the
operating men from the harmful effects.
• During fission of nuclear fuel, alpha particles, beta
particles, deadly gamma rays and neutrons are
produced.
• A protection must be provided against them.
• Thick layers of lead or concrete are provided round the
reactor for stopping the gamma rays. Thick layers of
metals or plastics are sufficient to stop the alpha and
beta particles.
 Coolant
• Flows of Coolant through and around the reactor core is used to
transfer the large amount of heat produced in the reactor due to
fission of the nuclear fuel during chain reaction.
• The coolant either transfers its heat to another medium or if the
coolant used is water it takes up the heat and gets converted into
steam in the reactor which is directly sent to the turbine.
• Coolant used should be stable under thermal condition and it should
have
 low melting point
 high boiling point.
 high heat transfer coefficient
 It should not corrode the material with which it comes in contact.
• The radioactivity induced in coolant by the neutrons bombardment
should be nil.
• The various fluids used as coolant are water (light water or heavy
water), gas (Air, CO2,Hydrogen, Helium) and liquid metals
 Reactor Core
• The heart of a nuclear power plant , in which nuclear
fission may be initiated and controlled in a self-
sustaining chain reaction to generate energy or
produce useful radiation.
• Reactor core consists of fuel rods, moderator and
space through which the coolant flows
 Fuel rods
• A long, slender, zirconium metal tube containing pellets
of fissionable material, which provide fuel for nuclear
reactor.
• Are assembled into bundles called fuel assemblies,
which are loaded individually into the reactor.
 Uncontrolled nuclear reaction

The chain reaction is not the rate of fission

slowed down increases rapidly

a huge amount of
Nuclear bomb energy is released
very quickly
 Types of Nuclear Power Plants
• Nuclear Power Plants (NPP) differ from each other mostly by the
type of nuclear reactor used.
 Boiling water reactor(BWR)
• In a boiling water reactor, light water (H2O) plays the role of
moderator and coolant, as well.
• Part of the water boils away in the reactor pressure vessel, thus a
mixture of water and steam leaves the reactor core.
• The generated steam directly goes to the turbine, therefore steam
and moisture must be separated (water drops in steam can damage
the turbine blades).
• Steam leaving the turbine is condensed in the condenser and then
fed back to the reactor after preheating.
• Water that has not evaporated in the reactor vessel accumulates at
the bottom of the vessel and mixes with the pumped back feed
water
BWR
 Pressurized water reactor(PWR)
• In a pressure water reactor, high pressure is created to keep
the water in the reactor tank from boiling, even though it
reaches a temperature of about 300° C at full force.
• This water is conducted to a steam generator and passes
through thousands of small pipes.
• The heat in the pipes causes the water in the steam
generator to turn to steam – which then drives the turbine.
• The turbine powers the generator, which in turn produces
electricity.
• The reactor water is pumped back into the reactor tank and
heated again.
• The steam from the turbine is cooled in a condenser, and
the resulting water sent back into the steam generator and
heated again
PWR
 Nuclear Power Plant with PWR
steam (high pressure) electric
power
control rods
generator
reactor
fuel rods core turbine steam (low
water pressure)
(hot)

steam coolant in
generator steam condenser
pump

water coolant out

(cool)
reactor pump
pressure water (low
vessel water (high pressure)
pressure)

primary loop secondary loop

 Pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR)
• A pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR) is a nuclear
power reactor, commonly using unenriched natural
uranium as its fuel, that uses heavy water (deuterium
oxide)D2O) as its coolant and moderator.
• The heavy water coolant is kept under pressure,
allowing it to be heated to higher temperatures
without boiling, much as in a PWR While heavy water
is significantly more expensive than ordinary light
water, it yields greatly enhanced neutron economy ,
allowing the reactor to operate without fuel
enrichment facilities (mitigating the additional capital
cost of the heavy water) and generally enhancing the
ability of the reactor to efficiently make use of
alternate fuel cycle.
Nuclear Power Plant with PHWR
 Gas Cooled Reactor
• The coolant used may be air, hydrogen, helium or CO2
,generally inert gases are used.
• The moderator used is graphite and the problem of
corrosion is reduced in such reactor.
• This type of reactor is more safe specially in case of
accidents and the failure of circulating pumps.
• There are two principal types of gas cooled reactor
development :
1) The gas cooled, graphite moderator reactor(GCGM)
2) The higher temperature gas cooled reactor (HTGCR)
• Both types are graphite moderated
• GCGM uses natural uranium fuel.
• HTGCR employs highly enriched uranium carbide mixed
with thorium carbide and clad with graphite.
Gas Cooled Reactor
 Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor (LMFBR)

• Necessary amount of enriched plutonium is kept

in a small vessel with out using moderator.
• A fissible material, which absorbs neutrons
surrounds the vessel.
• The reactor core is cooled by liquid metal.
• Necessary neutron shielding is provided by the
use of light water, oil or graphite.
• If some U238 is kept reactor, part of the additional
neutron available ,after reaction with U235
converts in to fissible plutonium.
Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor (LMFBR)
 Advantages of Nuclear power plant:
 Space required is less when compared with other power plants.
 Nuclear power plant is the only source which can meet the
increasing demand of electricity at a reasonable cost.
 A nuclear power plant uses much less fuel than a fossil-fuel
plant.1 metric tonne of uranium fuel = 3 million metric tonnes
of coal = 12 million barrels of oil.

Disadvantages of Nuclear power plant:

 Radioactive wastes must be disposed carefully, otherwise

it will adversely affect the health of workers and the
environment as a whole.
Maintenance cost of the plant is high.