Fast Reactors and Accelerator Driven Systems Knowledge Base

Conference Article: A floating desalination/co-generation system using the KLT-40 reactor and Canadian RO desalination technology

Abstract

As the global consumption of water increases with growing populations and rising levels of industrialization, major new sources ofpotable water production must be developed. To address this issue efficiently and economically, a new approach has been developed in Canada for the integration of reverse osmosis (RO) desalination systems with nuclear reactors as an energy source. The resulting nuclear desalination/cogeneration plant makes use of waste heat from the electrical generation process to preheat the RO feedwater, advanced feedwater pre-treatment and sophisticated system design integration and optimization techniques. These innovations have led to improved water production efficiency, lower water production costs and reduced environmental impact. The Russian Federation is developing the KL T-40 reactor for application as a Floating Power Unit (FPU). The reactor is ideally suited for such purposes, having had many years of successful operation as a marine propulsion reactor aboard floating nuclear powered icebreakers and other nuclear propelled vessels. Under the terms of a cooperation agreement with the Russian Federation Ministry of Atomic Energy, CANDESAL Enterprises Ltd. has evaluated the FPU, containing two KLT-40 reactors, as a source of electrical energy and waste heat for RO desalination. A design concept for a floating nuclear desalination complex consisting of the FPU and a barge mounted RO desalination unit has been analyzed to establish preliminary performance characteristics for the complex. The FPU, operating as a barge mounted electricalgenerating station, provides electricity to the desalination barge. In addition, the condenser cooling water from the FPU is used as a source of preheated feedwater for the RO system on the desalination barge. The waste heat produced by the electrical generating process is suffient to provide RO feedwater at a temperature of about 10°C above ambient seawater temperature. Preliminary design studies have indicated that under these conditions approximately 100,000 m3/d ofpotable water can be produced. The use ofpreheated feedwater results in an improvement in water production efficiency of up to about 15% relative to a system operating at the ambient seawater temperature. This preliminary design study has shown that significant improvements in tie cost of water production can be achieved through this “marriage ” of Russian small reactor technology and Canadian RO technology. The potential benefits warrant further detailed evaluation followed by a demonstration project.

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Reference:

Advisory group meeting on small power and heat generation systems on the basis of propulsion and innovative reactor technologies. Obninsk (Russian Federation) 20-24 Jul 1998

International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria)

IAEA-TECDOC--1172, pp:46-57