C Shivakumar
Chennai:
The 500 Mega Watt Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) in Kalpakkam,
which is an important milestone for India's three-stage nuclear power
programme, is likely to attain criticality by either June or July and
is expected to be commercialized by last quarter of 2016, according to
the new chairman and managing director of Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut
Nigam Limited (BHAVINI), Dr. Perumal Chellapandi who is also currently
spearheading the design of two more Fast Breeder Reactors, each of
600MWe capacity.
Talking to Express, Chellapandi, said that the commissioning of PFBR
will be executed in three major phases.
The first phase will be handled by sodium technologists. This includes
various isothermal tests besides filling up of liquid sodium, heating
it for conducting various tests including vibration checks. This will
be done without introducing any fuel in the core.
After this, the second phase will begin with loading of fuel. This
will be handled by reactor physicists. During this phase, PFBR will
attain criticality either by June or July 2015.
"The dummy subassemblies which are currently in the core locations
will be replaced with fuel subassemblies, to make the reactor critical
and some heat will be generated in a sustainable manner. The aim is to
attain criticality with nearly zero power.
“The data generated in this phase will also be used to validate the
reactor physics simulation codes," said Chellapandi, who has vast
experience in the field of design of fast breeder reactors and has
been recognized as the global icon amongst the fast breeder reactor
technology community.
Following this, the reactor will be handled by power plant experts.
They will be looking at all aspects of generation of electricity from
the heat generated from the reactor core. This could happen by
September 2015. "By September, the reactor may produce some fraction
of nominal power. We will be conducting trials as a confidence
building exercise," the Distinguished Scientist of Department of
Atomic Energy said.
The reactor then with nominal power would go in for commercialization
by the last quarter of 2016, Chellapandi said.
Interestingly, for this reactor, India has chosen the closed fuel
cycle option under which the spent fuel discharged from the reactor is
reprocessed to extract the fissile materials from it. The closed fuel
cycle is part of India's phased expansion of nuclear power generation
extending through the second and third stages, whereby full energy
potential of Uranium and Thorium can be exploited efficiently.
Chennai:
The 500 Mega Watt Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) in Kalpakkam,
which is an important milestone for India's three-stage nuclear power
programme, is likely to attain criticality by either June or July and
is expected to be commercialized by last quarter of 2016, according to
the new chairman and managing director of Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut
Nigam Limited (BHAVINI), Dr. Perumal Chellapandi who is also currently
spearheading the design of two more Fast Breeder Reactors, each of
600MWe capacity.
Talking to Express, Chellapandi, said that the commissioning of PFBR
will be executed in three major phases.
The first phase will be handled by sodium technologists. This includes
various isothermal tests besides filling up of liquid sodium, heating
it for conducting various tests including vibration checks. This will
be done without introducing any fuel in the core.
After this, the second phase will begin with loading of fuel. This
will be handled by reactor physicists. During this phase, PFBR will
attain criticality either by June or July 2015.
"The dummy subassemblies which are currently in the core locations
will be replaced with fuel subassemblies, to make the reactor critical
and some heat will be generated in a sustainable manner. The aim is to
attain criticality with nearly zero power.
“The data generated in this phase will also be used to validate the
reactor physics simulation codes," said Chellapandi, who has vast
experience in the field of design of fast breeder reactors and has
been recognized as the global icon amongst the fast breeder reactor
technology community.
Following this, the reactor will be handled by power plant experts.
They will be looking at all aspects of generation of electricity from
the heat generated from the reactor core. This could happen by
September 2015. "By September, the reactor may produce some fraction
of nominal power. We will be conducting trials as a confidence
building exercise," the Distinguished Scientist of Department of
Atomic Energy said.
The reactor then with nominal power would go in for commercialization
by the last quarter of 2016, Chellapandi said.
Interestingly, for this reactor, India has chosen the closed fuel
cycle option under which the spent fuel discharged from the reactor is
reprocessed to extract the fissile materials from it. The closed fuel
cycle is part of India's phased expansion of nuclear power generation
extending through the second and third stages, whereby full energy
potential of Uranium and Thorium can be exploited efficiently.
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