China's Fourth Generation Accelerated Accelerated Scrap No Longer Abandoned

At 4:00 pm on August 6, 2010, in the China Nuclear Power Group's China Atomic Energy Research Institute in the new town of Fangshan District, Beijing, everything was the same, except for a few workers who were working on the road at the gate. There wasn’t much change here and now, 73 years old. After Xu Kai finished the meeting, he rushed back to his second floor office. In front of him, there were three computer screens that were running and they showed dense data. Just a few days ago, there was a major event here - the critical success of the China Experimental Fast Reactor. This marked a major breakthrough in China's fourth-generation nuclear power technology. China has thus become the eighth in the world to master this. A technical country.

Xu Wei is the chief engineer of the China Experimental Fast Reactor. After graduating from Tsinghua University in 1961, he entered the China Institute of Atomic Energy and worked in this position for half a century. Bringing the first criticality of the test fast reactor, the mild and modest old man hummed and his face always had a bright smile. In his view, the application of fast reactor technology and the maturity of the fourth-generation nuclear power technology will find a solution for future energy development in China.

In order to alleviate the contradiction between economic development and energy consumption and reduce the pressure of carbon dioxide emissions on the environment, in recent years, nuclear power as a clean energy source has gained spurt development. Although the total power of nuclear power plants currently operating in China is only 9.1 million kilowatts, 23 units are under construction and the total installed capacity is 25.4 million kilowatts, which accounts for 40% of the world’s 57 units. As a result, China has become a global nuclear power company. The largest country.

The rapid launch of nuclear power projects has promoted the country’s continuous adjustment of nuclear power development planning goals. The goal of the Nuclear Power Medium and Long Term Development Plan approved by the State Council in 2006 is that by 2020 China’s nuclear power capacity will reach 40 million kilowatts. However, the status quo of nuclear power development is much higher than expected. In July 2010, the National Energy Administration announced that it is expected that by 2015 China’s nuclear power capacity will reach 39 million kW, and by 2020 it will reach 70 million kW.

The rapid release of the potential of nuclear power has also brought a lot of troubles. Natural* shortages and the handling of nuclear waste, which have plagued the sustainable development of nuclear power, will all appear one after another with the explosive growth of nuclear power. However, the maturity and improvement of the fourth-generation nuclear power technology, represented by fast reactors, offers the possibility to fundamentally solve these problems.

Fast reactor technology breakthrough

At 9:50 on July 21, 2010, all the people in the main room of the China Experimental Fast Reactor held their breath, and the data on the big screen was blinking continuously. When the source cycle time stabilized at 100 seconds, it reached two. At the minute, Yang Changli, deputy general manager of China National Nuclear Corporation, announced loudly: “China's experimental fast reactor reached its first critical point,” and the room was filled with jubilation and enthusiastic applause.

The criticality of a nuclear reactor is equivalent to the ignition of a conventional thermal power plant boiler. It is a necessary condition for the unit to have the power generation capability. After the critical period, the test can be performed and the power can be continuously increased. The unit can then generate power and operate at full capacity.

"For China, which is speeding up the development of nuclear power, the critical success of experimental fast reactors will greatly accelerate the pace of China's nuclear power construction. As the country with the largest nuclear power under construction, China is catching up and leading the world in the pace of nuclear power at its own pace." Yang Changli Expressed with excitement.

As a major national 863 project, the China Experimental Fast Reactor is the focus of the fourth-generation nuclear energy technology research and development of China National Nuclear Corporation. The reactor uses sodium-cooled fast reactor technology that has many operating experiences in the United States, France, Russia, and Japan. The thermal power is 65 megawatts and the electrical power is 20 megawatts.

Fast reactor is an abbreviation for fast neutron breeder reactor. It is one of the six reactor types of the fourth generation nuclear technology. Because it consumes fuel, it can make fuel proliferate, and its technology is relatively mature on a global scale. Seen as the fourth generation of nuclear technology, the most likely commercial type of reactor.

The construction of experimental fast reactors is the first step in the development of fast reactors in China, followed by the construction of demonstration fast reactors and commercial fast reactors. According to Xu Wei, Chief Engineer of China Experimental Fast Reactor, in 2013, China will start construction of two 800,000-kw demonstration fast reactor projects in Sanming, Fujian Province, and plans to complete it by 2020.

"To commercialize fast reactors, they must be economical and technologically mature. At present, fast reactor technology is still at an experimental stage. The global market is expected to enter the commercial stage from 2025 to 2035." Ye Qichen, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a nuclear power expert, told the "Energy Magazine reporter said.

With the continuous development of fast reactor technology, it is now economically competitive. Xu Hao told the Energy magazine reporter that “In the 1970s, the cost of constructing nuclear power plants using fast reactor technology was 2.5 times that of pressurized water reactors. With the continuous maturation of this technology, by 2000, The cost is basically the same as PWR."

At present, most of the more than 400 nuclear power plants operating in the world are using second-generation and second-generation improved technologies. The three-generation technologies represented by American Westinghouse AP1000 and French Areva EPR are currently being commercialized and under construction. Zhejiang Sanmen and Guangdong Taishan Nuclear Power Station adopted the above two technologies respectively.

However, whether it is the second generation or the third generation, it belongs to the thermal reactor technology. The vast majority of reactor types are pressurized water reactors. The fuel used for thermal reactor fission is mainly *235, but this resource only accounts for 0.66% of the natural reserves. The fourth-generation nuclear technology, represented by fast reactors, does not use *235, but instead uses *239, which is fueled with 9238% of the natural reserve's capacity of *238, making natural use of nature much higher.

"Compared with the second generation, there are no substantial differences between the three generations of technology and only some improvements in safety and technical advances. However, the fourth generation of nuclear technology is essentially different from the second and third generations. It is a kind of fuel proliferation. Technology has greatly increased the use of existing resources," said Ye Qichen.

The international fast reactor technology started in the 40s of the last century. Up to now, 21 fast reactors of various types have been built in the world. Although China began research on fast reactors since the 1960s, due to various factors, the development of fast reactors once stagnated. In December 1995, the China Experimental Fast Reactor was formally approved by the State for approval. After more than a decade of efforts, it has finally achieved a critical success.

It is worth noting that during the entire process of R&D of fast reactors, all of our country has been carrying out independent design, autonomous construction, independent installation, and independent debugging. Among the tens of thousands of equipment in the entire project construction, 70% of them are domestically produced, achieving an autonomy rate of 70%. "This does not mean that we will not build the remaining 30%, but because the safety requirements of nuclear power are very high. We have produced these equipments that have not been verified for a long enough time, so we use foreign equipment."

"After the fourth-generation nuclear technology is mature, China will no longer import foreign technology. The development of nuclear power will end the history of buying technology." Xu Wei said.

Crack * resource problems

Although nuclear power is clean and efficient, the shortage of its main fuel, *resources, has become one of the major bottlenecks constraining the continued development of nuclear power. With the development and maturity of the fourth-generation nuclear power technology, this problem is expected to be fundamentally resolved.

At present, the pressure water reactors widely used in nuclear power plants (such as China's Qinshan and Daya Bay nuclear reactors) have a natural resource utilization rate of only about 1%. "In fast reactor conditions, the resource utilization rate can theoretically be achieved. 100%, after deducting the loss can also have 60% -70%, that is to say, the resource utilization rate of the fast reactor can be increased at least 60 times than the heat reactor." Xu Wei said.

Because PWR burns only 1% of its fuel, there is ultimately a large amount of nuclear waste produced. “In the fast reactor state, most of the waste can be used as a fuel for fast reactors, thus significantly improving the natural* Usage rate." Ye Qichen said.

According to the existing PWR technology, a 1 million kilowatt nuclear power plant consumes 10,000 tons of natural natural gas in 60 years. Calculated with the installed capacity of China's 9.1 million kilowatts, China is currently consuming about 1,500 tons of natural gas per year.

According to recent reports, at present, the annual production capacity of mines in China is 1,040 tons, and the output is only 750 tons. According to the growth trend of investment in domestic nuclear power plants, it is expected that the gap between production and demand in China will exceed 10,000 tons in 2015, and it will reach as high as 2030. 30,000 tons.

From a worldwide perspective, the prospects for *resources are also less optimistic. According to Xu Wei, currently the world's $130/kg can exploit only 5.3 million tons of natural resources, which means that these natural * can only supply 530 1 million kilowatts of nuclear power plants for 60 years, and the current global There are 372 nuclear power plants that are operating at 1 million kilowatts. Resolving the global shortage of resources has become an urgent issue.

The development of fast reactor technology has made the shortage of resources an urgent issue. "For example, if we say that now natural conditions can be used for 100 years under hot conditions, then the use of fast reactors can be used for 6-7 years," said Zhao Zhixiang, dean of the China Atomic Energy Research Institute. "Using fast reactors, our country can Solve our nuclear energy development issues on the time scale of the millennium."

On the other hand, because fast reactors can increase the use of natural*, many poor mines also have mining value, which will increase the world's recoverable resources by thousands of times. Experts predict that, based on the current proven natural reserves, the use of fast reactors will enable the sustainable use of resources for more than 3,000 years.

In fact, fast reactors not only have theoretical value, they have also been used in the international demonstration. Xu Hao said that there are currently five fast reactors in operation around the world, of which the most typical one is the Russian BH-600 nuclear power station. Since 1980, the average utilization rate of the resources of the fast reactor nuclear power plant has reached 74%. And run smoothly.

Waste is no longer discarded

The reason why fast reactor technology can significantly increase the use of natural* is that the main reason is that nuclear reactors can be reused as fuel in fast reactors. This solves the fuel problem and also solves the problem of nuclear waste pollution to a large extent.

“The second-generation PWR technology now used only utilizes the upstream links of the entire industry chain, and fast reactors have closed the entire industry chain and formed a circular economy, which has made the economy more optimized and the environment more friendly.” Indicated.

Although nuclear power is a clean energy, the disposal of nuclear waste is a global headache. Xu Wei said that the nuclear waste produced by the pressurized water reactor is not only large in quantity, but also highly radioactive. If the geological disposal is carried out directly, the cost is extremely alarming. According to reports, the radioactivity of PWR nuclear waste will generally continue for 3 to 4 million years. The preservation of this waste will cause great harm. Despite the fact that the small scale of nuclear power has not had a big impact, it has already attracted anti-nuclear international figures. Strong sniper. With the development of global nuclear power in the future, there will be more and more radioactive materials, and the disposal of nuclear waste must be unavoidable.

The application of fast reactor technology can solve this problem to a large extent. “Compared with pressurized water reactors, fast reactors produce very little nuclear waste. A part of the waste is burned again as fuel, and it also greatly reduces its Irradiated, pressurized waste generated from pressurized water reactors can reach the same radiation levels as natural* after 200-300 years, and storing them will not cause harm to humans.” Xu Wei said.

Fast reactor technology can not only save fuel, but also reduce pollution, it can be said to serve two purposes. Therefore, Chief Engineer Lei Zengguang of China National Nuclear Corporation expressed with full confidence that “Fast reactors are the future of the nuclear power development of the group company and are a powerful manifestation of the Group’s acquisition of a commanding height in nuclear power development strategy and enhancement of its core competitiveness.”

However, the critical point of fast reactors is just a beginning. Xu Wei predicts that by 2030, fast reactor technology can be commercialized in our country. In the 20 years before 2030, there was still very hard work waiting for him and his colleagues. “In these 20 years, we need to increase our research strength, increase our technical staff by at least three times, achieve industrial-scale fast reactor operation, and ensure that the future fast reactors can meet the development level of the fourth-generation nuclear power. We also need to study the reliability of equipment systems. Sex, and to strengthen the study of materials, processes, etc.." Xu Wei said.