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NuclearPlantJournal.com Nuclear Plant Journal, September-October 2015
Corporation...
components of the reactor coolant system
of an EPR-type nuclear reactor.
Known as BEATRICE (Boucle pour
l’Etude et l’Analyse du Transport de
produIts de Corrosion dans l’Eau: loop
for studying and analyzing the transport
of corrosion products in water), the
system recreates the real-life properties
of a reactor related to temperature,
pressure, fluid speed and chemistry in
order to observe the behavior of the main
components: fuel, steam generators,
reactor vessel and piping. The heat
produced by the nuclear reaction is
simulated by powerful electric heating
elements.
AREVA has developed this testing
system in order to offer utilities an
innovative and reliable solution for the
optimization of reactor control, notably
to reduce the level of corrosion products
forming and circulating within the
reactor coolant system that have become
radioactive due to contact with the reactor
core.
The BEATRICE project is part of
AREVA’s Safety Alliance program that
groups products and services designed to
optimize the safety of nuclear facilities.
Contact: AREVA, telephone: 33 (0)
1 34 96 12 15, email:
.
TWL Pumps
GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy
(GEH) announced that it is working
with utility customers in Japan to deliver
Turbine Water Lubricated (TWL) pumps
manufactured by ClydeUnion Pumps, an
SPX brand. The steam powered pumps
are designed to ensure emergency reactor
cooling in the event of a complete station
blackout and can function when fully
submerged in water.
GEH has shipped two units to
TEPCO’s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear
Power Plant. Two additional units are
scheduled to ship to the plant in 2015.
GEH has additional commitments to
support systems for Chugoku Electric
Power Company’s two Shimane plants,
and Tohoku Electric Power Company’s
Onagawa and Higashidori plants.
GEH and ClydeUnion Pumps
have a teaming agreement to offer
the TWL pumps, which feature a
unique and compact design, simplified
turbine controls, reduced maintenance
requirements and the ability to operate
with no external electrical power.
As part of this high pressure alternate
coolant reactor safety enhancement
solution, GEH offers specifications for
design, material, fabrication and quality
and project management services.
Contact: Jon Allen, GE Hitachi
Nuclear Energy, telephone: (910) 819-
2581, email:
Fuel Innovation
Global Nuclear Fuel
(GNF)
announced that its newest boiling water
reactor fuel innovation, NSF channels,
has been approved for use by the U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
“NSF is an innovative solution
designed to reduce channel bow and
control rod blade interference, reducing
the need for operational testing and
allowing our customers to operate their
plants with higher efficiency,” said Lance
Hall, senior vice president, Nuclear Fuels
and Services, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy.
Built with advanced manufacturing
techniques and a proprietary combination
of zirconium, niobium, tin and iron,
NSF channel material is designed to be
resistant to fluence gradient bow and
shadow corrosion induced bow, two of
the three major sources of fuel channel
distortion.
NSF channels were first made
available in lead use assemblies in 2002.
Since then a total of more than 300 NSF
channels have been loaded into BWR
plants. Based on the performance of
these assemblies a Licensing Topical
Report was submitted to the NRC in
2013 and final approval for commercial
application of the material was received
on September 2, 2015.
NSF channel material is available in
reload quantities starting with outages in
the spring of 2016. NSF will be standard
on GNF3 bundles, which are scheduled to
be available for full reloads in 2018.
Contact: Jon Allen, GE Hitachi
Nuclear Energy, telephone: (910) 819-
2581, email:
Lift System
PSC’s
patent-pending Pipe Modular
Lift System (PMLS) provides a safer,
faster method to change out safety related
components through high elevations
of reactor and auxiliary buildings. It
eliminates the risks of suspended loads
by using a platform that mechanically
raises the component. The PMLS features
lifting capacities up to 1,200 tons, travel
speed of 20 inches per minute, vertical
distance exceeding 50 feet and operates
in 50 mph winds.
Contact: Christopher Cox, PSC,
telephone: (800) 912) 9181, email:
, website: www.
PSCnuclear.com
Framework Agreement
Following mutual consultation and
friendly discussions,
Sarens Group
and China General Nuclear Power
Corporation have decided to establish a
strategic cooperation for the development
of nuclear power business and non-
nuclear projects in China or abroad on the
basis of mutual respect, complementary
advantages and joint development.
Both parties have the goal to
establish a long-term and stable strategic
cooperation relationship. The scope of
cooperation under this present strategic
framework agreement will include
activities in the nuclear and non-
nuclear field, as well as nuclear power
decommissioning.
Nuclear power field: the development
of nuclear power plants, including
design, research on the nuclear power
plant construction technology and
R&D (research and development)
of large equipment and tooling for
the projects, such as Nuclear Power
Plants (NPPs) in Romania, UK, and
China.
Non-nuclear field: the development
of on shore and off shore wind
power, solar power, hydro power,
thermal power, petroleum, chemical
industry, mining, and civil works.
Nuclear power decommissioning:
the development of nuclear power
decommissioning projects, as well
as the R&D on the decommissioning
technology.
Contact: An Steylemans, Sarens
