Table Of ContentMain Editorial Panel
D. J. Littler, BSc, PhD, ARCS, CPhys, FInstP, CEng. FIEE (Chairman)
* Professor E. J. Davies, DSc, PhD, CEng, FIEE
H. E. Johnson
F. Kirkby, BSc, CEng, MIMechE, AMIEE
P. B. Myerscough, CEng, FIMechE, FINucE
W. Wright, MSc, ARCST, CEng, FIEE, FIMechE, FInstE, FBIM
Volume Consulting Editor
P. B. Myerscough, CEng, FIMechE, FINucE
Authors
Chapter 1 I. G. Crossland A. R. Pugh
P. B. Myerscough K. A. Simpson
J. E. M. Palmer R. E. Streatfield
Chapter 2 G. S. Anderson D. W. James
A. C. Ashton M. W. Jervis
E. W. Beagles R. Knox
V. S. Beckett J. Lobley
T. C. Beswich S. F. Loveday
J. R. Clark D. P. Luckhurst
R. K. Cook P. N. Malcolm
A. A. Deas J. I. McWilliam
D. D. Dixon G. B. Moutrey
T. R. Edmondson G. L. Potts
W. Elliott C. R. Simons
C. H. Fifield L. E. Wallhead
D. S. Hiorns M.C. Whitaker
K. W. Ingle N. V. Worthington
Chapter 3 M. J. Bridge A. R. R. Telford
R. J. Filby P. Webber
J. Hugh M.J. Whitehead
M.W.Jervis
Chapter 4 M.J. Arnold A. R. Myatt
I. Dougall G. A. Niçois
A. R. Gregory H. C. Orchard
T. P. Haire A. Short
D. W. Hughes M.J. Webb
J. Mathieson
Series Production
Managing Editor P. M. Reynolds
Production Editor H. E. Johnson
Resources and T. A. Dolling
Co-ordination J. R. Jackson
MODERN
POWER STATION PRACTICE
Third Edition
Incorporating Modern Power System Practice
British Electricity International, London
volume J
Nuclear Power Generation
PERGAMON PRESS
OXFORD · NEW YORK · SEOUL · TOKYO
U.K. Pergamon Press pic, Headington Hill Hall,
Oxford 0X3 OBW, England
U.S.A. Pergamon Press, Inc., 395 Saw Mill River Road,
Elmsford, New York 10523, U.S.A.
KOREA Pergamon Press Korea, KPO Box 315, Seoul 110-603
Korea
JAPAN Pergamon Press Japan, Tsunashima Building Annex
3-20-12 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, Japan
Copyright © 1992 British Electricity International Ltd
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted
in any form or by any means: electronic, electrostatic,
magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording or
otherwise, without permission in writing from the copy
right holder.
First edition 1963
Second edition 1971
Third edition 1992
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Modern power station practice: incorporating modern
power system practice/British Electricity International.—
3rd ed. p. cm.
Includes index.
1. Electric power-plants. I. British Electricity Inter
national.
TK1191.M49 1990 62.31'21 — dc20 90-43748
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
British Electricity International
Modern power station practice.—3rd. ed.
1. Electric power-plants. Design and construction
I. Title II. Central Electricity Generating Board
621.3121.
ISBN 0-08-040510-X (12 Volume Set)
ISBN 0-08-040519-3 (Volume J)
Printed in the Republic of Singapore
by Singapore National Printers Ltd
Colour Plates
(between pp 338 and 339)
FIG. 2.30 A 50 tonne road transport flask, with its lid in place, being removed from the cooling pond at Oldbury
FIG. 2.33 Charge face machinery at Berkeley, showing the servicing machine on the left and the charge/discharge
machine on the right
FIG. 2.34 Fuelling machine at Sizewell A power station
FIG. 2.35 Servicing machine at Wylfa power station
FIG. 2.36 Fuelling machine at Hinkley Point A power station
FIG. 2.37 Fuelling machine at Trawsfynydd power station
FIG. 2.38 Fuelling machine at Oldbury power station
FIG. 2.100 TRIUMPH reactor inspection cameras
FIG. 2.119 Central control room at Heysham 2
FIG. 2.120 Post trip cooling mimic panel
FIG. 3.46 Fuel transport flask tug/trailer unit
(between pp 530 and 531)
FIG. 4.6 Mark 2 magnox fuel element transport flask
FIG. 4.11 Magnox reactor simulator
FIG. 4.12 AGR simulator
FIG. 4A Berkeley magnox power station — steel pressure vessel, commissioned 1962
FIG. 4B Bradwell magnox power station — steel pressure vessel, commissioned 1962
FIG. 4C Hinkley Point A magnox power station — steel pressure vessel, commissioned 1965
FIG. 4D Trawsfynydd magnox power station — steel pressure vessel, commissioned 1965
FIG. 4E Dungeness A magnox power station — steel pressure vessel, commissioned 1965
FIG. 4F Sizewell A magnox power station — steel pressure vessel, commissioned 1966
FIG. 4G Oldbury magnox power station — concrete pressure vessel, commissioned 1967
FIG. 4H Wylfa magnox power station — concrete pressure vessel, commissioned 1973
FIG. 4J Hinkley Point B AGR power station, commissioned 1978
FIG. 4K Dungeness B AGR power station, commissioned 1983/85
FIG. 4L Hartlepool AGR power station, commissioned 1983/84
FIG. 4M Heysham / AGR power station, commissioned 1983/84
FIG. 4N Heysham 2 AGR power station, commissioned 1988
VI
Foreword
G. A. W. Blackman, CBE, FEng
Chairman, Central Electricity Generating Board
and Chairman, British Electricity International Ltd
FOR OVER THIRTY YEARS, since its formation in 1958, the Central Electricity Generating
Board (CEGB) has been at the forefront of technological advances in the design,
construction, operation, and maintenance of power plant and transmission systems. During
this time capacity increased almost fivefold, involving the introduction of thermal and
nuclear generating units of 500 MW and 660 MW, to supply one of the largest integrated
power systems in the world. In fulfilling its statutory responsibility to ensure continuity of a
safe and economic supply of electricity, the CEGB built up a powerful engineering and
scientific capability, and accumulated a wealth of experience in the operation and
maintenance of power plant and systems. With the privatisation of the CEGB this
experience and capability is being carried forward by its four successor companies —
National Power, PowerGen, Nuclear Electric and National Grid.
At the heart of the CEGB's success has been an awareness of the need to sustain and
improve the skills and knowledge of its engineering and technical staff. This was achieved
through formal and on-job training, aided by a series of textbooks covering the theory
and practice for the whole range of technology to be found on a modern power station. A
second edition of the series, known as Modern Power Station Practice, was produced in
the early 1970s, and it was sold throughout the world to provide electricity undertakings,
engineers and students with an account of the CEGB's practices and hard-won experience.
The edition had substantial worldwide sales and achieved recognition as the authoritative
reference work on power generation.
A completely revised and enlarged (third) edition has now been produced which updates
the relevant information in the earlier edition together with a comprehensive account of
the solutions to the many engineering and environmental challenges encountered, and which
puts on record the achievements of the CEGB during its lifetime as one of the world's
leading public electricity utilities.
In producing this third edition, the opportunity has been taken to restructure the
information in the original eight volumes to provide a more logical and detailed exposition
of the technical content. The series has also been extended to include three new volumes on
'Station Commissioning', 'EHV Transmission' and 'System Operation'. Each of the eleven
subject volumes had an Advisory Editor for the technical validation of the many
contributions by individual authors, all of whom are recognised as authorities in their
particular field of technology.
All subject volumes carry their own index and a twelfth volume provides a consolidated
index for the series overall. Particular attention has been paid to the production of draft
material, with text refined through a number of technical and language editorial stages and
complemented by a large number of high quality illustrations. The result is a high standard
of presentation designed to appeal to a wide international readership.
It is with much pleasure therefore that I introduce this new series, which has been
attributed to British Electricity International on behalf of the CEGB and its successor
companies. I have been closely associated with its production and have no doubt that it will
be invaluable to engineers worldwide who are engaged in the design, construction,
commissioning, operation and maintenance of modern power stations and systems.
Preface
The contents of this new edition of the nuclear volume of Modern Power Station Practice
reflect the considerable expansion and development of nuclear power generation in the UK
since the initial volume was published in 1964. During that period the AGR programme
has been completed, the approval of Sizewell B launches a new generation of PWR stations
and the first of the Magnox has completed its useful life. Thus the current volume presents
a comprehensive picture of the design, development and operation of the majority of the
nuclear station designs currently being operated throughout the world.
In rewriting the volume, the original format has been completely changed to accom
modate the now compendious technical nature of the subject with four independent but
complementary chapters, Nuclear physics and basic technology; Nuclear station design;
Nuclear station operation and Nuclear safety. Although each chapter is complete within
itself, some overlap of technical matter between the chapters is inevitable and indeed essen
tial, reflecting the co-operation of widely differing technical disciplines necessary to ensure
the safe and economic design and operation of nuclear stations.
In order to keep the size of the volume to reasonable proportions, consideration of plant
and procedures which are common to both nuclear and fossil-fired stations have been
omitted. For instance those aspects of once-through boilers which are not specific to AGR
or PWR designs have been confined to Volume B.
The presentation of such a wide-ranging review of nuclear power has been made pos
sible only by the expertise provided by some fifty-one authors, all practising engineers
and scientists of national and international reputation from the CEGB and the National
Nuclear Corporation. The editing of such a wide variety of expertise has been a formidable
but enjoyable task and the resulting volume represents the distillation of many years of
experience in the design and operation of nuclear plant which must be unrivalled both in
the UK and overseas. I should like to record my thanks to all the authors, many of them
colleagues from the CEGB, for their co-operation in providing the editorial material and
in meeting the production deadlines. I should also like to thank the staff at the National
Training Resources Unit of the CEGB, in particular Peter Reynolds without whose hard
work in the production of the illustrations, tables and references, the publication of the
volume would not have been possible.
P. B. MYERSCOUGH
Consulting Editor — Volume J
IX
Contents of All Volumes
Volume A — Station Planning and Design
Power station siting and site layout
Station design and layout
Civil engineering and building works
Volume B — Boilers and Ancillary Plant
Furnace design, gas side characteristics and combustion equipment
Boiler unit — thermal and pressure parts design
Ancillary plant and fittings
Dust extraction, draught systems and flue gas desulphurisation
Volume C — Turbines, Generators and Associated Plant
The steam turbine
Turbine plant systems
Feedwater heating systems
Condensers, pumps and cooling water systems
Hydraulic turbines
The generator
Volume D — Electrical Systems and Equipment
Electrical system design
Electrical system analysis
Transformers
Generator main connections
Switchgear and control gear
Cabling
Motors
Telecommunications
Emergency supply equipment
Mechanical plant electrical services
Protection
Synchronising
Volume E — Chemistry and Metallurgy
Chemistry
Fuel and oil
Corrosion: feed and boiler water
Water treatment plant and cooling water systems
Plant cleaning and inspection
Metallurgy
Introduction to metallurgy
Materials behaviour
Non-ferrous metals and alloys
Non-metallic materials
Materials selection
xi
Contents of All Volumes
Welding processes
Non-destructive testing
Defect analysis and life assessment
Environmental effects
Volume F — Control and Instrumentation
Introduction
Automatic control
Automation, protection and interlocks and manual controls
Boiler and turbine instrumentation and actuators
Electrical instruments and metering
Central control rooms
On-line computer systems
Control and instrumentation system considerations
Volume G — Station Operation and Maintenance
Introduction
Power plant operation
Performance and operation of generators
The planning and management of work
Power plant maintenance
Safety
Plant performance and performance monitoring
Volume H — Station Commissioning
Introduction
Principles of commissioning
Common equipment and station plant commissioning
Boiler pre-steam to set commissioning
Turbine-generator/feedheating systems pre-steam to set commissioning
Unit commissioning and post-commissioning activities
Volume J — Nuclear Power Generation
Nuclear physics and basic technology
Nuclear power station design
Nuclear power station operation
Nuclear safety
Volume K — EHV Transmission
Transmission planning and development
Transmission network design
Overhead line design
Cable design
Switching station design and equipment
Transformer and reactor design
Reactive compensation plant
HVDC transmission plant design
Insulation co-ordination and surge protection
Interference
Power system protection and automatic switching
Telecommunications for power system management
Transmission operation and maintenance
XII
Contents of All Volumes
Volume L — System Operation
System operation in England and Wales
Operational planning — demand and generation
Operational planning — power system
Operational procedures — philosophy, principles and outline contents
Control in real time
System control structure, facilities, supporting services and staffing
Volume M — Index
Complete contents of all volumes
Cumulative index
XIII
C H A P T ER 1
Nuclear physics and basic technology
1 Basic concepts 5.1.2 High collision rate
1.1 Structure of the atom 5.2 Slowing down power
1.2 Structure of the nucleus 5.3 Moderating ratio
1.3 Equivalence of mass and energy 5.4 Other factors
1.3.1 Einstein's equation 5.5 Possible moderator materials
1.3.2 Unified mass unit and the electron volt
6 The four-factor formula
1.3.3 Mass defect and binding energy
6.1 Reactor design considerations
1.4 Radioactivity
1.4.1 Unstable nuclei 6.2 The neutron life cycle
1.4.2 Radioactive nuclei 6.2.1 Thermal utilisation factor T
1.4.3 Excited nuclei — gamma radiation 6.2.2 Thermal fission factor 'η'
1.4.4 Half life 6.2.3 Fast fission factor 'e'
1.5 Interaction of ionising radiation with matter 6.2.4 Resonance escape probability 'p'
1.5.1 Ionising radiations 6.3 koo = per/f
1.5.2 Alpha particles 7 The finite reactor
1.5.3 Beta particles
7.1 The effective multiplication constant, k ff
1.5.4 Gamma rays e
7.2 Non-leakage probability, PNL
1.5.5 Shielding
7.3 Maximising P|sj|_ (minimising P\J
2 Nuclear reactions 7.3.1 Reactor size
2.1 Interaction of radiation with nuclei 7.3.2 Critical size
2.2 The compound nucleus 7.3.3 Reactor shape
2.3 Neutron reactions 7.4 The diffusion theory
2.3.1 Scattering reactions 7.4.1 Neutron flux distributon
2.3.2 Absorption reactions 7.4.2 One, two and multi group theory
2.4 Cross-sections for nuclear reactions 7.4.3 Expression for PNL
2.4.1 Microscopic cross-section 7.4.4 The critical reactor
2.4.2 Macroscopic cross-section 7.4.5 The reflected reactor
2.4.3 Thermal neutrons
8 Heat transfer and fluid flow
3 Nuclear fission reaction 8.1 Introduction
3.1 The fission event 8.2 Laws of heat transfer by conduction
3.2 Fissionable, fissile and fertile materials 8.3 Temperature distribution across a reactor fuel rod
3.2.1 Fissionable materials 8.4 Heat transfer from a solid to a fluid
3.2.2 Fissile materials 8.5 Correlation of factors affecting heat transfer
3.2.3 Fertile materials 8.6 Temperature drop across a fuel channel
3.2.4 Natural uranium 8.7 Temperature variations along a fuel channel
3.3 Properties of the fission event 8.8 Heat distribution in a cylindrical reactor
3.3.1 Fission fragment yield 8.9 Heat absorbed by coolant in a fuel channel
3.3.2 Number of neutrons emitted per fission (v) 8.10 Temperature distribution across the core
3.3.3 Energy of the neutrons 8.11 Fluid flow
3.3.4 Prompt and delayed neutrons
9 Nuclear power reactors
3.3.5 Energy release per fission
3.3.6 Decay heat 9.1 Introduction
3.3.7 Summary of the fission process 9.2 Light water reactor (LWR)
9.2.1 Pressurised water reactor (PWR)
4 Nuclear chain reaction 9.2.2 Boiling water reactor (BWR)
4.1 The chain reaction 9.3 Heavy water reactor (HWR)
4.2 The multiplication constant k 9.3.1 Candu (PHWR)
4.3 Chain reaction in natural uranium — fast neutrons 9.3.2 Steam generating heavy water reactor (SGHWR)
4.3.1 Fission 9.4 Graphite moderated reactor
4.3.2 Capture 9.4.1 Magnox reactor
4.3.3 Scatter 9.4.2 Advanced gas cooled reactor (AGR)
4.3.4 koo for natural uranium and fast neutrons 9.5 Fast breeder reactor (FBR)
4.4 To achieve k<x>>1
4.4.1 Fuel enrichment 10 Properties of reactor materials
4.4.2 Neutron moderation 10.1 Fuels
10.1.1 Introduction
5 The moderator
10.1.2 Uranium metal fuels
5.1 Requirements of a good moderator 10.1.3 Uranium oxide fuels
5.1.1 High energy transfer per collision 10.2 Nuclear cladding
