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| Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country | India |
| Location | Sadras |
| Coordinates | 12°33′11″N 80°10′24″E / 12.55306°N 80.17333°E |
| Status | Under construction |
| Construction began | October 2004 |
| Construction cost | 5677 crore |
The Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) is a 500MWe fast breeder nuclear reactor presently being constructed in Kalpakkam, India.[1] The Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) is responsible for the design of this reactor. As of 2007 the reactor was expected to begin functioning in 2010.[2] As of April 2011, it was expected to be commissioned in 2012.[3] India has a strong interest of proving the viability of this reactor type, since it can use the thorium fuel cycle and the world's second largest proven reserves of thorium are situated in India. The Kalpakkam PFBR is using uranium-238 not thorium, to breed new fissile material, in a sodium-cooled fast reactor design. The power island of this project is being engineered by Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, largest power equipment utility of India.
The surplus plutonium (or uranium-233 for thorium reactors) from each fast reactor can be used to set up more such reactors and grow the nuclear capacity in tune with India's needs for power.
Technical details edit
The reactor will use sodium as the coolant. It shall generate electrical power of 500MW. It will make use of MOX fuel, a mixture of PuO2 and UO2. A fuel burnup of 100GWd/t is expected. It will have an operational life of 40 years.
Safety considerations edit
The fact that PFBR will be cooled by liquid sodium creates additional safety requirements to isolate the coolant from the environment, since sodium explodes if it comes into contact with water and burns when in contact with air. Another hazard associated with the use of sodium as a coolant is the absorption of neutrons to generate the radioactive isotope Na-24.[4]
There are two independent shutdown systems installed, designed to shut the reactor down effectively within a second. The reactor also has decay heat removal systems consisting of four independent circuits of 8MWt capacity each.[5]
External links edit
References edit
- ^ Great expectations, by Baldev Raj, S.C. Chetal and P. Chellapandi, Nuclear Engineering International, January 8, 2010.
- ^ http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/apr/27reactor.htm
- ^ Subramanian, T. S. (April 2011). "Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor 'has independent safety mechanisms". The Hindu. Chennai, India.
- ^ Popular Science. Popular Science magazine, Apr 1978.
- ^ http://www.dae.gov.in/ni/nimar04/design.pdf.
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Category:Liquid metal fast reactors Category:Nuclear energy in India
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