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NPD Operating Experience

Abstract

NPD has demonstrated high-capacity factor operation and for the past three years has achieved an average net capacity factor of 98% for the ''winter-peak'' period. The net capacity factor for the year 1966 was 88% and for the period from the end of commissioning (October 1962) to the end of 1966 was 71%. The output of the station has been stretched from 22 MW(e) gross to 25 MW(e) gross. This was aided by the installation of an internal steam separator in the turbine but no basic modifications to the reactor-boiler systems were required. The turbine has also been modified by the installation of chrome steel diaphragms as a solution to an erosion problem. The station also continues as a test facility to develop new components and techniques. This includes the recent successful replacement of two reactor pressure tubes and the conversion of the reactor vault ventilation system to a ''dry'' atmosphere using a molecular sieve to collect heavy-water leakage and control the concentration of acidic oxides of nitrogen. Fuel performance has been excellent and the average burn-up in the core is now 84 MWh/kg U which is slightly above the equilibrium design value. Only three fuel bundles have been found  More>>
Authors:
Horton, E. P. [1] 
  1. Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario, Rolphton, ON (Canada)
Publication Date:
Apr 15, 1968
Product Type:
Conference
Report Number:
IAEA-SM-99/27
Resource Relation:
Conference: Symposium on Heavy-Water Power Reactors, Vienna (Austria), 11-15 Sep 1967; Other Information: 2 refs., 3 figs., 4 tabs.; Related Information: In: Heavy-Water Power Reactors. Proceedings of the Symposium on Heavy-Water Power Reactors| 1001 p.
Subject:
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; BURNUP; FUEL ELEMENT CLUSTERS; HEAT TRANSFER; HEAVY WATER; MOLECULAR SIEVES; NPD REACTOR; PRESSURE TUBES; REACTOR FUELING; STEAM SEPARATORS; STEELS; TURBINES; URANIUM
OSTI ID:
22117052
Research Organizations:
International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria)
Country of Origin:
IAEA
Language:
English
Other Identifying Numbers:
Other: ISSN 0074-1884; TRN: XA13M1004073673
Submitting Site:
INIS
Size:
page(s) 53-63
Announcement Date:
Aug 01, 2013

Citation Formats

Horton, E. P. NPD Operating Experience. IAEA: N. p., 1968. Web.
Horton, E. P. NPD Operating Experience. IAEA.
Horton, E. P. 1968. "NPD Operating Experience." IAEA.
@misc{etde_22117052,
title = {NPD Operating Experience}
author = {Horton, E. P.}
abstractNote = {NPD has demonstrated high-capacity factor operation and for the past three years has achieved an average net capacity factor of 98% for the ''winter-peak'' period. The net capacity factor for the year 1966 was 88% and for the period from the end of commissioning (October 1962) to the end of 1966 was 71%. The output of the station has been stretched from 22 MW(e) gross to 25 MW(e) gross. This was aided by the installation of an internal steam separator in the turbine but no basic modifications to the reactor-boiler systems were required. The turbine has also been modified by the installation of chrome steel diaphragms as a solution to an erosion problem. The station also continues as a test facility to develop new components and techniques. This includes the recent successful replacement of two reactor pressure tubes and the conversion of the reactor vault ventilation system to a ''dry'' atmosphere using a molecular sieve to collect heavy-water leakage and control the concentration of acidic oxides of nitrogen. Fuel performance has been excellent and the average burn-up in the core is now 84 MWh/kg U which is slightly above the equilibrium design value. Only three fuel bundles have been found with sheath failures and none of these was due to a deficiency in the fuel but was as a result of handling problems with the refuelling equipment. In spite of undesirably high maintenance time, the fuelling machines have now inserted over 1000 fuel bundles into the reactor ''on power''. Heavy-water loss rates have been acceptable and are improving. The average loss rate from leaks during 1966 was 210 g/h. A proposal to modify the NPD heavy-water heat transport system to allow boiling is under consideration. (author)}
place = {IAEA}
year = {1968}
month = {Apr}
}