NUCLEAR ENERGY

BENGAL COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

AND TECHNOLOGY,DURGAPUR
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL
ENGINEERING

This report, prepared on the seminar(ME-699),undertaken for the

partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree
of Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering of the West
Bengal University of Technology, Kolkata.
This is undertaken by the author that this report, submitted by him,
is an authentic record of his own work carried out under the
guidance of Mr. K C Saha (lecturer of Mech. Engg. Dept.)

Submitted by :
Kaushalendra kumar singh
...... ............................................. …………………………………
Roll No: 87058514 .
University Reg. No: 081250110459 Mr . K C
University Roll No: 08125007033 Saha
Dated: 11th May 2011
INTRODUCTION
ENERGY IS PERHAPS THE MOST DEMANDED COMMODITY
SORT FOR IN THE WORLD.
FOSSIL FUEL ARE LIKE LIFE BLOOD OF MORDERN
CIVILISATION GIVING IT ENERGY TO SUSTAIN LIFE BUT
UNFORTUNATELY THIS JOURNEY IS APPROACHING THE
END OF THE LINE.
MORE AND MORE ARE WE GOBBLING FUEL FASTER THAN

WE CAN PUMP IT UP AND WHAT WOULD HAPPEN WHEN

THE WORLD GETS DRY? THE RESULT WILL BE THAT THE
WORLD WOULD DESCEND INTO A GIANT GLOBAL
RECESSION AND WOUL NEVER GET OUT OF IT
CREATING CHAOS ALL AROUND.
WE WOULD NEED MORE AND MORE ENERGY WITH TIME

AND NUCLEAR ENERGY CAN PLAY DRAMATIC ROLE IN

THIS.

World Total Energy Consumption
1990 -2020 (Quadrillion Btu)

Region/Country 1990 1997 2020

United States 84.0 94.2 120.9
Western Europe 59.9 64.0 78.4
Japan 18.1 21.3 25.4
China 27.0 36.7 97.3
Former Soviet Union 61.0 40.8 57.3
Total World 346.7 379.9 607.7

4
World Total Primary Energy
Supply
Origins
Nuclear energy was first
discovered 1n 1934 by Enrico
Femi.
After World War II, development of
civilian nuclear program
Atomic Energy Act of 1946
1954: first commercial nuclear
power program
Early Beginnings
 Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) established by Congress in 1946
as part of the Atomic Energy Act

 AEC authorized the construction of Experimental Breeder Reactor I
( EBR-1) at a site in Idaho in 1949

 in August of 1951, criticality (a controlled, self-sustained, chain
reaction) was reached using uranium

 A football sized core was created and kept at low power for four
months until December 20, 1951

Nuclear Power Today
Provides almost 20% of world’s electricity
(8% in U.S.)
69% of U.S. non-carbon electricity
generation
More than 100 plants in U.S.
None built since the 1970s
200+ plants in the Europe
Leader is France
About 80% of its power from nuclear
 NUCLEAR FUEL


Ø Nuclear fuel is any fissile material that can be

consumed to derive nuclear energy.
Ø The most common nuclear fuels are 235U and 239Pu.
Not all nuclear fuels are used in fission chain
reactions
Ø
Ø


 candu fuel bundles

PROPERTIES OF FUEL ELEMENT
MUST BE FISSIONABLE
HIGH THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
GOOD CORROSION RESISTANCE
GOOD MECHANICAL STRENGTH
HIGH LIMITING TEMPRETURE FOR OPERATION
NUCLEAR FISSION
Ø When a neutron strikes an atom of uranium, the uranium
splits into two lighter atoms and releases heat
simultaneously.
Ø Fission of heavy elements is an exothermic reaction which
can release large amounts of energy both as
electromagnetic radiation and as kinetic energy of the
fragments
U235 + n → fission + 2 or 3 n + 200 MeV
NUCLEAR CHAIN REACTION
A chain reaction refers to a process in which neutrons
released in fission produce an additional fission in at
least one further nucleus. This nucleus in turn
produces neutrons, and the process repeats. If the
process is controlled it is used for nuclear power or
if uncontrolled it is used for nuclear weapons

ENERGY FROM FISSION
 ENERGY RELEASED PER FISSION = 200 MeV


THEREFORE, ENERGY RELEASED

FROM COMPLETE COMBUSTION

OF 1g o U-235 produces = avogadro constsnt

 --------------------------- x
200 MeV
 mass of U-235
isotope
 = 5.126 x 1024 Mev
 = 0.984 MW-day

NUCLEAR REACTOR
A nuclear reactor is a device in which
nuclear chain reactions are initiated,
controlled, and sustained at a steady rate,
as opposed to a nuclear bomb, in which
the chain reaction occurs in a fraction of a
second and is uncontrolled causing an
 explosion.
NUCLEAR REACTOR
WORKING
 ENERGY IS RELEASED BY FISSION WITHIN THE FUEL AND IS
TRANSFERRED BY HEAT CONDUCTION TO THE SURFACE OF
THE FUEL AND THROUGH THE CLADDING . FROM THE
SURFACE OF THE CLADDING HEAT IS TRANSFERRED BY
CONVECTION TO THE COOLANT, WHICH PASSES FROM THE
CORE TO THE EXTERNAL HEAT EXCHANGER IN WHICH STEAM
IS GENERATED TO RUN A TURBINE WHICH IS COUPLED TO A
GENERATOR TO PRODUCE ELECTRICITY.
REACTOR TYPES
Pressurised water reactor
Critical tempreture of water is 374o c
The coolant is maintained ah high pressure
about 15.5 mpa to keep it liquid during
operation
A pwr power plant is composed of two loops in
series the coolant and water-steam loop or
working fluid loop. The coolant picks up heat
in the reactor and transfers it to the working
fluid in the steam generator. The steam is
then used in a rankine type of cycle to
produce electricity.
Boiling water reactor
A BWR is different from PWR in that the steam
flowing to the turbine is produced directly in the
reactor core.
Steam is separated and dried by mechanical
devices located in the upper part of the pressure
vessel assembly.
The dried steam is sent directly to the high
pressure turbine thus eliminating the need for
steam generator.
The coolant acts as moderator as well as working
fluid
Coolant pressure is much less about 7o bar

REFLECTOR
Sorrounds the reactor core
A medium of low neutron absorption and high
neutron scattering cross- sections
Electrons leaking out are scattered back into
the core by the reflector nuclei thus
decreases the critical size and fuel mass
Improves the neutron flux distribution of a
reactor core
MODERATOR
It is medium that reduces the speed of fast
nuetrons thereby turning them into thermal
nuetronscapable of sustaining a nuclear
chain reaction.
Commonly used moderators are:-
vLight water
vHeavy water
vGraphite
vHydrocarbons
Ideal moderator is of low mass, high scattrring
cross-section and low absorption cross-
section.
CONTROL RODS
Ø Control rods made of a material that absorbs neutrtonsare
inserted into the bundle using a mechanism that can rise
or lower the control rods.
Ø The control rods essentially contain neutron absorbers like,
boron, cadmium or indium.
Ø Control rod is removed from or inserted into the central
core of a nuclear reactor in order to control the neutron
flux — increase or decrease the number of neutrons which
will split further uranium atoms. This in turn affects the
thermal power of the reactor, the amount of steam
produced, and hence the electricity generated.
Steam generators

The function of the steam generator is to transfer the heat
from the  reactor cooling system to the secondary side of the
tubes which contain feedwater. As the feedwater passes the tube,
it picks up heat and eventually gets converted to steam. 

TYPES OF STEAM GENERATOR

VERTICAL U –TUBE
HORIZONTAL
ONCE THROUGH
Steam turbine
A steam turbine is a mechanical device that
extracts thermal energy from pressurized
steam, and converts it into useful
mechanical
Steam coming from the steam generator is
forced through the fans of the turbine to
rotate it which is coupled to a generator
to produce electricity by electromagnetic
induction.



Coolant pump
ØThe coolant pump pressurizes the coolant to
pressures of the order of 155 bar.
ØThe pressue of the coolant loop is
maintained almost constant with the help
of the pump and a pressurizer unit.

Feed pump
ØSteam coming out of the turbine, flows
through the condenser for condensation
and recirculated for the next cycle of
operation.
ØThe feed pump circulates the condensed
water in the working fluid loop.

condenser
ØCondenser is a device or unit which is used
to condense vapor into liquid.
ØThe objective of the condenser are to
reduce the turbine exhaust pressure to
increase the efficiency and to recover high
quality feed water in the form of
condensate & feed back it to the steam
generator without any further treatment.

Cooling tower
Ø Cooling towers are
heat removal
devices used to
transfer process
waste heat to the
atmosphere.
Ø Water cirulating
through the
condeser is taken to
the cooling tower for
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS IN
INDIA
POWER OPEARA STATE TYPE UNITS TOATAL
STATION NPCIL
KAIGA TOR KARNAT PHWR 220 x 4 CAPACIT
880
KAKRAP NPCIL KA
GUJARA PHWR 220 x 2 Y(MW)
440
AR
KALPAK NPCIL T
TAMILN PHWR 220 x 2 440
AM
NARORA NPCIL ADU
UTTAR PHWR 220 x 2 440
RAWATB NPCIL PRADES PHWR
RAJSTHA 100 x 1 1180
HATA
TARAPU NPCIL H
N
MAHARA BWR 200
160 x 12 1400
R SHTRA (PHWR)
TOTAL 220
20 x 24
540 4780
PLANNED OR PROPOSED
PROJECTS
POWER OPERAT STATE TYPE UNITS TOTAL
STATION NPCIL
KUDANK OR TAMILN VVER- 1000 x 2 CAPACIT
2000
ULAM
KALPAK NPCIL ADU
TAMILN 1000
PFBR 500 x 1 Y(MW)
500
KAM
KAKRAP NPCIL ADU
GUJARA PHWR 700 x 2 1400
AR
RAWATB NPCIL T
RAJSTHA PHWR 700 x 2 1400
HATA N TOTAL 8700 x 2 1400
6700
AND
BANSWA
RA
Current Waste Disposal
At this time, radioactive wastes are being stored at the
Department of Energy’s facilities around the country

High level wastes are stored in underground carbon or
stainless steel tanks

Spent nuclear fuel is put in above-ground and in water-
filled pools
Advantages
Efficient and cheap energy could be available
No green house gasses are emitted
Raw material like uranium can be easily mined
and is not expensive
large amount of energy can be obtained from a
small setup



Disadvantages


Ø Nuclear power plants as well as nuclear waste could be

preferred targets for terrorist attacks..
Ø During the operation of nuclear power plants,
radioactive waste is produced, which in turn can be
used for the production of nuclear weapons.

ØNuclear accidents are disastrous leading to

large scale death and evacuation of area.

Ø
THANK YOU !