Kirloskar Brothers develop critical application sodium pumps for Fast Breeder Nuclear Reactors

[kurup]

http://*****************/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Kirloskar-Primary-sodium-pump-with-BHEL-Motor.jpg
Kirloskar Primary sodium pump with BHEL Motor

Pune: Indian company Kirloskar Brothers Limited (KBL) today handed over sodium pumps to the first-of-its-kind 500MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) project in India underway by Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI). BHAVINI, the wholly owned Enterprise of Government of India under the administrative control of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), is constructing India’s first 500MWe pool type, sodium cooled nuclear reactor in the country at Kalpakkam, 70 Kms away from Chennai in Tamil Nadu.

The Primary Sodium Pumps (PSP) was manufactured at the 100 year old Kirloskarvadi plant of Kirloskar Brothers Limited. The three PSPs manufactured in Kirloskarvadi – India’s second oldest industrial township – weigh 135 tons and they will handle 5.16 lakh liters of liquid Sodium per minute when installed at Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR). At 590 RPM (rotations per minute), these pumps will handle liquid sodium at 400 °C to 550 °C.
“An advantage of liquid metal coolants is high heat capacity which provides thermal inertia against overheating. Sodium atoms are much heavier than both the oxygen and hydrogen atoms found in water, and therefore the neutrons lose less energy in collisions with sodium atoms. Sodium also need not be pressurized since its boiling point is much higher than the reactor’s operating temperature, and sodium does not corrode reactor components in contact with sodium coolant or sodium aerosol,” said Dr. Prabhat Kumar, Chairman & Managing Director, BHAVINI.

“The PFBR setup is having two types of Sodium pumps. In the primary circuit, Primary Sodium Pump will transport the reactor core heat to secondary system and installed in the main reactor. In secondary circuit, Secondary Sodium Pumps feed the liquid Sodium back to reactor pool after taking away the heat through Heat Exchanger to light water, so as to convert it in to steam. These Secondary Sodium Pumps are installed outside the reactor vessel. I feel privileged to say that India has successfully developed the technology for commercial exploitation. And we at KBL are the only Indian company to develop such type of critical application pumps,” Ravindra Ulangwar, Associate Vice President & Head – Power Sector, KBL.

PFBR is being built with the design and technology developed at the Kalpakkam-based Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic Research (IGCAR)

India’s Long – term nuclear power programme is based on utilizing the vast indigenous thorium resources for electricity generation. India’s uranium resources can support a first – stage programme of about 12000 MWe based on pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) using natural uranium as fuel and heavy water as moderator and coolant. The energy potential of natural uranium can be increased to about 550000 MWe in the second stage through Fast Breeder Reactors (FBR’s) which utilize plutonium obtained from the recycled spent fuel of the first stage along with depleted uranium as blanket, to produce more plutonium or thorium in blanket to produce U-233. With the deployment of thorium at third stage using U-233 as fuel, the energy potential for electricity generation can be large and can produce abundant energy for future generation. Indigenous industrial infrastructure for reactor programme is well developed and technological capability exists within the department of Atomic Energy. Indian industries have gained valuable experience and reached a stage of maturity in manufacturing equipment and handling mega package contracts for these reactors.

Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) is the Nuclear Power’s Second stage, the first stage being thermal reactors operating on lower energy neutrons.

http://*****************/kirloskar-...on-sodium-pumps-fast-breeder-nuclear-reactors

@Dillinger , @Indo-guy , @acetophenol

 

[Raje amar]

Primary sodium pump with BHEL Motor

Pune: Indian company Kirloskar Brothers Limited (KBL) today handed over sodium pumps to the first-of-its-kind 500MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) project in India underway by Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI). BHAVINI, the wholly owned Enterprise of Government of India under the administrative control of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), is constructing India’s first 500MWe pool type, sodium cooled nuclear reactor in the country at Kalpakkam, 70 Kms away from Chennai in Tamil Nadu.

The Primary Sodium Pumps (PSP) was manufactured at the 100 year old Kirloskarvadi plant of Kirloskar Brothers Limited. The three PSPs manufactured in Kirloskarvadi – India’s second oldest industrial township – weigh 135 tons and they will handle 5.16 lakh liters of liquid Sodium per minute when installed at Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR). At 590 RPM (rotations per minute), these pumps will handle liquid sodium at 400 °C to 550 °C.
“An advantage of liquid metal coolants is high heat capacity which provides thermal inertia against overheating. Sodium atoms are much heavier than both the oxygen and hydrogen atoms found in water, and therefore the neutrons lose less energy in collisions with sodium atoms. Sodium also need not be pressurized since its boiling point is much higher than the reactor’s operating temperature, and sodium does not corrode reactor components in contact with sodium coolant or sodium aerosol,” said Dr. Prabhat Kumar, Chairman & Managing Director, BHAVINI.

“The PFBR setup is having two types of Sodium pumps. In the primary circuit, Primary Sodium Pump will transport the reactor core heat to secondary system and installed in the main reactor. In secondary circuit, Secondary Sodium Pumps feed the liquid Sodium back to reactor pool after taking away the heat through Heat Exchanger to light water, so as to convert it in to steam. These Secondary Sodium Pumps are installed outside the reactor vessel. I feel privileged to say that India has successfully developed the technology for commercial exploitation. And we at KBL are the only Indian company to develop such type of critical application pumps,” Ravindra Ulangwar, Associate Vice President & Head – Power Sector, KBL.

PFBR is being built with the design and technology developed at the Kalpakkam-based Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic Research (IGCAR)

India’s Long – term nuclear power programme is based on utilizing the vast indigenous thorium resources for electricity generation. India’s uranium resources can support a first – stage programme of about 12000 MWe based on pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) using natural uranium as fuel and heavy water as moderator and coolant. The energy potential of natural uranium can be increased to about 550000 MWe in the second stage through Fast Breeder Reactors (FBR’s) which utilize plutonium obtained from the recycled spent fuel of the first stage along with depleted uranium as blanket, to produce more plutonium or thorium in blanket to produce U-233. With the deployment of thorium at third stage using U-233 as fuel, the energy potential for electricity generation can be large and can produce abundant energy for future generation. Indigenous industrial infrastructure for reactor programme is well developed and technological capability exists within the department of Atomic Energy. Indian industries have gained valuable experience and reached a stage of maturity in manufacturing equipment and handling mega package contracts for these reactors.

Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) is the Nuclear Power’s Second stage, the first stage being thermal reactors operating on lower energy neutrons.

http://*****************/kirloskar-...on-sodium-pumps-fast-breeder-nuclear-reactors

@Dillinger , @Indo-guy , @acetophenol

Thanks for the very important information.
Its india into making some really serious stuff.

I see India soon exporting nuclear powerplants to other countries.

 

[acetophenol]

Sodium offers much better performance than water,as a coolant in Nuke powerplants. Sodium being more heavier than oxygen and hydrogen,it doesn't cause the neutrons to loose their energy.Also sodium has much better heat bearing capacity and do not overheat easily as water.

But as those who have ever been to a chemistry lab might know,sodium is one dirty rascal!!
Sodium will react violently(explode-kaboom!!) when it is in contact with water and will burn when comes in contact with air.So in the event of a leakage,its gonna be dirty.And,thats where the performance of these kinda pumps comes in. They probably have a dozen safety features to make sure that a leak don't shows up and in the event it does,some ways to tackle it!


Kudos to Kirloskar and BHEL and all Indians!!!

 

[[Bregs]]

Kirloskars are very innovative in various type of pumps and regeneration euipments

 

[Indo-guy]

http://*****************/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Kirloskar-Primary-sodium-pump-with-BHEL-Motor.jpg
Kirloskar Primary sodium pump with BHEL Motor

Pune: Indian company Kirloskar Brothers Limited (KBL) today handed over sodium pumps to the first-of-its-kind 500MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) project in India underway by Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI). BHAVINI, the wholly owned Enterprise of Government of India under the administrative control of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), is constructing India’s first 500MWe pool type, sodium cooled nuclear reactor in the country at Kalpakkam, 70 Kms away from Chennai in Tamil Nadu.

The Primary Sodium Pumps (PSP) was manufactured at the 100 year old Kirloskarvadi plant of Kirloskar Brothers Limited. The three PSPs manufactured in Kirloskarvadi – India’s second oldest industrial township – weigh 135 tons and they will handle 5.16 lakh liters of liquid Sodium per minute when installed at Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR). At 590 RPM (rotations per minute), these pumps will handle liquid sodium at 400 °C to 550 °C.
“An advantage of liquid metal coolants is high heat capacity which provides thermal inertia against overheating. Sodium atoms are much heavier than both the oxygen and hydrogen atoms found in water, and therefore the neutrons lose less energy in collisions with sodium atoms. Sodium also need not be pressurized since its boiling point is much higher than the reactor’s operating temperature, and sodium does not corrode reactor components in contact with sodium coolant or sodium aerosol,” said Dr. Prabhat Kumar, Chairman & Managing Director, BHAVINI.

“The PFBR setup is having two types of Sodium pumps. In the primary circuit, Primary Sodium Pump will transport the reactor core heat to secondary system and installed in the main reactor. In secondary circuit, Secondary Sodium Pumps feed the liquid Sodium back to reactor pool after taking away the heat through Heat Exchanger to light water, so as to convert it in to steam. These Secondary Sodium Pumps are installed outside the reactor vessel. I feel privileged to say that India has successfully developed the technology for commercial exploitation. And we at KBL are the only Indian company to develop such type of critical application pumps,” Ravindra Ulangwar, Associate Vice President & Head – Power Sector, KBL.

PFBR is being built with the design and technology developed at the Kalpakkam-based Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic Research (IGCAR)

India’s Long – term nuclear power programme is based on utilizing the vast indigenous thorium resources for electricity generation. India’s uranium resources can support a first – stage programme of about 12000 MWe based on pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) using natural uranium as fuel and heavy water as moderator and coolant. The energy potential of natural uranium can be increased to about 550000 MWe in the second stage through Fast Breeder Reactors (FBR’s) which utilize plutonium obtained from the recycled spent fuel of the first stage along with depleted uranium as blanket, to produce more plutonium or thorium in blanket to produce U-233. With the deployment of thorium at third stage using U-233 as fuel, the energy potential for electricity generation can be large and can produce abundant energy for future generation. Indigenous industrial infrastructure for reactor programme is well developed and technological capability exists within the department of Atomic Energy. Indian industries have gained valuable experience and reached a stage of maturity in manufacturing equipment and handling mega package contracts for these reactors.

Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) is the Nuclear Power’s Second stage, the first stage being thermal reactors operating on lower energy neutrons.

http://*****************/kirloskar-...on-sodium-pumps-fast-breeder-nuclear-reactors

@Dillinger , @Indo-guy , @acetophenol

Hope more and more private players are involved ...

Kirloskar brothers have shown the way ...

Indian industry can deliver if called upon ...Just hope that private industry is given bigger role to play ....

 

[kaykay]

wow and thats the news of the day for me. Can't wait to see world's first commercial FBR being operational and also it will produce more than 100KG of plutonium/year which we can use for many purposes including nuclear warheads. Best news is India is gonna make many such reactors.

 

[shiv]

NPCL/AERB going the ISRO way of roping in private players !! Nice development !