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Nuclear power developments in China


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n aggressive programme of nuclear power plant construction is cur- rently in progress in China. Most of these new nuclear plants will deploy ‘Generation II+’


and ‘Generation III’ reactor technology and although no plants are as yet operational, the latter is the latest commercially available tech- nology worldwide.


Engineers, including personnel at China’s University of Tsing Hua, are currently work- ing on the fourth generation of reactor design developing a prototype of the world’s first full scale ‘Generation IV’ reactor. The high tem- perature gas-cooled reactor with pebble bed fuel (HTR-PM) project is of great significance to China in terms of the indigenisation of nuclear technology, as well as the development of a simple, safe, smaller-sized family of nuclear reactors.


The HTR-PM is a graphite moderated helium cooled reactor with ceramic coated fuel particles. It is inherently safe and has greater levels of efficiency. With a capacity of 200MW, it is much smaller than traditional reactor designs of 1,100MW and above and as a modular concept, can be duplicated sev- eral times on one site to power high efficiency steam turbines or produce hydrogen gas. Operating conditions of the HTR-PM reac-


PILOT OPERATED TECHNOLOGY


WAS SELECTED ABOVE CONVENTIONAL SAFETY VALVE TECHNOLOGY DUE TO ITS PROVEN HIGHER PERFORMANCE LEVELS IN TERMS OF TIGHTNESS, STABILITY AND VERSATILITY


tor are particularly severe. The primary circuit operates with helium gas at a pressure of 84bar and the fluid temperature is in the range of 350–900 degrees Celsius. The secondary circuit is supercritical steam at 157bar and 574 degrees Celsius. Weir Power & Industrial France has been supplying safety valves to the nuclear industry since the 1980s. The business specialises in the pilot operated safety relief valve design, particularly for overpressure protection in primary and secondary circuits and its SEBIM product is installed in over 250 operational nu- clear power plants worldwide. One of its most recent research and development investments


Asia’s largest mining exhibition


Weir Minerals India attracted a large number of potential customers at the


International Mining and Machinery Exhibition in the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata, India during November 2010.


The exhibition covered an overall area of


55,000 square meters, with around 450 par- ticipants from 22 countries. Weir Minerals and KHD Humboldt joined


forces to display their combined strength in the mining and minerals sector. The display included long lasting slurry equipment such as pumps, valves, cyclones and mill liners along with Weir Minerals Linatex rubber products and the KHD high pressure grinding roll.


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is the SEBIM PRG-3000, a primary loop nucle- ar safety valve that qualifies to the most severe conditions. To progress its development, a team of R&D engineers has been established and the steam boiler test equipment has been upgraded for factory testing. Weir Power & Industrial France has


since been working closely with engineers from Chinergy to develop specifications for overpressure protection of the primary and secondary circuits of the HTR-PM reac- tor. In addition to an order for main steam safety valves previously announced, Weir has recently been awarded a primary safety valve order. The Nuclear Class 1 valves are based on the PRG-3000 design and will be installed on the helium loop, with design conditions of 84bar, 350 degrees Celsius. In spite of its higher cost, pilot operated technology was selected above conventional safety valve technology due to its proven higher perform- ance levels in terms of tightness, stability and versatility.


Delivery is scheduled for mid-2012 and being part of the initial design phase puts Weir in pole position to participate in the future development of this family of reactor. The Chinese plans include commissioning


of the prototype HTR-PM by 2013, develop- ment of 30 HTR-PM reactors by 2020 and development of several hundred HTR-PM reactors by 2050.


The Weir Minerals display at the exhibition


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