Candu Fundamentals
Candu Fundamentals
Candu Fundamentals
CANDU Fundamentals
CANDU Fundamentals
Table of Contents
1 OBJECTIVES ............................................................................. 1
1.1 COURSE OVERVIEW ............................................................... 1
1.2 ATOMIC STRUCTURE .............................................................. 1
1.3 RADIOACTIVITY – SPONTANEOUS NUCLEAR PROCESSES ....... 1
1.4 NUCLEAR STABILITY AND INSTABILITY ................................. 2
1.5 ACTIVITY ............................................................................... 2
1.6 NEUTRONS AND NEUTRON INTERACTIONS ............................. 2
1.7 FISSION .................................................................................. 2
1.8 FUEL, MODERATOR, AND REACTOR ARRANGEMENT ............. 2
1.9 NUCLEAR SAFETY .................................................................. 3
1.10 NUCLEAR POWER REACTORS ................................................. 3
1.11 CANDU REACTOR CONSTRUCTION ...................................... 4
1.12 MODERATOR AND MODERATOR SYSTEM ............................... 4
1.13 MODERATOR COVER GAS SYSTEM & MODERATOR
AUXILIARY SYSTEMS ......................................................................... 5
1.14 HEAT TRANSPORT SYSTEM .................................................... 6
1.15 HEAT TRANSPORT AUXILIARY SYSTEMS ............................... 6
1.16 REACTOR FUEL ...................................................................... 7
1.17 NEUTRON LIFE CYCLE ............................................................ 8
1.18 CRITICALITY AND NEUTRON MULTIPLICATION ...................... 8
1.19 CHANGES IN REACTOR POWER WITH TIME .......................... 8
1.20 XENON: A FISSION PRODUCT POISON .................................... 8
1.21 REACTIVITY EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE CHANGES ............... 9
1.22 NEUTRON FLUX CONTROL ..................................................... 9
1.23 REACTIVITY MECHANISMS .................................................... 9
1.24 EMERGENCY COOLANT INJECTION & CONTAINMENT ............ 9
1.25 CONVENTIONAL SIDE ........................................................... 10
1.26 OTHER MAJOR SYSTEMS...................................................... 11
2 ATOMIC STRUCTURE .......................................................... 13
2.1 FUNDAMENTAL PARTICLES .................................................. 13
2.1.1 Proton ......................................................................... 13
2.1.2 Neutron ....................................................................... 13
2.1.3 Electron....................................................................... 14
2.2 STRUCTURE OF ATOMS ........................................................ 14
2.3 ATOMIC NOTATION .............................................................. 14
2.4 ISOTOPES ............................................................................. 15
2.5 SUMMARY OF KEY IDEAS..................................................... 16
2.6 ASSIGNMENT ....................................................................... 18
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1 Objectives
1.1 Course Overview
CANDU Fundamentals is designed as an introductory course in the
operation of a CANDU reactor. Starting with the basics of atomic
theory the course explains the construction of the reactor, its major
systems and enough reactor physics so that the participant will
understand the control and operating practices in a CANDU plant.
Emphasis is placed on nuclear safety and the systems that minimize
the risk from fission products in the reactor core.
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1.5 Activity
• Define the common units of activity: Becquerel, Curie.
1.7 Fission
• State where the energy released by fission comes from
(mass to energy conversion).
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• List the five barriers that protect the public from fission
products.
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• State the two major reasons why the rate of tritium production
in the moderator is greater than in the heat transport coolant.
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• State why HTS pumps are placed after the boilers in the main
HTS circulating system.
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• State two reasons why there is more leakage from the heat
transport system than from the moderator system.
• State how normal CANLUB fuel is used and why it has this
name.
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• State and explain two uses of depleted fuel and give the U-235
concentrations for normal and depleted fuel.
• State and explain how the reactor can be critical at any power
level.
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• Explain what flux oscillations are and how liquid control zones
are used to prevent them.
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• Describe the need for both high and low pressure turbines.
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