http://www.gupistan.com/gallery/4/Breeder.jpg
[This message has been edited by kumarakn (edited July 26, 2001).]
errmm so do they breed chickens?
ROFL!!! Yeah I think so…
errrr who says this is the worlds only Breeder Reacter.
Its just that US doesnt have BR projects. That doesnt mean no one else has em. France and Japan have commercial BR I think.
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The Super-Phenix
The Super-Phenix was the first large-scale breeder reactor. It was put into service in France in 1984.
The reactor core consists of thousands of stainless steel tubes containing a mixture of uranium and plutonium oxides, about 15-20% fissionable plutonium-239. Surrounding the core is a region called the breeder blanket consisting of tubes filled only with uranium oxide. The entire assembly is about 3x5 meters and is supported in a reactor vessel in molten sodium. The energy from the nuclear fission heats the sodium to about 500°C and it transfers that energy to a second sodium loop which in turn heats water to produce steam for electricity production.
Such a reactor can produce about 20% more fuel than it consumes by the breeding reaction. Enough excess fuel is produced over about 20 years to fuel another such reactor. Optimum breeding allows about 75% of the energy of the natural uranium to be used compared to 1% in the standard light water reactor
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From: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/nucene/fasbre.html#c6
So if you provide the source of the info. People can have a look themselves and decide.
ICBM Target Coords: 27.500S, 153.017E
ErrRRrrr .. wuts breeder reactor?!?!
http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/confused.gif
.. does it breed..??! does it react when it breeds?!?!
http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/wink.gif
fAitH W¡ll MovE mÖunTà¡Ns
oops! Breeder reactor that handles a thorium cycle.
Source: www.DAE.gov.in
[This message has been edited by kumarakn (edited July 27, 2001).]
As I understand, breeder reactors use plutonium as fuel and uranium as waste. This uranium can be used as fuel for other reactors...... hence the name "breeder reactors".
Fast Breeder Programme
FBTR, a test bed for irradiation of fuel and structural materials of future breeder reactors, was in continuous with the turbo-generator synchronised to the grid. It generated about 6 lakh units of electricity. The carbide fuel subassembly of Mark-I composition behaved excellently in FBTR and its burnup reached about 72,000 MWd/t. Production of the fuel of Mark-II composition progressed at Trombay.
Fast Breeder Test Reactor at Kalpakkam
The pre-project activities for setting up the 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) proceeded as per schedule. AERB’s clearance for the PFBR site was received. Some major components were received at site.
The engineering developments relating to PFBR included design studies on the inner vessel of PFBR; commissioning of a new sodium loop for sodium technology, and setting up of boron enrichment facility. The Steam Generator Test Facility made good progress.
Towards Thorium Utilisation
KAMINI, the research facility at Kalpakkam, which uses uranium-233 (extracted from irradiated thorium) fuel, is a pioneering endeavour towards thorium utilisation. The reactor was operated upto 30kW and used for irradiation of specimens for experimental/forensic purposes.
Designed by BARC, the Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR), which will use fuel based on plutonium and thorium, moved to the technology development stage.
Design work for setting-up a new critical facility for carrying out reactor physics experiments for AHWR and 500 MWe PHWRs, was completed at Trombay.
[This message has been edited by kumarakn (edited July 27, 2001).]
Still…where does it say that its the only FBR in the world…
and maddy its the other way aroung
Uses uranium and produces plutonium, weapon grade mind you ;-). But only countries which dont have Micro Centrifuge technology use these for defence perposes. Pakistan doesnt need Fast Breeders
http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/biggrin.gif
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ICBM Target Coords: 27.500S, 153.017E
who--me are you completely sure? Because plutonium is heavier than uranium, and I'm pretty certain that you can't convert a lighter element to a heavier one (except for hydrogen to helium during fusion reactions)
Glad to know Pakistan doesn't need these reactors.
But PFBR uses thorium in the cycle as India has the highest reserves of thorium in the entire world. India also demonstrated weapons using thorium a couple of years back and this adds significance to this.
Accepted, that no country has so much thorium hence nobody has ventured into these lanes, otherwise, India would have been the 100th country copying the technology from Russia- as most people here want to believe.
But these are no way going to bring out the fact that Thorium based PFBR is the first of its kind in the entire world.
Some more info on fast breeders....
Fast breeder reactors are the most effective nuclear reactors currently in operation, due to the fact that they operate at much higher temperatures than convential uranium reactors; and so they can generate more steam to drive turbines.
However, most nuclear-powered countries (apart from France and India) don't tend to favour fast breeders, for safety reasons. Conventional nuclear reactors use water as a coolant; however, because fast breeders operate at higher temperatures, they use liquid sodium. Should the coolant system be breached, liquid sodium detonates on contact with the moisture in air........
So fast breeders require utmost care in their use. Of course, if you can guarantee the integrity of the system, you have a powerful reactor in your hands. If you can't, then you have a ticking timebomb........
[quote]
Originally posted by mAd_ScIeNtIsT:
who--me are you completely sure? Because plutonium is heavier than uranium, and I'm pretty certain that you can't convert a lighter element to a heavier one (except for hydrogen to helium during fusion reactions)
[/quote]
grrrroaannn
Why am I so bloody sure that I was right. FBRs produce plutonium.... Which can be used in Bombs. Russians do that I lot. I'll have to check. Sorry if I gave wrong info.
kumarakn:
Mate I have respect for scientists anywhere in the world. Even indian ones. That Said.
All the material I have read about FBRs says most countries use them to produce fissile material. and I am sure thats Indias plan also. There are reasons
- Safty concerns.
- They are Expansive to built and run.
- IAEA certification.
The point number 3 is there cuz these things produce fissile material and IAEA has to run regular check to stop that.
Now Pakistan doesnt need that. We have Micro Centrifuge Technology to make Bomb fuel (which India, China dont have). Why is that good you may ask.
Read the Article on page 61 (Eyes in the Sky) of Bulletin of The Atomic Scientists (july/aug 2001 edition) and you'll know. I have a hard copy here and it isnt on the web yet. So yeah Pakistan doesnt need Fast Breeders (in my opinion).
[This message has been edited by who---me (edited July 28, 2001).]