A Study of Thermal-Hydraulic Requirements for Increasing the Power Rates for Natural-Circulation Boiling Water Reactors

The feasibility of higher power rates for natural-circulation boiling water reactors (BWRs) is studied with the objective of examining the flexibility of the plant power rate in constructing such plants to cope with the increasing demand for electricity. By applying existing one-dimensional design codes, the riser heights necessary to meet two major thermal-hydrau-lic requirements, i.e., critical power and core stability, are systematically calculated. Several restrictions on the maximum diameter and height of the pressure vessel are also considered because these restrictions could make construction impossible or drastically increase the construction costs. A very simple map of the dominant parameters for higher power rates is obtained. It is concluded that natural-circulation BWRs of >1000 MW(electric) will be feasible within the restrictions considered here.