SuperCritical light Water-cooled Reactor (SCWR), Gen IV


Core Design and Plant Safety of Gen IV Reactor (Reactor physics + thermal-hydraulics)

 Many of the currently operating current light water reactors are the "second generation (Gen II)" reactors, which are based on the technologies of fossile fire power plants (FFPP) of the 1960s. The "third generation (Gen III)" reactors are also operating since 1990s, which have improved safety features. More recently, the "Gen III+" reactors with further improved safety features are being installed. However, there has not been any significant improvement in the performance of light water reactors since Gen II (the thermal efficiency has merely improved from some 33% to 35%). This is due to limitation of the current light water reactors, which utilize saturated steam to drive turbines. The energy from nuclear fission is some 50 million times larger than that from chemical reaction, but the saturated steam cannot transfer this high energy to electricity efficiently. In FFPP, "supercritical water" has been utilized to overcome this problem. It is the state of water beyond the critical point (374C and 22.1MPa), where there is no clear distinction between liquid (water) and gas (steam). Such water is called "supercritical water". By utilizing supercritical water, FFPP achieves high thermal efficiency of about 40% or more. In Japan, there are more than 100 FFPPs operating at supercritical pressure. The concept of SuperCritical light Water-cooled Reactor (SCWR) is the corresponding evolutional form of light water reactor. It is also one of the Gen IV reactors. In our group, we are developing new core design and plant safety concepts of SCWR through reactor physics and thermal-hydraulics simulations.  



Symposium presentation

Brief Overview of R&D of SuperCritical-Water-cooled Reactor (SCWR)