Transcript Westinghouse Science Honors Institute

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Nuclear Power Production
Westinghouse Science Honors Institute
October 11, 2014
Westinghouse Electric Company
Andrew Drake, PMP
Director, AP1000 Cost Control
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Bio
• Education
- Miami University (Oxford, OH): Bachelor Science - Physics
- The Ohio State University: Master of Science – Nuclear
Engineering
• Experience
- Certified Senior Reactor Operator / Instructor
- PMI Certified Project Manager
• Job Description
- Director, AP1000 Cost Control
• Interests
- Travel
- Golf
- Boy Scouts
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Topics
• Safety Brief
• Westinghouse
• How is Electricity Produced from Nuclear Fuel?
• What About the Spent Fuel?
• What about SAFETY ?
• Why Nuclear?
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Safety Brief
• Standard Westinghouse practice to start off every
meeting with a Safety Brief which can be related to:
–
–
–
–
Nuclear safety
Personnel safety
Recent industry safety event
Changes in work environment that may present a
potential safety situation
– Others
• For this presentation I would like to make sure
everyone is aware of the fire exits and should we ned
to evaluate make sure you do not panic and exit in a
orderly manner (i.e. do not run over your neighbor)
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Westinghouse Electric Company
Four Core Businesses:
Engineering,
Equipment &
Major Projects
Provider of engineering
services and methods for
the design, operation
and safety of nuclear
power plants worldwide.
Integrate and manage
major cross-functional
projects world wide
Nuclear Fuel
A single-source fuel
provider for PWR,
BWR, VVER, AGR, and
Magnox reactors
worldwide
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Automation &
Field Services
Nuclear Power
Plants
Provide Instrumentation
and Control (I&C)
solutions to both
operating and new
nuclear power fleet
worldwide. Provide
Maintenance, repair and
replacement of
equipment.
Specializing in the
technology of new
nuclear power plants
and component
manufacturing
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How is Electricity Produced from Nuclear Fuel?
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Basic Electrical Power Plant
Turbine Generator
Heat
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So, how do we get the “heat” to boil the water from
Uranium?
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The Atom
Basic component of matter
Nucleus
Protons
&
Neutrons
Electrons
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Uranium 235
Symbol represent specific atoms and nuclei
Mass (A)
(number of protons +
number of neutrons)
Atomic number (Z)
(number of protons)
U
235
92
143 Neutrons
Chemical symbol (U for uranium)
All uranium atoms have 92 protons in nucleus
A neutral uranium atom has 92 electrons orbiting the nucleus
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Isotopes of Natural Uranium
• Natural uranium consists of three isotopes:
Uranium-238, Uranium-235, and Uranium-234.
• Uranium isotopes are radioactive.
The nuclei of radioactive elements are unstable.
Uranium Isotopes
Isotope
Uranium-238
Uranium-235
Uranium-234
% in Natural U
99.284
0.711
0.0055
# Protons
# Neutrons
92
146
92
143
92
142
Radioactive decay, also known as nuclear decay or radioactivity, is the process by
which a nucleus of an unstable atom loses energy by emitting particles of ionizing radiation.
A material that spontaneously emits this kind of radiation—which includes the emission of
energetic alpha particles, beta particles, and gamma rays—is considered radioactive.
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Let’s “Split” a U-235 Atom
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Energy Releases from U-235 Fission

Heat
FF = fission fragment
FF
Gamma Ray
Heat
Heat
n
To next
Fission
f
Fast Neutron

Heat
Gamma Ray
Heat
n
th
Heat
n
f
Fast Neutron
Thermal Neutron
FF
Heat
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To next
Fission

Beta
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Ping Pong Ball Chain Reaction
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In Slo-Mo…
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Fission and Energy
The fission process (splitting an atom)
converts mass into energy.
E=
2
mc
The sum of the mass of all the particles is slightly less than the mass of
the original atom and neutron. This missing mass has been converted
to energy.
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Uranium-235 Fission Example
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nergy
From Uranium
Fission
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Energy From Uranium Fission
Amount of Energy Released
(MeV)
Form of Energy Released
Kinetic energy of two fission
fragments
Immediate gamma rays
Delayed gamma rays
Fission neutrons
Energy of decay products of
fission fragments
Gamma rays
Beta particles
Neutrons
168
7
3-12
5
...
7
8
12
Average total energy released
215 MeV
MeV is a multiple of the electron volt unit referring to 1,000,000 eV
1 electron volt = 1.60217657 × 10-19 joules
A joule, is a derived unit of energy, work, or amount of heat
One (1) joule = 2.78×10−7 kW·h
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Combustion vs Fission
• Combustion is a chemical reaction
CH4 +2O2 → CO2 + 2H2O + 2eV
• Fission is a nuclear reaction
n + U-235 → U-236* → FFs + 200,000,000eV
Fission releases 100 MILLION times more energy per
reaction than combustion!
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So The KEY to Harnessing the Heat Produced By
Fission is to CONTROL the Fission Rate
Let’s Explore “The Core”
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Harnessing Nuclear Power
U235: The Fuel in Fuel Rods and Fuel Assembly
12 mm
(~0.47 inches)
20 mm
(~0.79 inches)
A single uranium
fuel pellet the size
of a fingertip
contains as much
energy as:
• 17,000 cubic
feet of natural
gas
• 1,780 pounds of
coal
• 149 gallons of
oil.
~7 grams (0.24 oz)
12 ft
~230 pellets
in a fuel rod
235
92
U
~12 in
~1,450 Lbs
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Reactor Core and Control Rods
Control Rod
Drive
Assembly
Control Rod
Assembly
Fuel
Assembly
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Thermal Neutron Control
1000
Thermal
Neutrons
This is how we
can control the
fissioning of
U-235
START
1000 Thermal
Neutrons
235 U
Fission
-50
Other losses
1330 Fast
Neutrons
-100
Thermal
Capture
-30 Fast
Neutron
Leakage
-150
Thermal
leakage
1300 Fast
Neutrons
Moderator
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Put it all together and you get a
Nuclear Power Plant !
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Harnessing Nuclear Power
Steam Generator
Turbine
Generator
Pressurizer
Reactor Vessel
with Fuel
Condenser
Feedwater
Reactor
Coolant Pump
Feedwater
Pump
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What About the Spent Fuel?
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Spent Fuel
• The concentration of fission fragments and heavy elements
produced in a fuel bundle will increase to the point where it
is no longer practical to continue to use the fuel.
• After 12-24 months the 'spent fuel' is removed from the
reactor.
– Kept in underwater storage for 5-10 years.
– Transferred to “Dry Casks” and stored on site.
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Storage Pool and Dry Cask
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Spent Fuel
• Total amount of spent fuel generated is small and manageable
After 50 years of US plant operations, the high-level waste volume
would fill an area the size of a football field seven yards deep.
With reprocessing, the amount of waste is even less.
• ~62,000 metric tons
• ~½ ton per fuel assembly
• ~ 150,000 assemblies
• Only ~5% is true waste
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Reprocessing
• Only 5% of the fissionable material in fuel is used in a oncethrough cycle.
• In a reprocessing facility, the spent fuel is separated into its
three components: uranium, plutonium, and waste.
• Reprocessing enables recycling of the uranium and
plutonium into fresh fuel
– Produces significantly less waste
(compared with treating all used fuel as waste).
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What about SAFETY ?
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Three Main Safety Barriers
• Fuel pellet and fuel rod
– (Designed to withstand
temperatures up to
22000F)
• Reactor coolant system
– closed loop
– (Designed to withstand
internal pressures up to
2375 psig)
• Containment building
– (Designed to withstand
internal pressures up to
65 psig)
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Containment Building Wall
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Nuclear Power Plants Cannot Result in a
“Nuclear” Explosion!
• Naturally occurring U-235 is 0.711%
concentration and must be “enriched”
• Commercial Grade Fuel: ~3-5% U-235
• Weapons Grade Fuel: >90% U-235
• Much Lower Fuel Enrichment Level
than Weapons Grade Fuel
X
A commercial power reactor simply CANNOT
explode like a nuclear bomb.
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SAFETY – Number 1 Priority
• Safe Operating Record
• 104 Nuclear Plants Operating in US for Decades
• Thousands of Reactor-Years of Safe Operation
Beaver Valley
Nuclear Plant,
Shippingport, PA.
in Operation
since 1976
2 units,
Westinghouse PWR
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Safety of Nuclear Power in the US
There has NEVER been a single death as the result of a
commercial nuclear power accident in the US…
…EVER!!!
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Sources of Radiation Exposure
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Why Nuclear?
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Forecast Electricity Demand by Region
An extensive expansion of installed generating capacity will
be required. 63% increase needed in next 20 years!
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Key Drivers of Global Energy Grand Challenge
Adapted from presentation by Dr. Frank Kreith to
ASME Board on Nuclear Codes & Standards,
September 2007
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Sources of U.S. Electricity
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U.S. Capacity Factors by Fuel Type (2012)
Fuel Type
Average Capacity Factors (%)
Nuclear
86.4
Geothermal
69.2
Biomass
61.9
Gas (Combined Cycle)
55.5
Coal (Steam Turbine)
55.3
Hydro
42.0
Wind
31.3
Solar
27.1
Gas (Steam Turbine)
15.1
Oil (Steam Turbine)
9.5
Source: Ventyx Velocity Suite / Energy Information Administration
Updated: 4/13
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US Nuclear Capacity Factors
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How has technology improved?
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Better Designs from Evolved Technology
- EPR
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Gen III+ Builds on Safety
Inherent Safety
• Passive designs with “walk away” capabilities in the event
of an emergency: 72 hours before human intervention is
needed.
• All lessons learned from 50 years of nuclear power
generation have been incorporated.
• Multiple barriers – “defense in depth”.
• Human error is significantly minimized.
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AP1000® Addresses Safety Risk
U.S. NRC
Requirements
Utility
New Plant
Requirements
Current
Plants
AP1000
Results
Current plants are two times safer
than U.S. NRC requirements.
AP1000 is 100 times safer than current plants.
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AP1000 Passive Core Cooling System
 Simple 2-loop reactor coolant
system with canned motor
pumps
 Use of passive safety systems
 Long-term safe shutdown state:
72 hours without operator
action
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Advancements in Technology
Passive Technology Employs Natural Forces
 Passive Safety replaces
mechanical & electrical
systems which results in
greater safety margins
 Evaporation
 Condensation
 Natural Circulation
 Compressed gasses
(nitrogen, air)
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Advancements in Technology
Retaining the debris in
the reactor vessel
protects the containment
integrity by simply
avoiding the uncertainties
associated with externalvessel accident
phenomena.
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Fact:
“If you got all of your electricity for your life solely
from nuclear power, your share of the waste would
fit in a single soda can. If you got all of your
electricity from coal, your share of waste would be
68.5 tons and fit into six rail cars. This, in addition
to the 77 tons of carbon dioxide emitted, plus other
gases and heavy metals such as lead & mercury.”
Gwyneth Cravens
Science Journalist & Novelist
Author of Power To Save The World The Truth About Nuclear Energy
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Questions?
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