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Conference Article: Analysis of the nuclear heating reactor and its possible application in seawater desalination

Abstract

In order to mitigate the problems of the energy shortage, environmental pollution caused by coal burning and the transport burden in China, the Institute of Nuclear Energy Technology (INET), Tsinghua University, under the support of the state, began the research and development (R and D) of nuclear heating reactor (NHR), which is one of the national key R and D projects in China since the 1980's. Since a 5MW test NHR was completed in November 1989, a lot of experiments have been carried on the NHR-5. The NHR-200 is developed on the experience gained from the design, construction, start-up and operation of the NHR-5. It is designed with a number of advanced and inherent safety features. The main technical and safety features of NHR-200 are: a vessel type light water reactor with the integrated arrangement, full power natural circulation, self-pressurized performance and dual vessel structure. The hydraulic driving system of the control rods is adopted. The design of the NHR-200 insures that the reactor core can be always covered by coolant at any LOCA conditions and the possibility of rods ejection event is excluded by using hydraulic control rods driving system. The excellent performance of the NHR-200 shows that it is suitable to the coupling with a seawater desalination plant from both technical and economic stand. According to the systematic analysis and comparison of economy, technology and safety, the selected coupling design of desalination plant with the NHR-200 are: the steam generator plus multi-effect distillation (MED) process for single water production and the steam generator plus turbine system plus MED process for cogeneration of water-electricity. The economic analysis based on the above mentioned two coupling designs has be conducted. The desalinated water price and its influential factors are determined under present technological circumstances. And some specific proposals of which system to select are given.

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Reference:

Advisory group meeting and consultancy on experience with nuclear heat applications: district heating, process heat and desalination, 13-15 December 1995 and 7-9 February 1996.
Advisory group meeting on technology, design and safety aspects of non-electrical application of nuclear energy, 20-24 October 1997.
Advisory group meeting on operational modes of nuclear desalination plants, 3-5 November 1997.
Advisory group meeting on materials and equipment for the coupling interfaces of nuclear reactors with desalination and district heating plants, 21-23 April 1998.

International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria)

IAEA-TECDOC--1056, pp:235-242