CLINCH RIVER BREEDER REACTOR PROJECT

Asad M.Jan 73 Ibni Amin 74 M.Tariq 75 M.Arshad 76 Kaleem ullah

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INTRODUCTION

The Clinch River Breeder Reactor (CRBRP) Project was a joint effort of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission and the U.S. electric power industry to design and construct a sodium-cooled fast-neutron nuclear reactor. The reactor would have been rated at 1000 megawatts (MW) of thermal output, with a net plant output of 350 MW (electrical) and a gross output of 380 MW

Design Data Of CRBRP

Fuel

= PuO2 mixed oxide Fuel Elements= 0.23in dia rods,217 rods /assembly,156 assemblies Blankets= Depleted UO2,76 inner blanket & 132 radial blanket assemblies Turbine = 3600rpm ,nonreheat ,Total extracted Steam 1.15*10^6 lb/h Power peaking factor = 1.28axial, 1.18radial @ beginning of cycle Fuel burn up =80,000MW day/ton initial core , 110,000 peak Breeding ratio = 1.24 , 30years doubling time Core Temperatures = Fuel cladding wall , max.1215F ; Sodium 730F inlet, 995F outlet Steam systems = Two Evaporators and one super heater / loop, 3.33*10^6lb /hr each, Super heater outlet 906F ,1535psi,feed water 468F , to steam separator drum ,548F to evaporator Gross thermal efficiency =39%

Project Cost And Reactor design

Atomic Energy Commission estimated that the Clinch River project would cost about $400 million. The reactor core was designed to contain 198 hexagonal fuel assemblies, The inner core would have contained 18% plutonium and would have consisted of 108 assemblies. Outer zone consisted of 90 assemblies of 24% plutonium to promote more uniform heat generation

Reactor Core

It is composed of 156 fuel assemblies. Interspersed with 76 inner blankets,6 assemblies for inner blanket and 15 control assemblies. The mix is surrounding by 132 radial blanket assemblies which in turn surrounded by 306 radial shield assemblies.

The Reactor

The reactor vessel is 59ft high,27ft in diameter and weighs 505 tons. The vessel wall is kept below 900F by directing 2per of sodium flow between annulus and 25 ft stainless steel thermal liner. 25 Ft dia,47ft high guard vessel surrounds the liner and provide secondary containment. The upper closure head assembly contains penetration for control rod assemblies and independently rotatable plugs for refueling system,

HEAT TRANSFER SYSTEM

The reactor is connected to three primary loop, each connected to three independent intermediate loops. In each loop sodium enters the reactor vessel at 730F and exits at 995F. A primary sodium pump pumps the hot sodium to an intermediate heat exchanger at 33700gal/min and a pressure of 175psi. The primary sodium returns to the reactor via check valve and a flow meter.

Steam generating System:

It used three steam loops. In each, a steam drum receives heated feed water from steam power cycle Then steam separates from water and goes to super heater There it receives heat from sodium & leaves drum as a mixture of H2O & steam Then steam enters The super heater & evaporator Then from here it goes to Steam plant

Steam plant

It has three low pressure sections It has two Evaporators and one super heater / loop, 3.33*10^6lb /hr each, Super heater outlet 906F ,1535psi,feed water 468F , to steam separator drum ,548F to evaporator Condensate is pumped from condenser to demeneralizer (consist of three parallel ion exchangers) Then flows to the LPFWH Then pumped to the HPFWH At last to the Heat sink.