L&T Delivers India's Largest Indigenously Developed Pressurized Heavy-Water Reactor (700 MWe PHWR)

[Echo_419]

Kalpakkam breeder reactor to go on stream
It will signal India’s entry into the next stage of its n-power programme.

The bay where the spent fuel rods of the 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor will be immersed in water and stored. File photo​

The 500-MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam, near here, is getting ready to be commissioned in September. When the reactor goes critical, it will signal India’s triumphant entry into the second stage of its three-stage nuclear power programme.

The PFBR will use plutonium-uranium oxide as fuel and 1,750 tonnes of liquid sodium as coolant. It is called a breeder reactor because it breeds more fuel than it consumes. “We are committed to making the PFBR attain criticality in September,” said P. Chellapandi, chairman and managing director, Bharatiya Nabikhiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI), a public sector undertaking of the Department of Atomic Energy, tasked with building breeder reactors.

The PFBR construction had been completed and equipment energised. “We are awaiting clearance from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) for sodium charging, fuel loading, reactor criticality and then stepping up power generation,” Dr. Chellapandi said.

The AERB had sent several safety committees to the PFBR for inspection of design compliance and component specifications.

Dr. Chellapandi said: “We have kept the sodium frozen in 10 big tanks.

“All heat transport systems, comprising the pipelines, the heat exchanger components and tanks, have been filled with pure argon to avoid any chemical reaction with sodium and oxygen. We have to melt the sodium and pump it into the reactor circuits.”

After the sodium charging, engineers will perform thermal hydraulics experiments to check the functioning of the pumps and the heat exchanger.

Later, the AERB will give clearance for loading the fuel. In the first stage of the nuclear power programme, a fleet of Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors, running on natural uranium, had been built. In the second stage, a series of breeder reactors will come up. Reactors running on thorium will form the third stage.

Source:- Kalpakkam Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor to go on stream - The Hindu

Great news also how is this more advanced than what other countries are building

 

[Chanakya's_Chant]

Great news also how is this more advanced than what other countries are building

India’s PFBR, is the world's second and the only existing/active plutonium-based fast breeder reactor. The first one in France has been decommissioned. With this we will enter the second stage of our nuclear programme.

In the second stage, fast breeder reactors (FBRs) would use a mixed oxide (MOX) fuel made from plutonium-239, recovered by reprocessing spent fuel from the first stage, and natural uranium. In FBRs, plutonium-239 undergoes fission to produce energy, while the uranium-238 present in the mixed oxide fuel transmutes to additional plutonium-239. Thus, the Stage II FBRs are designed to "breed" more fuel than they consume. Once the inventory of plutonium-239 is built up thorium can be introduced as a blanket material in the reactor and transmuted to uranium-233 for use in the third stage.

In third stage we will generate electricity commercially from Thorium based reactors as a part of the thorium cycle - India has the capability to use thorium cycle based processes to extract nuclear fuel. This is of special significance to the Indian nuclear power generation strategy as India has one of the world's largest reserves of thorium, which could provide power for more than 10,000 years, and perhaps as long as 60,000 years.

India's three-stage nuclear power programme - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Echo_419]

India’s PFBR, is the world's second and the only existing/active plutonium-based fast breeder reactor. The first one in France has been decommissioned. With this we will enter the second stage of our nuclear programme.

In the second stage, fast breeder reactors (FBRs) would use a mixed oxide (MOX) fuel made from plutonium-239, recovered by reprocessing spent fuel from the first stage, and natural uranium. In FBRs, plutonium-239 undergoes fission to produce energy, while the uranium-238 present in the mixed oxide fuel transmutes to additional plutonium-239. Thus, the Stage II FBRs are designed to "breed" more fuel than they consume. Once the inventory of plutonium-239 is built up thorium can be introduced as a blanket material in the reactor and transmuted to uranium-233 for use in the third stage.

In third stage we will generate electricity commercially from Thorium based reactors as a part of the thorium cycle - India has the capability to use thorium cycle based processes to extract nuclear fuel. This is of special significance to the Indian nuclear power generation strategy as India has one of the world's largest reserves of thorium, which could provide power for more than 10,000 years, and perhaps as long as 60,000 years.

India's three-stage nuclear power programme - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Any reason why rest of the nations aren't going for such technology

 

[proud_indian]

Any reason why rest of the nations aren't going for such technology

other nations did not pursue these technologies because they were not deprived of uranium supplies as we were.

after nuclear tests in 74, we were sanctioned by nuclear supplier group so we couldn't buy nuclear fuel freely and ingenious uranium sources were scarce . so we had to pursue breeder technology because it generate more fuel than it consumes.
this is the second stage of our three stage nuclear program.

and because we had thorium in abundance that can give us power for virtually thousands of years. so we pursued this technology for our long term power need.
this is the third stage of our three stage nuclear program.

 

[Nair saab]

One of my friend was in fabrication. He told some stories.

I am into Fabrication of Pressure vessels , Heat Exchangers, Cooling coils, Converters and all kind of Static Equipment's required for Power Plants, Refineries, Chemical Plants and Mineral mining and refinery plants ...

Tried my Luck in Punj lloyd and Bharat Forge which are one of Suppliers for NPCIL ... But Sadly Failed...

I can Build these Types of Vessels ... There are not Hundreds but Thousand of Companies in India who can Built these Equipment's ... If we get Big domestic orders we can become world leaders in this field

 

[Abingdonboy]

L&T always impress, give these guys the chance in the defence sector and they will deliver and surpass expectations (and already are in the limited defence deals they have so far ).

 

[Malik Alashter]

Can you match this reactor to some western or Russians one and how advanced is this one thanks.

 

[Chanakya's_Chant]

Can you match this reactor to some western or Russians one and how advanced is this one thanks.

In terms of capacity - India is still behind Russia and the West - Russia's largest nuclear reactors (VVER's) have a output of 1000 MWe whereas the most powerful nuclear reactor in the West - France's ERP nuclaer reactor has an output of 1650 MWe.

But in terms of safety, quality and efficiency - Indian nuclear reactors are comparable to the best in the world - India's indigenously developed 220 MWe Pressurized Heavy-Water Reactor (PHWR's) - the smaller version of this 700 MWe PHWR made history while running continuously for a period 765 days, or a little over two years. Usually, most nuclear plants globally need to be shut down every year for maintenance; only well-maintained facilities can run for longer periods.

With that achievement, the 220 MW reactor had beaten an American unit which ran for 739 days at a stretch and is now ranked number two globally for continuous generation of electricity by a nuclear plant. The pole position is still held by a Canadian reactor, Ontario Power Corporation's Pickering-7 plant, which ran continuously for 894 days before it was shutdown in 1994 - this highlights the efficiency of Indian nuclear reactors.

The PHWRs are a type of reactors that are easier to run for longer periods as fuel can be added into the reactor without shutting them down for maintenance.

Rajasthan Nuclear Plant Makes History, Runs Uninterrupted for Over 2 Years

Apart from that - India offers the cheapest nuclear reactors in the world - the second cheapest are the South Koreans - The Korean OPR-1,000 and APR-1,400 cost $1,876/kwe and $1,556/kwe whereas Indian reactors have an overnight cost of $1,150/kwe.

India builds cheapest nuclear reactors in the world: Govt - The Times of India

 

[HariPrasad]

I am into Fabrication of Pressure vessels , Heat Exchangers, Cooling coils, Converters and all kind of Static Equipment's required for Power Plants, Refineries, Chemical Plants and Mineral mining and refinery plants ...

Tried my Luck in Punj lloyd and Bharat Forge which are one of Suppliers for NPCIL ... But Sadly Failed...

I can Build these Types of Vessels ... There are not Hundreds but Thousand of Companies in India who can Built these Equipment's ... If we get Big domestic orders we can become world leaders in this field

What is your salary?

 

[Nair saab]

What is your salary?

Well its above 100 Thousand ( INR) ...

 

[HariPrasad]

Well its above 100 Thousand ( INR) ...

it is all right. I would have tried for a job for you had it been less. No other purpose. Thanks.

 

[Nair saab]

L&T always impress, give these guys the chance in the defence sector and they will deliver and surpass expectations (and already are in the limited defence deals they have so far ).

L & T is over hyped ... There are way better Companies in India who with proper investor support can overtake them...

L & T had very long market presence and investors just pump in money on market name...

Kalyani Group has a very good future ... they will beat L & T some day ... now a days L & T outsource most of the complicated equipment's ... we should look beyond L & T like established companies there is lot of talent available and better start up companies who are starving for investment ...

I am from the field i know things ... Indians have the mentality to cling to old reputed names ... we must give opportunity to comers like the Chinese Do ... L & T , Tata's are too much small to meet the Engineering needs of a Big country like India ...

We dont want Russian , Chinese , American, French and Japanese companies doing our Engg works on power plant , oil and gas infrastructure and Nuclear power ... we have the pool of talented and qualified Engg who most of them are jobless ... Give us the technology and money ...

Just an frustrated Engineer ...

 

[HariPrasad]

L & T is over hyped ... There are way better Companies in India who with proper investor support can overtake them...

L & T had very long market presence and investors just pump in money on market name...

Kalyani Group has a very good future ... they will beat L & T some day ... now a days L & T outsource most of the complicated equipment's ... we should look beyond L & T like established companies there is lot of talent available and better start up companies who are starving for investment ...

I am from the field i know things ... Indians have the mentality to cling to old reputed names ... we must give opportunity to comers like the Chinese Do ... L & T , Tata's are too much small to meet the Engineering needs of a Big country like India ...

We dont want Russian , Chinese , American, French and Japanese companies doing our Engg works on power plant , oil and gas infrastructure and Nuclear power ... we have the pool of talented and qualified Engg who most of them are jobless ... Give us the technology and money ...

Just an frustrated Engineer ...

Kalyani is certainly impressive. Baba kalyani told that they want to enter into Plane engine also.

 

[Nair saab]

Kalyani is certainly impressive. Baba kalyani told that they want to enter into Plane engine also.

Dont forget Vedanta group... They fell to the politics of Reliance and Rahul gandhi ...

After i have seen what Reliance and Congress Duo did to them in Langigad Orissa I become more anti-Congress... because of them I ran into losses ... I had to shut down my Business, I lost all that I have earned in life plus my reputation ... my dreams dreams shattered ... and I from a employer again became a employee ... I will never forget congress for this...

 

[itachiii]

Dont forget Vedanta group... They fell to the politics of Reliance and Rahul gandhi ...

After i have seen what Reliance and Congress Duo did to them in Langigad Orissa I become more anti-Congress... because of them I ran into losses ... I had to shut down my Business, I lost all that I have earned in life plus my reputation ... my dreams dreams shattered ... and I from a employer again became a employee ... I will never forget congress for this...

what happend sir ?