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PWR vs BWR Nuclear Reactors Guide

This document discusses two main types of nuclear power plants: pressurized water reactors (PWR) and boiling water reactors (BWR). PWRs keep water under high pressure so steam is not formed in the reactor, while BWRs allow water to boil in the reactor. Both use enriched uranium fuel and light water as a moderator. The main advantages of PWRs are lower costs and more compact size, while BWRs have slightly higher efficiency due to eliminating heat exchangers. However, both reactor types also have some disadvantages related to safety, flexibility, and costs.

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54 views6 pages

PWR vs BWR Nuclear Reactors Guide

This document discusses two main types of nuclear power plants: pressurized water reactors (PWR) and boiling water reactors (BWR). PWRs keep water under high pressure so steam is not formed in the reactor, while BWRs allow water to boil in the reactor. Both use enriched uranium fuel and light water as a moderator. The main advantages of PWRs are lower costs and more compact size, while BWRs have slightly higher efficiency due to eliminating heat exchangers. However, both reactor types also have some disadvantages related to safety, flexibility, and costs.

Uploaded by

HAMID
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Nuclear Power Plants

o In this lecture, we will discuss Nuclear Power


Plant, which includes:
o Types of Nuclear power plants
PWR Nuclear Reactor
PWR Nuclear Reactors
o In the PWR (70% of reactors in the world) the water is kept under high pressure
so that steam is not formed in the reactor.
o PWR is light water reactors.

o Such an arrangement reduces the risk of radiation in the steam.

o High cost of construction by requiring a secondary loop for the steam generator.
o Slightly enriched Uranium is used as fuel.

o Only primary loop is shielded, which is contaminated by radioactivity inside the


core of nuclear power plant.
BWR Nuclear Reactor
o BWR and PWR

are light water reactors.


o BWR also uses water as

moderator.
o Water is boiling in BWR.
o Enriched Uranium as fuel.

o BWR contains single

loop of water
PWR Nuclear Reactors
o Advantages:

o It is cheap as ordinary water is used as moderator and coolant.

o It is very compact in size as compared to other reactors.

o Power density of reactor is relatively high.

o There is a possibility of breeding plutonium by providing a blanket of U-238.

o Reactor takes care of the load variation by using the pressurizer and surge tank

o Disadvantages.

o Low thermal efficiency (approximately 20%).

o Greater heat loss due to use of heat exchanger.

o Due to high pressure ,a strong pressure vessel is required.

o There is lack of flexibility in recharging.

o More safety device is required.

o Expensive cladding material is required to avoid corrosion.


BWR Nuclear Reactors
o Advantages:
o Less costlier than PWR due to reduction of cost in heat exchanger.
o It is more efficient than PWR as there is no heat loss component in the heat exchanger.
o The pressure of vessel is less as compared to PWR as water is allowed to boil in the reactor. it also
reduces the cost of the vessel.
o BWR is more stable than PWR.
o The temperature of the metal surface is lower as compared to PWR.
o Disadvantages.
o Since steam is produced from water which is passing through the reactor, the radioactive
contamination of turbine mechanism is possible. Better steam pipes are required to avoid
radioactive fears.
o Waste of steam will also lower the efficiency of the plant.
o It is not possible to meet sudden load increase.
o Power density of BWR is lower than PWR and hence the size of the vessel is larger than PWR for
the same output

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