C O U R S E -

P O W E R P L A N T
E N G I N E E R I N G

L e ct u re

M E-311 (POWE R PL ANT ENG INEERING ) 1

Content

o Principle of Nuclear Reactor

o PWR, BWR

M E-311 (POWE R PL ANT ENG INEERING ) 2

 Types of Power Plant
❑ COAL THERMAL POWER PLANT
➢ In coal thermal power plants The heat
produce by burning fossil fuel materials boils
water and transform it into steam.
➢ The steam is then piped to a turbine. -The
impulses of turbine moves the turbine. -
Finally, steam is condensed and move into the
boiler to repeat the cycle.
➢ Rotation of the turbine rotates the generator to
produce electricity.
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M E-311 (POWE R PL ANT ENG INEERING )
 Nuclear (Atomic) Power Plant
▪ Working principle :

▪ A nuclear power plant works in a similar way as a thermal power

plant. The difference between the two is in the fuel they use to heat
the water in the boiler(steam generator).

▪ Inside a nuclear power station, energy is released by nuclear

fission in the core of the reactor.

▪ 1 kg of Uranium U235 can produce as much energy as the burning

of 4500 tonnes of high grade variety of coal or 2000 tonnes of oil.
 Nuclear chain reaction
proton
neutron
U-235 nucleus

Neutrons released in fission

trigger the fissions of other nuclei
 Nuclear (Atomic) Power Plant…

▪ Chain Reaction…

▪ Uranium exists as an isotope in the form of U235 which is

unstable.

▪ When the nucleus of an atom of Uranium is split, the neutrons released

hit other atoms and split them in turn. More energy is released each
time another atom splits. This is called a chain reaction.
 Nuclear (Atomic) Power Plant…
Nuclear fission:
Nuclear fission…

Nuclear fission: heavy nuclei split into two smaller

parts in order to become more stable
proton Kr-92 nucleus
neutron

energy

U-235 nucleus

Ba-141 nucleus
 Nuclear Fission…

• It is a process of splitting up of nucleus of fissionable material like

uranium into two or more fragments with release of enormous
amount of energy.
• The nucleus of U235 is bombarded with high energy neutrons

U235+0n1 Ba 141+Kr92+2.50n1+200 MeV energy.

• The neutrons produced are very fast and can be made to fission
other nuclei of U235, thus setting up a chain reaction.
• Out of 2.5 neutrons released one neutron is used to sustain the
chain reaction.

1 eV = 1.6X10-19 joule.
1 MeV = 106 eV
 Nuclear (Atomic) Power Plant…
Nuclear fission…
▪ U235 splits into two fragments (Ba141 & K92) of
approximately equal size.
▪ About 2.5 neutrons are released. 1 neutron is used to
sustain the chain reaction. 0.9 neutrons is absorbed
by U238 and becomes Pu239. The remaining 0.6
neutrons escapes from the reactor.
▪ The neutrons produced move at a very high velocity
of 1.5 x 107 m/sec and fission other nucleus of U235. Note : Moderators are
Thus fission process and release of neutrons take provided to slow down the
place continuously throughout the remaining neutrons from the high
velocities but not to absorb
material. them.
▪ A large amount of energy(200 Million electron
volts, Mev) is produced.
 Nuclear (Atomic) Power Plant…

Principal parts of a
nuclear Reactor:

Core : Here the nuclear fission process takes place.

Moderator : This reduces the speed of fast moving neutrons. Most moderators
are graphite, water or heavy water.
 Nuclear (Atomic) Power Plant…

Principal parts of a nuclear reactor…

Control rods :
Control rods limit the number of fuel atoms that
can split. They are made of boron or cadmium
which absorbs neutrons
Coolant : They carry the intense heat generated.
Water is used as a coolant, some
reactors use liquid sodium as a coolant.
Fuel : The fuel used for nuclear fission is U235
isotope.
Radiation shield : To protect the people
working from radiation and (thermal
shielding) radiation fragments.
 Uncontrolled nuclear reaction

The chain reaction is not the rate of fission

slowed down increases rapidly

a huge amount of
Nuclear bomb energy is released
very quickly
Nuclear reactors

Nuclear power plant: Rate of fission is controlled by

artificial means to generate electricity

The Daya Bay Nuclear

Power Station
 Nuclear (Atomic) Power Plant…

Types of Nuclear power plant: Main two types are :

* Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR)
* Boiling Water Reactor (BWR)
 Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR)

▪ Heat is produced in the reactor due to

nuclear fission and there is a chain
reaction.
▪ The heat generated in the reactor is
carried away by the coolant (water or
heavy water) circulated through the
core.
▪ The purpose of the pressure equalizer is
to maintain a constant pressure of 14
MN/m2. This enables water to carry more
heat from the reactor.
▪ The purpose of the coolant pump is to
pump coolant water under pressure into
the reactor core.
 Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR)

▪ The steam generator is a heat exchanger where the

heat from the coolant is transferred on to the water
that circulates through the steam generator. As the
water passes through the steam generator it gets
converted into steam.
▪ The steam produced in the steam generator is sent
to the turbine. The turbine blades rotate.
▪ The turbine shaft is coupled to a generator and
electricity is produced.
▪ After the steam performing the work on the turbine
blades by expansion, it comes out of the turbine as wet
steam. This is converted back into water by circulating
▪ The feed pump pumps back the condensed water into
the steam generator.
Schematic diagram of a nuclear power plant with PWR
steam (high pressure) electric
power
control rods
generator
reactor
fuel core turbine steam (low
rods pressure)
water
(hot)

steam coolant in
generator steam condenser
pump

water coolant out

(cool)
reactor pump
pressure water (low
vessel water (high pressure)
pressure)

primary loop secondary loop

 steam (high
pressure) electric
power
control rods

fuel rods They contain the nuclear fuel:

turbine steam (low
water uranium (U-235) pressure)
(hot)
They are surrounded by a
steam coolant into
moderator (water or graphite)
steam condenser
generator
slow down the neutrons released.
water coolant out
(cool)
reactor pump
pressure water (low
vessel water (high pressure)
pressure)
primary loop secondary loop
control steam (high pressure) electric

rods They control the rate of byreaction

power
moving in and out of the reactor.

fuel
Move in: rate of reaction
turbine steam (low
rods water Move out: rate ofpressure)
reaction
(hot)
All are moved in: the reactor is
steam coolant in
shut down
generator steam condenser
They are made of boron or
water
(cool) cadmium that can absorb neutrons.
coolant out
reactor pump
pressure water (low
vessel water (high pressure)
pressure)
primary loop secondary loop
 steam (high
pressure) electric
power
control rods

fuel turbine steam (low

rods water pressure)
(hot)

steam coolant in
generator steam condenser

water coolant out

(cool)
reactor pump
pressure water (low
vessel water (high pressure)
pressure)
Two separate water systems are used to avoid
radioactive
primary loop substances to reach
secondary loop the turbine.
 steam (high pressure) electric
power
The energy
control rods
released in
fuel turbine
fissions heats up
steam (low
rods the water around
pressure)
water
(hot) the reactor.
steam The water in
coolant inthe
generator steam condenser
secondary loop
water is boiled to
reactor
(cool) pump steam.coolant out
pressure water (low
vessel water (high pressure)
pressure)
primary loop secondary loop
 Boiling Water Reactor (BWR)

▪ The water is circulated through the reactor

where it converts to water steam mixture.
▪ The steam gets collected above the steam
separator.
▪ This steam is expanded in the turbine which
turns the turbine shaft.
▪ The expanded steam coming out of the
turbine is condensed and is pumped back as
feed water by the feed water pump into the
reactor core.
▪ Also the down coming recirculation water
from the steam separator is fed back to the
reactor core.
 Nuclear (Atomic) Power Plant…
▪ Advantages of Nuclear power plant:
▪ Space required is less when compared with other power plants.
▪ Nuclear power plant is the only source which can meet the increasing
demand of electricity at a reasonable cost.
▪ A nuclear power plant uses much less fuel than a fossil-fuel plant. 1 metric
tonne of uranium fuel = 3 million metric tonnes of coal = 12 million
barrels of oil.

▪ Disadvantages of Nuclear power plant:

▪ Radioactive wastes must be disposed carefully, otherwise it will
adversely affect the health of workers and the environment as a whole.
▪ Maintenance cost of the plant is high.
Nuclear waste

They are highly radioactive

Many of them have very long half-lives.

Radioactive waste must

be stored carefully.
Low level radioactive waste

▪ cooling water pipes, radiation suits, etc.

▪ stored in storage facilities
▪ radioactivity will fall to a safe level after 10 to
50 years.
 High level radioactive waste

• used nuclear fuel

• highly radioactive
• embedded in concrete and
stored deep underground for
several thousand years
Nuclear fusion
Nuclear fusion: light nuclei fuse together to form a
heavier nucleus
Nuclear fusion…
Nuclear fusion: light nuclei fuse together to form a
heavier nucleus

deuterium nucleus neutron

energy

helium
tritium nucleus nucleus
proton
neutron
H-2 + H-3 He-4 + n + energy
End of Lecture
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Any Query?

M E-311 (POWE R PL ANT ENG INEERING ) 31