Results of the project "High Performance Light Water Reactor--Phase 2," carried out September 2006-February 2010 as part of the 6th European Framework Program.

The High Performance Light Water Reactor is a nuclear reactor concept of the 4th generation which is cooled and moderated with supercritical water. The concept has been worked out by a consortium of European partners, co-funded by the European Commission. It features a once through steam cycle, a pressure vessel type reactor, and a compact containment with pressure suppression pool. The conceptual design enables to assess its feasibility, its safety features and its economic potential.

The High Performance Light Water Reactor (HPLWR) is a light water reactor with supercritical steam conditions which has been investigated within the 5th Framework Program of the European Commission. Due to the supercritical pressure of 25 MPa, water, used as moderator and as coolant, flows as a single phase through the core and can be directly fed to the turbine. Using the technology of coal fired power plants with supercritical steam conditions, the heat-up in the core is done in several steps to achieve the targeted high steam outlet temperature of 500 C without exceeding available cladding material limits. Based on a first design of a fuel assembly cluster for a HPLWR with a single pass core, the surrounding internals and the reactor pressure vessel are dimensioned for the first time, following the safety standards of the nuclear safety standards commission in Germany. Furthermore, this design is extended to the incorporation of core arrangements with two and three passes. The design of the internals and the RPV are verified using combined mechanical and thermal stress analyses and thermal-hydraulic analyses."

Boiling Water Reactors, Volume Four in the JSME Series on Thermal and Nuclear Power Generation compiles the latest research in this very comprehensive reference that begins with an analysis of the history of BWR development and then moves through BWR plant design and innovations. The reader is guided through considerations for all BWR plant features and systems, including reactor internals, safety systems and plant instrumentation and control. Thermal-hydraulic aspects within a BWR core are analyzed alongside fuel analysis before comparisons of the latest BWR plant life management and maintenance technologies to promote safety and radiation protection practices are covered. The book's authors combine their in-depth knowledge and depth of experience in the field to analyze innovations and Next Generation BWRs, considering prospects for a variety of different BWRs, such as High-Conversion-BWRs, TRU-Burner Reactors and Economic Simplified BWRs. Written by experts from the leaders and pioneers in nuclear research at the Japanese Society of Mechanical Engineers Includes real examples and case studies from Japan, the US and Europe to provide a deeper learning opportunity with practical benefits Considers societal impacts and sustainability concerns and goals throughout the discussion Explores BWR plant design, thermal-hydraulic aspects, the reactor core and plant life management and maintenance in one complete resource

Accident Tolerant Materials for Light Water Reactor Fuels provides a description of what an accident tolerant fuel is and the benefits and detriments of each concept. The book begins with an introduction to nuclear power as a renewable energy source and the current materials being utilized in light water reactors. It then moves on to discuss the recent advancements being made in accident tolerant fuels, reviewing the specific materials, their fabrication and implementation, environmental resistance, irradiation behavior, and licensing requirements. The book concludes with a look to the future of new power generation technologies. It is written for scientists and engineers working in the nuclear power industry and is the first comprehensive work on this topic. Introduces the fundamental description of accident tolerant fuel, including fabrication and implementation Describes both the benefits and detriments of the various Accident Tolerant Fuel concepts Includes information on the process of materials selection with a discussion of how and why specific materials were chosen, as well as why others failed