Fundamentals of Nuclear Power Plant Design
Posted by Syeilendra Pramuditya on August 11, 2009
To design an NPP, calculations and analyses have to be performed (at least) to answer the following basic questions:
Core neutronics design
- Is the reactor critical?
- What is the core reactivity lifetime?
- What is the core power distribution (axial and radial)?
- Are the reactivity coefficients within acceptable limits?
Core thermal hydraulics design
- Can I remove the heat generated in the core while maintaining the fuel clad at an acceptable temperature during steady state operations?
- Will the fuel centerline temperature be acceptable under the same conditions?
- Can I prevent the fuel or cladding damage in the event of certain foreseeable accidents?
- How do system design and behavioral uncertainties impact the answers to the above questions?
Balance of plant design
- How much surface area does the steam generator require?
- What is the minimum steam generator tube thickness allowed?
- What will be the flowrate of the secondary systems fluids?
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