TECHNOLOGY

Generation III

ACR reactor

AECL whose owner is Canadian government (the same company offers EC6 reactor) developed much more innovative design of the nuclear reactor. It is Advanced Candu Reactor, known as ACR-1000. It is fully gen III+ design with many enhancements according to older AECL's reactors. The first difference is ACR uses enrichment uranium and as the consequence there is no need to cool reactor with heavy water. ACR is heavy water moderated but light water cooled. This improvement reduces capital cost, makes fuel burn-up higher and extends reactor service time to 60 years (with pressure tube replacement after 30 years). Additionally amount of high radioactive wastes is reduced. Moreover efficiency is up to 40% and design is MOX, actinides and thorium fuel capable. Reactor power capacity is 1080-1200 MWe.

The design has modular construction, with prefabricated elements, what leads to reducing construction time to only 42 months. ACR is optimal to be built in pairs, however single build is possible.

Safety is ensured by negative void reactivity, (older Candu did not have this feature) what come from PWR/BWR designs. During cooling system accident reactor power is decreasing automatically. Moreover ACR contains passive safety system and doubled, independent fast reactor shut-down systems.

AECL is on the way to ACR certification in Canada, and possibly in the near future in USA and UK. The ACR is planned for new Ontario power plant in 2016.

Another Candu X reactor is developing. The newest design would operate with supercritical light water cooling, and efficiency 40% (thermal). AECL predicts Candu X at the market after 2020. [35],[36],[37],[41],[49]

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