INTRODUCTION TO NUCLEAR

ENGINEERING (MENB403)
Topic 1.1 – Introduction

Courtesy:
Sueo Machi
FNCA Coordinator of Japan
Fellow, Japan Atomic Energy Agency
Former Commissioner, Japan Atomic Energy Commission
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 Contents
 “Atoms for Peace” and Nuclear reactor
development
 Nuclear power for sustainable
development
 World trends of nuclear power after the
Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident
 Lessons learned from the Fukushima
Daiichi nuclear accident
 Japan’s challenge for nuclear power
program
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 “Atoms for Peace” Speech
 The US President, Dwight Eisenhower delivered “Atoms for
Peace” speech at the UN General Assembly on 8th of December,
1953, suggesting diminishing the destructive power of atomic
bombs and proposing to set up an international agency and joint
cooperation to develop peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

 This speech marks the beginning of

nuclear R&D in many developing
countries as well as developed countries
from late 1950s to develop the beneficial
uses of nuclear energy.

 With his speech, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),

which has two functions: nuclear watch dog and nuclear
technology transfer for peaceful purposes, was established on July
29,1957 in Vienna, Austria, as an autonomous organization under
the UN.
 The first Nuclear Power Reactor
 The US Congress placed the development
of nuclear energy under civilian control with < EBR-1 FBR >
passage of the Atomic Energy Act of 1946.
And US AEC was established to administer
and regulate all production and use of
atomic power.
 In 1948, US AEC started long-range plan
for the development of nuclear power plants.
- Construction of several research and test
facilities was authorized such as:
a high-flux materials testing reactor (MTR);
an experimental fast breeder reactor (EBR-1);
and prototype PWR, STR (Submarine Thermal
Reactor) for submarine propulsion.

 EBR-I, in Idaho, USA produced about 100 Kwe

in December 1951 for the 1st time from NPP in
the world. But it was not connected to the
electricity grid.
 The First Commercial Nuclear Power Plant
In June 1954, Obninsk APS-1 reactor in USSR, which was graphite
moderated channel type reactor, produced 5,000 Kwe and was
connected to an electricity grid of Obninsk city, for the 1st time in the
world.
 Nuclear Power in the USA
Priority was given to atomic bomb, nuclear
submarines & development of nuclear power plant
 Development of Submarine Reactor
 Under Atomic Energy Act, US Congress and the AEC agreed on a
framework for sharing the costs of nuclear power projects between
government and industry.
 Westinghouse awarded a contract to design and the Submarine
Thermal Reactor (STR), prototype for the Nautilus submarine.
 The project manager for STR was Admiral Hyman Rickover of
the US Navy.
 Although STR submarine reactor produced mechanical rather
than electrical energy, this was the first demonstration of sustained
production of a significant amount of useful energy by a nuclear
reactor.
 Development of PWR Plants
 In March 1954, The US AEC selected Westinhouse to build PWR
plant at Shippingport, Pa., based on Admiral Hyman Rickover’s
submarine propulsion STR reactor. Shippingport PWR plant
delivered its full power of 60 Mwe to the Pittsburgh area on Dec.
23 1958. It operated until 1982.
 Shippingport PWR
pioneered the use of
uranium-dioxide
(UO2) fuel in a
water-cooled reactor,
which was considered
a major breakthrough
for the future
development of PWRs.
 Development of BWR Plants
 The US AEC also developed a program to test the principles of the
BWR concept and Argonne National Lab (ANL) built an BORAX
experimental BWR reactor at the National Reactor Testing Station
near EBR-1, in Idaho in 1953. BORAX reactor produced steam-
generated electricity in sufficient quantity to light the town of
Arco, Idaho, the night of July 17, 1955 – an event Arco still
celebrates today.
 In May 1955 ANL built the AEC’s Experimental BWR (EBWR),
which was operated at the initial rating of 5 Mwe, by the utility
company, Commonwealth Edison in December 1956. The EBWR
began operation at power level up to 70 Mwe with plutonium as its
principal fuel.
 Whereas BORAX experiments demonstrated the stability and
safety of the in-core boiling process, EBWR demonstrated the
operation of a BWR system as a central power station.
 Development of BWR Plants (2)
 The first large-scale, Dresden-1 BWR plant, owned and operated
by utility company, the Commonwealth Edison was the next
logical step in BWR demonstration following the success of the
EBWR experiments.

 Dresden-1
went critical
in October
1959 and
reached its
full power
200 Mwe
in June 1960.
 Demonstration of Other Reactor
Technologies in the USA
 Although only the PWR and BWR have been commercially
successful in US, the early history of US reactor development
was rich with innovative experiments at the AEC’s test
facilities and demonstrations in the Power Demonstration
Reactor Program.
 The US monopoly on enriched uranium in 1940s-50s opened
up a far broader range of reactor concepts than could be
considered by most other nations. Reactors requiring from 1
to 93% enrichment in U-235 were considered and built in US.
 Experience of HTGR
 Even though a graphite moderated, gas cooled power reactor was developed
even during the Manhattan Project in 1940-50s, only two HTGR NPPs (Peach
Bottom 1 and Fort St. Vrain ) were constructed and operated with a lot of
difficulties.
 Peach Bottom 1 HTGR <Peach Bottom NPP> <Fort St. Vrain NPP>
NPP (40MWe)was operated
from1967 until 1974
by Philadelphia Electric
Company with overall
availability of 66%.
 Fort St. Vrain HTGR NPP
(330MWe) began construction
in 1968 and achieved full
power in 1981 with 5 years
delay in schedule due to a lot of problems during construction. This plant was
shut down in 1989 with only 15% lifetime capacity factor.
 Experience of Liquid Metal Reactors
 EBR-I, the 1st FBR in US was built in 1949, reached its full power 1.1 MW and
produced the first-ever demonstration of nuclear electricity on December 20,
1951.
 19 Mwe EBR-II began operation
from 1964.
 400 MW Fast Flux Test Facility < FFTF FBR>
(FFTF), which was operated
since 1980, has been utilized
to test various FBR fuels and
materials including mixed-oxide
fuel.
 350 MWe Clinch River Breeder
Reactor (CRBR), which was
planned in late 1970s as a
successor to FFTF, was canceled
by US Congress in late 1983.
 Chronological of Key Nuclear Reactor
Development
1940’s 1942: World’s first nuclear reactor, Chicago Pile 1 (CP1), achieved criticality.
1944: World’s first plutonium production reactor operational in Hanford, USA.
1951: World’s first nuclear electricity generation with EBR-1 (FBR) in Idaho, USA.
1950’s
1954: World’s first nuclear power submarine, USS Nautilus, launched by the USA
& world’s first nuclear power plant (LWGR) operational at Obninsk in Russia.
1956: First UK nuclear power plant (Magnox), Calder Hall, operational in Sellafield
& first nuclear power plant (similar to Magnox) operational in France.
1957: First US nuclear power plant (PWR) operational in Shippingport.
1959: World’s first nuclear powered merchant ship, NS Savannah, launched in USA.

1960’s 1960: First BWR nuclear power plant operational in Dresden, USA.
1961: World’s first nuclear powered aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise, launched.
1962: First CANDU PHWR nuclear power plant operational in Canada.
1965: World’s first nuclear powered satellite, SNAP-10A, launched into orbit by USA.

1970’s 1972: World’s first prototype fast breeder reactor (FBR) power plant, BN-350,
operational in Shevchenko, Kazakhstan, in former Soviet Union.
1979: Three Mile Island II nuclear power plant (PWR) accident in Pennsylvania, USA.

1980’s 1986: Chernobyl nuclear power plant (LWGR) accident in Ukraine, former Soviet
Union.

1990’s 1997: First third generation nuclear power plant (Advanced BWR) operational,
in Kashiwazaki Kariwa, Japan.
 Nuclear Reactor Evolution

• Developed in • Designed in the 1970’s • Design in line with the 21st century
50’s and 60’s • Based on specific safety standards
of previous
century. nuclear safety • Design favorable for operation
standards • Extended reliability within extended
• Based on
general • Safety ensured mainly lifetime (60 years)
industry by active systems • Minimized core damage probability
standards • Safety ensured • Management of severe accidents
• Only a limited generally within the (core damage sequences)
number still design basis envelope • Limited environment impact for all
in operation • Extensively used events
currently in the world
Role of Nuclear Power for Development
and Welfare of Mankind

Challenge: How to secure energy supply

to meet rapid development with limited
amount of fossil fuels reserve.

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 Energy: Essential for Poverty Reduction,
Development and Welfare
 No development without energy
 1.6 billion people have no access to
electricity
In Bangladesh 50% of population;
no access to electricity
 Global energy consumption increase;
over 50% by 2030 (70% of increase comes
from developing countries)

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Fossil Fuel Reserve Is Very Limited

Univ, Tokyo June 30, 2010 S. Machi 18

Energy Consumption per Capita in Developing Countries
Such As India & China Is Still Low

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 Energy Supply Security : Priority Issue
◎ Japan’s Energy self-
sufficiency : 5 % (Hydro) Japan’s energy
◎ 89% of oil is imported security is very fragile
from Middle East

250
エ
Self-sufficiency 200
ネ
ル
（

ギ
％ 150 原子力
ー
）

自 211
給 100
率 142
50 108
64
16 27 9
Nuclear provided 0
4

14% of energy in
Japan 20
 How to Address Energy Security
 Expansion of nuclear power
 Enhancing saving energy:
Transfer of energy saving technology to
developing countries
 Expansion of renewable energy, such as
hydro, wind, solar and bio-fuels: Innovative
technologies are needed to reduce cost

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