Advanced CANDU Reactor

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The Advanced CANDU Reactor (ACR) is an AECL Technologies’ design and is the evolutionary development of existing CANDU reactors. It is a light-water-cooled reactor that incorporates features of both Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) and Advanced Pressurized Water Reactors (APWR) technologies. It uses a similar design concept to the Steam Generating Heavy Water Reactor (SGHWR).

The design uses slightly enriched uranium (SEU) fuel, light water coolant, a separate heavy water moderator. The reactivity regulating and safety devices are located within the low pressure moderator. The ACR also incorporates characteristics of the CANDU design, including on-power refueling with the CANFLEX fuel system; a long prompt neutron lifetime; small reactivity holdup; two fast, totally independent, dedicated safety shutdown systems; and an emergency core cooling system. The use of SEU fuel allows the reduction of coolant void reactivity coefficient to a small, negative value. The compact reactor core design reduces core size by half for the same power output over the older design.

The current size for the ACR is approximately 700 MWe. This version is known as the ACR-700. AECL is working on a 1200 MWe version, known as the ACR-1000. According to the AECL website, the ACR-1000 is planned to be in service by 2016. ^[1]

1 Safety
2 Operational cost
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Safety

The ACR utilizes several passive safety systems. There are also two independent shutdown systems.

[edit] Operational cost

The ACR has a planned lifetime capacity factor of greater than 93%. This is achieved throug a three year planned outage frequency, with a 21-day planned outage duration and 1.5% per year forced outage. Quadrant separation allows flexibility for on-line maintenance and outage management. A high degree of SST automation also reduces cost.