X — 1. Introduction

The CANDU®-SCWR is a pressure tube SCWR reactor concept under development by AECL as part of the Canadian Generation IV program. The main mission of this reactor is expected to be electricity production but other non-electricity applications such as hydrogen production and process heat are also being investigated. Figure X-1 shows a possible layout of the plant. Preliminary design parameters are shown in Table X-1 [2].

The coolant enters the reactor core into the individual pressure tubes at 25MPa and a subcritical temperature of 350oC. The temperature of the coolant rises above the critical point along the fuel channels and exits at about 625oC. The coolant enters the supercritical turbine, which is compact and can be placed inside the containment. Depending on the mission of the reactor, the high — energy stream from the supercritical turbine outlet can be used to generate electricity using conventional turbines or can be used for non-electricity applications.

Heat for co-generation or intermediate/low pressure turbines Drinking water

FIG. X-1. CANDUSCWR schematic.

® CANDU is a registered trademark of Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd (AECL).

The CANDU-SCWCR is similar to a typical CANDU reactor but with the following major differences:

• The lattice pitch is tighter to reduce heavy water cost,

• The coolant is light water at supercritical conditions,

• Uses a modified fuel channel design with internal insulation to accommodate the higher coolant pressure and temperature.