[ RadSafe ] Graphite moderated reactors

[Conklin, Al (DOH)]

Hanford's N reactor, which ran from about 1963 to about 1986 was a graphite moderated reactor and did generate electricity, selling it's steam to what was then known as the Washington Public Power Supply System. 

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] On Behalf Of Franta, Jaroslav
Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2005 6:10 AM
To: radsafe at radlab.nl
Subject: RE: [ RadSafe ] Graphite moderated reactors

All the early wartime & post-war plutonium production reactors, including Hanford, were low-temperature graphite moderated reactors. With the exception of the British reactors - and some early Russian RBMKs - none were used for generating electricity, for two reasons (at least) : 
Their low operating temperature made electricity generation inefficient and added a lot of expensive steam plant equipment to an otherwise relatively cheap reactor. 
Secondly, the need for rapid & continuous refuelling (to extract the weapons-grade plutonium before it degrades by further neutron absorption) made the fuel cycle undesirable for an economic powerplant operation.

But its wrong to imply that graphite moderated reactors cannot be designed for efficient generation of electricity.
This requires high operating temperatures to make efficient energy conversion in a steam plant or gas turbine possible, along with high fuel burn-up for an economic fuel cycle (which makes it into a totally useless weapons Pu production plant).

Jaro Franta, P.Eng.
Tel.: (514) 875-3444
Montréal, Québec
frantaj at aecl.ca
web master, CNS-Québec web site
http://www.cns-snc.ca/branches/quebec/quebec.html

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-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl]On
Behalf Of Steven Dapra
Sent: Wednesday November 09, 2005 8:49 PM
To: radsafe at radlab.nl
Subject: [ RadSafe ] Graphite moderated reactors


Nov. 9

	I read today that graphite moderated reactors are not very efficient for generating electricity, but are very good for producing plutonium.  What is the reason for each of these?

	Reply by private e-mail if you wish.

Steven Dapra
sjd at swcp.com


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