Difference between pressurized and boiling water reactors in nuclear power plants? What are the advanced technologies in them? Which of the nuclear power plants under construction have AP1000 technology? What technologies are used in the others?
Pressurized water reactors and boiling water reactors are both light water reactors. The nuclear steam supply system for pressurized water reactors is divided into two circuits, the first circuit and the second circuit. The pressure in the first loop is usually up to 15 MPa and the coolant does not boil. The coolant in the first loop carries heat from the core, which is transferred to the water in the second loop in a steam generator, producing steam that drives the turbine-generator set to do work. Boiling water reactors do not have a two-loop system; the coolant boils directly to produce steam that enters the turbine. The pressure of boiling water reactor is about 7Mpa, which is much lower than the pressure of pressurized water reactor. Therefore, the requirements for high pressure resistance of system equipment, piping, pumps, valves, etc. are lower than those for pressurized water reactors. Pressurized water reactor due to high pressure, and more steam generator, regulator and other equipment, technical performance requirements and cost are much higher. However, the safety of pressurized water reactors is higher than that of boiling water reactors precisely because the first and second circuits of pressurized water reactors are separated from the radioactive coolant. China's current nuclear power plant is operating 13 units, including two types of reactor, a pressurized water reactor, including France, Russia and domestic *** 11 units, two a heavy water reactor, the introduction of technology from Canada.
The Sanmen nuclear power plant in Zhejiang, currently under construction, adopts the U.S. AP1000 technology, designed in accordance with third-generation nuclear power standards, with a simplified system and a non-energetic safety system. However, this type of nuclear power plant in the world has not yet engineering applications, Sanmen as China's introduction of the U.S. AP1000 technology relies on the power station, will become the world's first nuclear power plant to build AP1000 units. Other nuclear power plants under construction include domestic 650,000 kilowatts, the introduction of French localization of the million kilowatts, as well as Russia's million kilowatts of three types of reactors, but are pressurized water reactors.