XYLENE POWER LTD.

FNR-300 SPECIFICATIONS

By Charles Rhodes, P.Eng., Ph.D.

This preliminary specification sheet summarizes the results of the FNR-300 Design set out at www.xylenepower.com > Nuclear Power

OVERVIEW:
The FNR-300 is a fast neutron reactor. A 20 m diameter sodium pool contains vertical fuel tubes that passively maintain a sodium surface temperature of 460 degrees C. Heat is removed from this sodium pool via 48 perimeter intermediate heat exchange bundles containing isolated and inductively pumped NaK. The NaK is heat exchange coupled to external low pressure nitrate salt and synthetic heat transfer fluid (HTF) loops. The reactor thermal power is controlled by modulating the nitrate salt and HTF flow rates. The conveyed heat flows to steam generators that feed turbogenerators for electricity production.
 

PURPOSE:
Provide a modular power FNR with a thermal power output that is continuously variable from 80 MWt to 1000 MWt. Normal operationis intended to be at 840 MWt. Each module to be factory fabricated and truck/rail transportable. To the extent possible use existing readily available materials and technology.
 

REALESTATE:
The nuclear power plant is intended for urban installation on a property 114 m X 114 m (one square city block) surrounded by perimeter roadways at least 20 m wide. Hence the minimum site size including perimeter roads is 154 m X 154 m.

The central Reactor and Heat Exchange Gallery building footprint is: 49 m X 49 m

The interior lane width between buildings: 10 m

Each FNR-300 may need up to 12 remote sites for 50 m high remote cooling towers. Typically each such remote site has a wet/dry cooling tower with a base diameter of 25 m and needs a plot of land about 38 m X 38 m which can be obtained by expropriating two adjacent urban residential lots, each 19 m X 38 m (62.3 ft X 124.6 ft)

If the property is vacant purchase of each such residential lot will likely cost about $1 million. Hence the vacant property cost for the remote cooling towers will be about $24 million. The vacant property value of the reactor site will likely be about another $18 million. In practical realestate expropriation, due to legal costs and demolition of existing structures, the total property acquisition cost for one urban sited FNR will likely be of the order of $100 million.
 

ADOPTED DIMENSIONAL STANDARDS:

SODIUM POOL INSIDE DIAMETER: 20.0 m

SODIUM DEPTH: 15.0 m

ARGON COVER GAS PRESSURE: 101 kPa

SODIUM POOL WALL THICKNESS: 2.0 m

SODIUM SURFACE ELEVATION BELOW THE POOL DECK: 1.0 m

POOL DECK ELEVATION ABOVE GRADE = 2.0 m

FUEL TUBE LENGTH: 6.0 m

INTERMEDIATE HEAT EXCHANGE TUBE LENGTH: 6.0 m

NaK / SALT HEAT EXCHANGE TUBE LENGTH: 6.0 m

NaK / HTF HEAT EXCHANGE TUBE LENGTH: 6.0 m

DISTANCE FROM INSIDE BOTTOM OF SODIUM POOL TO BOTTOM OF FIXED FUEL TUBES: 3.0 m

DISTANCE FROM INSIDE BOTTOM OF SODIUM POOL TO TOP OF OPEN STEEL LATTICE: 1.5 m

OVERALL FUEL BUNDLE LENGTH: 8.00 m

AIRLOCK INSIDE LENGTH: 10.25 m

MAXIMUM EQUIPMENT TRANSFER AIRLOCK OUTSIDE WIDTH: 2.0 m

FUEL BUNDLE TRANSFER AIRLOCK DIAMETER: 24 inches

FUEL BUNDLE LENGTH BELOW FUEL TUBES: 1.5 m

FUEL BUNDLE LENGTH ABOVE FUEL TUBES: 0.5 m

MOVABLE FUEL BUNDLE WITHDRAWAL DISTANCE: 1.1 m

MOVABLE FUEL BUNDLE SUPPORT PIPE MATERIAL: 8 inch schedule 160 pipe, 8.625 inch OD, 0.718 inch wall

MOVABLE FUEL BUNDLE MAXIMUM OUTSIDE DIMENSIONS: [19 X (9 / 16) inch] X [19 X (9 / 16) inch]

FIXED FUEL BUNDLE MAXIMUM OUTSIDE DIMENSIONS: [23 X (9 / 16) inch] X [23 X (9 / 16) inch]

ACTUATOR BOTTOM PLATE SIZE: [19 X (9 / 16) inch] X [19 X (9 / 16) inch]

ACTUATOR STABILIZATION PLATE SIZE: [19 X (9 / 16) inch] X [19 X (9 / 16) inch]

INTERMEDIATE HEAT EXCHANGE MANIFOLD MAXIMUM DIAMETER: 1.00 m________

RADIAL NaK PIPE SIZE: 18.00 inch OD SS, 0.375 inch wall

NaK INDUCTION PUMP BARREL SIZE: 24 inch SS, 24.000 inch OD, 0.375 inch wall

RADIAL NITRATE SALT PIPE SIZE: 8 inch, 8.625 inch OD, 0.322 inch wall

RADIAL HTF PIPE SIZE: 8 inch, 8.625 inch OD, 0.322 inch wall

THICKNESS OF GAMMA RADIATION ABSORBING REINFORCED CONCRETE WALL: 1.0 m

PRIMARY SODIUM POOL SPACE: Octagonal 25 m inside face to inside face

CERAMIC FIBER INSULATED WALL AND CEILING THICKNESS: 1.0 m

SERVICE ACCESS SPACE WIDTH: 1.0 m for walls above pool deck, 2.5 m below pool deck

STRUCTURAL ENCLOSURE CONCRETE WALL THICKNESS: 1.0 m

STRUCTURAL ENCLOSURE OUTSIDE DIMENSIONS: 31 m X 31 m

FNR DOME ROOF PLAN VIEW OUTSIDE DIMENSIONS: 33 m X 33 m

HEAT EXCHANGE GALLERY INSIDE WIDTH: 8.0 m

HEAT EXCHANGE GALLERY OUTSIDE WALL THICKNESS: 1.0 m

MAXIMUM FNR DOME HEIGHT ABOVE GRADE: 26.2 m

DOME MAXIMUM HEIGHT ABOVE SUPPORTING CONCRETE WALL: 6.5 m

SUPPORTING CONCRETE WALL MAXIMUM HEIGHT ABOVE GRADE: 19.7 m

FOUNDATION UPPER SURFACE DEPTH BELOW GRADE: 17 m

MAXIMUM NATURAL DRAFT COOLING TOWER HEIGHT ABOVE GRADE: 50 m

DOME CONTAINED SODIUM FIRE SUPPRESSENT VOLUME:_______

POLAR GANTRY CRANE MAXIMUM RATED LOAD: 10 tonnes

FNR RATED ELECTRICAL OUTPUT POWER: 250 MWe

FNR GROSS THERMAL POWER: 1000 MWt

FNR FULL LOAD SODIUM SURFACE TEMPERATURE:
460 degrees C

FULL LOAD NaK RETURN TEMPERATURE TO INTERMEDIATE HEAT EXCHANGE BUNDLES:
390 degrees C

FNR SODIUM RETURN TEMPERTURE:
400 deg C

FUEL BURNUP FRACTION / FUEL CYCLE:
~ 15%

FEATURES:
- High utilization of depleted uranium
- Little long lived fuel waste
- No decommissioning waste
- Safe for urban installation and maintenance
- Suitable for urban district heating
- High availability due to many redundant heat transport and electricity generation paths

Metallic TRU-Zr core fuel rods, metallic U-Zr blanket fuel rods, natural sodium circulation, NaK induction pump assisted natural circulation, passive high temperature fission reaction shutdown, two independent emergency cold shutdown systems, no critical moving parts, 945 active fuel bundles, gamma ray emission, temperature and vertical position sensing for each of 464 movable fuel bundles, independent vertical position control for each movable fuel bundle, 8 independent heat transport/electricity generation subsystems for high heat removal and electricity supply reliability, reactor site sufficiently above local flood level for certain exclusion of flood water from sodium, four independent on-site cooling towers for safety and minimum environmental impact, 12 remote cooling towers, overhead dome withstands tornados, perimeter wall withstands jihadi low angle air attacks.
 

MODULAR EQUIPMENT:
The nuclear power plant (NPP) is field assembled from truck transportable modules. A fuel bundle inside its biosafety transportation container can be transported by a conventional 18 wheel flat deck truck. Apart from the gantry crane cross beams, all the steel beams and pipe sections are less than 15.8 m in overall length for ease of transport. Automatic deep penetration stainless steel field welding is used to field assemble the liquid sodium pool.

REACTOR SITE:
Must have a stable bedrock base with sufficient elevation and natural drainage with respect to nearby major rivers and water bodies to ensure no possibility of flooding; Local water table must always be below the outside bottom of the sodium pool.
Realestate must be architecturally suitable for locating 4 X 50 m high wet/dry cooling towers on site corners and 1 central 26.5 m high dome.

REMOTE COOLING TOWER SITES:
There must be 12 remote sites, each 38 m X 38 m suitable for accommodating 50 m high remote wet/dry cooling towers.

COOLING TOWERS:
Each cooling tower is 25 m in diameter at the base, 17 m in diameter at the throat, rises 50 m above grade and is served by 24 inch OD supply and return water pipes with variable speed pumped treated water and with evaporation water flow control. Each cooling tower has variable air flow dampers for freeze protection.

REACTOR COOLANT:
Pure liquid sodium

INTERMEDIATE COOLANT:
NaK: 60% Na, 40% K by weight

TERTIARTY COOLANTS:
Nitrate solar salt, Synthetic Heat Transfer Fluid

TURBINE WORKING FLUID:
Pure steam

LIQUID SODIUM VOLUME:
~ 4712 m^3 less fuel tube, intermediate heat exchange, open steel lattice, support pillar and hollow steel ball volumes

LIQUID SODIUM MASS:
4712 m^3 X 0.927 tonne / m^3 = _______4368 tonnes

NaK VOLUME:
~ 200 m^3__________

NITRATE SALT VOLUME:
_____________________

SYNTHETIC HEAT TRANSFER FLUID VOLUME:
________________________

REACTOR CORE ZONE HEIGHT:
~ 0.39 m to 0.60 m

TOP AND BOTTOM REACTOR BLANKET THICKNESS:
1.8 m

REACTOR BLANKET AND COOLING ZONE SIDE RADIAL THICKNESS:
6 X 21 X (9 / 16) inch = 70.875 inch = 1.800 m

FUEL ASSEMBLY CORE ZONE FACE TO FACE DISTANCE:
10.0 m

CORE ZONE APPROXIMATE OUTSIDE DIAMETER:
11.34 m

FUEL ASSEMBLY FACE TO FACE DIMENSION:
13.6 m

FUEL BUNDLE ASSEMBLY MAXIMUM OUTSIDE DIAMETER:
14.94

GADOLINIUM NEUTRON ABSORPTION SKIRT DIMENSIONS:
Thickness ~ 4 mm _____
Height = ______
Bottom elevation above floor = _______
Diameter = 15 m

LIQUID SODIUM POOL THERMAL INSULATION:
NaF granules, 2.0 m thick

NaF GRANULAR VOLUME REQUIREMENT:
Pi[((12 m)^2 X 18.0 m) - ((10 m)^2 X 16.0 m)]
= 3117 m^3

LIQUID SODIUM POOL SURFACE TEMPERATURE:
460 deg C

LIQUID SODIUM POOL BOTTOM TEMPERATURE:
400 deg C at full load

LIQUID SODIUM CIRCULATION:
Natural circulation

PARASITIC SODIUM POOL HEAT LOSS VIA THERMAL CONDUCTION:
~ 0.13 MWt

CONDUCTED HEAT REMOVAL:
Forced air through 1 m wide air cooling channel underneath and around the sodium pool

Air cooled surface area of liquid sodium pool outer wall surface:
Pi [(12.0 m)^2 + 24 m (18.0 m)]
= Pi [12.0 m (48.0 m)]
= 1809.6 m^2

OUTER POOL WALL SURFACE HEAT FLUX:
= 130,000 W / 1809.6 m^2
= 71.8 W / m^2

RATED CORE FUEL TUBE WALL TEMPERATURE DROP:
10.0 C

FUEL TUBE INITIAL DIMENSIONS:
0.375 inch OD, 0.036 inch wall, 6.0 m long,
ID = 0.303 inch = 7.6962 mm

FUEL TUBE DIAMETERS AT MAXIMUM PERMITTED 15% LINEAR SWELLING:
0.43125 inch OD, 0.34845 inch ID

ACTIVE FUEL TUBE FILL:
1 core rod X 60 cm, 12 blanket rods X 30 cm

PASSIVE FUEL TUBE FILL:
14 blanket rods X 30 cm

FUEL TUBE OUTSIDE DIAMETER: 0.375 inch

FUEL TUBE CENTER TO CENTER DISTANCE: 0.5625 inch

FUEL TUBE GRID: Square

FUEL TUBE MATERIAL:
HT-9 (85% Fe + 12% Cr), Mo = 1%, Mn < 1.5%, C = 0, Ni = 0

FUEL TUBE DIMENSIONS:
0.375 inch OD, 0.036 inch wall, 6.0 m high

FUEL TUBE WALL FULL LOAD AVERAGE TEMPERATURE DROP:
10.0 degrees C

FUEL TUBE AVERAGE THERMAL FLUX AT OUTSIDE SURFACE:
286,526 W / m^2 = 28.6526 W / cm^2

MAXIMUM THERMAL OUTPUT / FUEL TUBE:
= 10^9 W / 299,776 active fuel tubes = 3.336 kW / active fuel tube

DESIGN THERMAL POWER RISE ALONG VERTICAL SODIUM COOLANT COLUMN:
3.336 kW / 0.389 m = 8.576 kW / m
which indirectly relates the average sodium vertical flow velocity to the vertical temperature drop.

FIXED FUEL BUNDLE:
fuel tubes + bottom grating + outer shroud + 4 outer corner girders
+ 2 diagonal plates + inlet filter + indicator tube

NUMBER OF FUEL TUBES PER FIXED FUEL BUNDLE:
384

NUMBER OF FUEL TUBES PER MOVABLE FUEL BUNDLE:
248

FIXED FUEL BUNDLE MASS:
~ 4 tonnes____

MOVABLE FUEL BUNDLE MASS:
~ 3 tonnes____

ACTIVE REGION:
A physical count shows that the active region contains:
481 fixed fuel bundles
and
464 movable fuel bundles
 

PASSIVE FUEL BUNDLES:
The number of passive fuel bundles of each type is found by taking differences.

Hence the number of passive fixed fuel bundles is:
861 - 481 - 112 = 268 passive fixed fuel bundles.

The number of passive movable fuel bundles is:
828 - 464 - 116 = 248 passive movable fuel bundles.

Hence the total number of passive fuel bundles is:
268 + 248 = 516
 

The total number of active fuel tubes per reactor is given by:
(number of active fixed fuel bundles) X (number of fuel tubes per fixed fuel bundle)
+ (number of active movable fuel bundles) X (number of fuel tubes per movable fuel bundle)
= (481 X 384) + (464 X 248)
= 184,704 + 115,072
= 299,776 active fuel tubes
 

The total number of passive fuel tubes per reactor is given by:
(number of passive fixed fuel bundles) X (number of fuel tubes per fixed fuel bundle)
+ (number of passive movable fuel bundles) X (number of fuel tubes per movable fuel bundle)
= (380 X 384) + (364 X 248)
= 145,920 + 90,272
= 236,192 passive fuel tubes
 

TOTAL NUMBER OF FUEL BUNDLE POSITIONS:
1689

NUMBER OF ACTIVE FUEL BUNDLES:
945

NUMBER OF PASSIVE FUEL BUNDLES:
516

NUMBER OF POTENTIAL COOLING FUEL BUNDLE POSITIONS:
1689 - 945 - 516 = 228

MINIMUM NUMBER OF COOLING FUEL BUNDLE POSITIONS REQUIRED FOR COOLING:
945 / 5 = 188.8 = 189

NUMBER OF MOVABLE ACTIVE FUEL BUNDLES:
464

NUMBER OF FIXED ACTIVE FUEL BUNDLES:
481

NUMBER OF ACTIVE FUEL TUBES:
481 (384) + 464(248) = 184,704 + 115,072
= 299,776 active fuel tubes

THERMAL LOAD / ACTIVE FUEL TUBE:
10^6 kWt / 299,776 active tubes = 3.336 kWt / active fuel tube

NUMBER OF CORE FUEL RODS / FNR:
1 rod / active fuel tube X 299,776 active tubes
= 299,776 core fuel rods

CORE FUEL ROD AT START OF FUEL CYCLE:
6.54 mm OD X 60 cm long, U-238 = 70%, Pu-239 = 20%, Zr = 10%

CORE FUEL BURN-UP:
15% / fuel cycle

CORE ROD ALLOY AT END OF FUEL CYCLE:
62.3% U-238, 12.7% Pu, 10% Zr, 15% fission products

INITIAL CORE ROD OD:
6.54 mm

INITIAL CORE ROD DENSITY:
16.006 gm / cm^3

INITIAL CORE ROD LENGTH:
0.60 m

INITIAL CORE ROD VOLUME:
Pi (0.654 / 2)^2 cm^2 X 60 cm = 20.1556 cm^3

CORE ROD MASS:
20.1556 cm^3 / core rod X 16.006 gm / cm^3
= 322.611 gm / core rod

TOTAL CORE ROD MASS:
299,776 core rods X 0.322611 kg / core rod = 96,711 kg
= 96.7 tonnes

REQUIRED PLUTONIUM MASS:
96.7 tonnes X 0.2 = 19.342 tonnes

NUMBER OF PASSIVE FUEL BUNDLES:
516

NUMBER OF PASSIVE FIXED FUEL BUNDLES:
268

NUMBER OF PASSIVE MOVEABLE FUEL BUNDLES:
248

NUMBER OF PASSIVE FUEL TUBES:
268 (384) + 248 (248) = 102,912 + 61,504
= 164,416 passive fuel tubes

NUMBER OF BLANKET FUEL RODS:
= 299,776 active tubes X 12 blanket rods / active fuel tube
+164,416 passive fuel tubes X 14 blanket rods / passive fuel tube
= 3,597,312 + 2,301,824
= 5,899,136 blanket fuel rods

INITIAL BLANKET ROD ALLOY:
90% U, 10% Zr

BLANKET ROD DENSITY:
15.884 gm / cm^3

BLANKET ROD OD:
7.0 mm

BLANKET ROD LENGTH:
0.30 m

BLANKET ROD VOLUME:
11545.35 mm^3 = 11.545 cm^3

BLANKET ROD MASS:
11.545 cm^3 X 15.884 gm / cm^3
= 183.386 gm / blanket rod

TOTAL BLANKET ROD MASS / REACTOR:
0.183386 kg / rod X 5,899,136 blanket fuel rods
= 1081821.24 kg
=

1081.82124 tonnes

NUMBER OF POTENTIAL FUEL BUNDLE COOLING POSITIONS:
228

NUMBER OF POTENTIAL FIXED FUEL BUNDLE COOLING POSITIONS:
112

NUMBER OF POTENTIAL MOVABLE FUEL BUNDLE COOLING POSITIONS:
116

INTERMEDIATE HEAT EXCHANGE BUNDLE DESIGN:
counter flow, single pass

INTERMEDIATE HEAT EXCHANGE BUNDLE TUBE WALL FULL LOAD TEMPERATURE DROP:
10 C

INTERMEDIATE HEAT EXCHANGE TUBE SIZE:
0.500 OD_______, 0.065 inch wall

INTERMEDIATE HEAT EXCHANGE TUBE LENGTH:
6.0 m

INTERMEDIATE HEAT EXCHANGE TUBE GRID:
square, 0.70 inch________

INTERMEDIATE HEAT EXCHANGE TUBE MATERIAL:
Inconel 600

INTERMEDIATE HEAT EXCHANGE TUBE BUNDLE:
800_______ tubes

INTERMEDIATE HEAT EXCHANGE TUBE BUNDLE MANIFOLD LENGTH:
______

INTERMEDIATE HEAT EXCHANGE BUNDLE TUBED DIAMETERS:
24 inches OD, 38 inch manifold OD and 5.5 inch flange width allowance

INTERMEDATE HEAT EXCHANGER CIRCLE = 18 m diameter. Distance from outer edge of manifold to pool wall = 0.7 m

INTERMEDIATE HEAT EXCHANGE BUNDLE OPERATING PRESSURE:
0.5 MPa gauge pressure

NOMINAL THERMAL FLUX THROUGH EACH INTERMEDIATE HEAT EXCHANGE BUNDLE:
1000 MW / 48 = 20.833 MWt

NUMBER OF NaK INDUCTION PUMPS:
48

NaK INDUCTION PUMP THROAT PIPE:
16 inch OD,0.375 inch wall, Schedule 40SS

NUMBER OF NaK LOOPS:
48

NaK PIPE:
12.75 inch OD, Schedule 40SS

NaK LOOP PRESSURE CONTROL:
Compressed argon in each NaK loop dump tank keeps NaK in heat transport loop. This argon pressure is controlled by a liquid NaK level sensor at the top of each NaK loop.

NUMBER OF NaK/NITRATE SALT HEAT EXCHANGERS (OR SYNTHETIC HTF):
48

NaK loop full load temperature difference = 120 deg C

MAXIMUM TOTAL NaK FLOW:
48 X 0.153 m^3 / s = 8.56 m^3 / s_____

REACTOR THERMAL POWER CONTROL:
Control the nitrate salt flow rate. At full load the nitrate salt return temperature is ~ 320 C due to the action of the steam generator PRV.

NaK LOOP SUPPLY TEMPERATURE AT FULL LOAD:
450 C

NaK LOOP TEMPERATURE DIFFERENTIAL AT FULL LOAD:
450 C - 330 C = 120 deg C

NITRATE SALT LOOP PIPE DIAMETER:
8 inch, 8.625 inch OD, 0.322 inch wall

NUMBER OF STEAM GENERATORS:
48

NUMBER OF CONDENSATE INJECTION PUMPS:
48

TURBOGENERATORS:
8 X 37.5 MWe = 300 MWe
or
16 X 18.75 MWe = 300 MWe

STEAM GENERATOR LIQUID NITRATE SALT TO LIQUID WATER TUBE WALL TEMPERATURE DROP AT FULL LOAD:
10 C

WATER TEMPERATURE IN STEAM GENERATOR AT FULL LOAD:
~ 310 C (608 F)

SATURATED STEAM PRESSURE IN STEAM GENERATOR AT FULL LOAD:
= 10 MPa

MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE TRANSIENT STEAM WORKING PRESSURE:
12 MPa

DRY STEAM TEMPERATURE AT FULL LOAD:
440 C - 40 C = 400 C

DRY STEAM TEMPERATURE AT 10% LOAD:
452 C - 4 C = 438 C

SATURATED STEAM TEMPERATURE:
310 C

FNR START FUEL AVAILABILITY FROM EXISTING CANDU SPENT FUEL:
Sufficient for 7 _____X 300 MWe FNRs

MATERIAL SWELLING CONSTRAINT:
Fuel tube linear diameter swelling should be kept to less than 15% to maintain the specified reactor output power and fuel bundle safety margins. In this respect use of HT-9 or similar Fe-Cr fuel tube material with low Ni and low C is recommended.

INDIVIDUAL FUEL BUNDLE DISCHARGE TEMPERATURE MONITORING:
Uses movable fuel bundle positioning to keep all fuel bundle primary sodium discharge temperatures the same irrespective of uneven fuel bundle fissionable atom concentration and uneven fuel tube swelling. As a fuel bundle ages its thermal output power will gradually decrease due to reduced liquid sodium flow caused by fuel tube swelling.

FOUR INDEPENDENT FISSION SHUTDOWN MECHANISMS:
Movable fuel bundle red group withdrawal, movable fuel bundle black group withdrawal, fission shutdown via fuel thermal expansion, fission shutdown via fuel disassembly.

MELTDOWN PREVENTION:
Mechanical movable fuel bundle insertion rate limit, disassembly of fuel inside sealed fuel tube, shutdown due to local high temperature or local high gamma output, primary sodium floor cover configured to prevent critical mass accumulation if fuel melts.

EARTHQUAKE PROTECTION:
Top surface of primary sodium is not confined. In an earthquake the intermediate heat exchangers move with the pool wall. The fuel assembly remains nearly statioary due to all bering mount. Earthquake induced transient liquid sodium pool level changes of up to 8 m are tolerable without causing a reactivity increase due to exposing reactor core.
Primary liquid sodium waves are partially attenuated by the intermediate heat exchange bundles and the assembly of fuel bundles and gadolinium skirt. The earthquake protection system allows for earthquake induced horizontal pool wall accelerations of up to about 1.25 g._____
 

DUAL ARGON PLANT- By products liquid O2, liquid N2

COMMENTS:
1) The FNR design parameters have been set out in sufficient detail on this web site that a team of competent engineering technologists should be able to proceed with initial CAD drawings.

2) The next step is to meet with persons who have hands on experience with high volume 0..375 inch Fe - Cr steel tube production, welding and quality control to identify the provisions that must be made for automated: fuel rod fabrication, fuel tube and fuel bundle assembly and testing.

3) The reactor fabrication is dominated by proper alloy mixes and automated: fuel rod, fuel tube and fuel bundle production, heat exchange bundle assembly, quality control, and testing issues. Each FNR has over 900,000 gas tight fuel tube end plug welds. This welding must be highly automated. The economics of FNRs is entirely dependent on this manufacturing automation.

4) Moving this project forward likely requires an alliance between an existing 0.375 inch OD steel tube producer, an existing tube and shell type heat exchanger producer and an existing producer of automated tube welding equipment. To be economic weld rejection rate must be very low.

5) There are 945 active fuel bundles of which 464 are movable fuel bundles. The movable fuel bundles must be positioned to keep each movable bundle's full load discharge temperature at 460 C. It is important that the movable fuel bundle position control systems be independent of each other.

6) In normal operation the fuel geometry remains fixed.

7) From a control and safety perspective this power FNR is a collection of 464 controllable heat sources inside a common enclosure. The system must be fault tolerant. A fault in one movable fuel bundle or its actuator must not prevent safe shutdown of adjacent fuel bundles. Shutdown of the 4 nearest neighbor movable fuel bundles should make a faulty movable fuel bundle sub-critical regardless of its insertion depth.

8) From a financial perspective the value of one 300 MWe FNR is:
$4 billion in spent CANDU fuel disposal cost savings plus (300,000 kWe X $6,000/ kWe)
= $4 billion + $1.8 billion
= $5.8 billion
This budget must include the cost of fuel recycling.

9) A FNR will likely be a reasonable financial investment provided that full automation of the fuel recycling system is achieved.

10) Major near term Ontario political considerations are future FNR siting and related electricity transmission and district heating piping planning.

This web page last updated November 3, 2023