SGHWR
Encyclopedia
Steam Generating Heavy Water Reactor (SGHWR) is a pressure tube type, heavy water
moderated, light water cooled nuclear reactor
. The steam generating heavy water reactor is in principle the same as a BWR but relies on a special heavy water material as the moderator whilst using conventional water as the primary coolant. They are similar in design to the CANDU, which uses pressure tubes and separates the coolant and moderator - the Gentilly-1
CANDU-BWR prototype was in fact a reactor of this type. The modern CANDU ACR-1000
reactor design uses a similar concept.
There are only a limited number of examples of this design, the major one being at Winfrith
in Dorset
, UK
, a 100 MW reactor which ceased operation in 1990 after 23 years of successful operation having reached the end of its design life. http://www.ukaea.co.uk/casestudies/decommissioning/SGHWR_fuel_ponds/index.asp It was owned by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
. Decommissioning is now being carried out by Research Sites Restoration Limited on behalf of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
.
Another example was the Italian project CIRENE, hosted at Latina Nuclear Power Plant
.
Heavy water
Heavy water is water highly enriched in the hydrogen isotope deuterium; e.g., heavy water used in CANDU reactors is 99.75% enriched by hydrogen atom-fraction...
moderated, light water cooled nuclear reactor
Nuclear reactor
A nuclear reactor is a device to initiate and control a sustained nuclear chain reaction. Most commonly they are used for generating electricity and for the propulsion of ships. Usually heat from nuclear fission is passed to a working fluid , which runs through turbines that power either ship's...
. The steam generating heavy water reactor is in principle the same as a BWR but relies on a special heavy water material as the moderator whilst using conventional water as the primary coolant. They are similar in design to the CANDU, which uses pressure tubes and separates the coolant and moderator - the Gentilly-1
Gentilly Nuclear Generating Station
Gentilly Nuclear Generating Station is a Canadian nuclear power station located near Bécancour, Quebec. The facility derives its name from the Gentilly suburb of the city of Bécancour, in which it is located...
CANDU-BWR prototype was in fact a reactor of this type. The modern CANDU ACR-1000
Advanced CANDU Reactor
The Advanced CANDU Reactor is a Generation III+ nuclear reactor design and is a further development of existing CANDU reactors designed by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited. The ACR is a light-water-cooled reactor that incorporates features of both Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors and Advanced...
reactor design uses a similar concept.
There are only a limited number of examples of this design, the major one being at Winfrith
Winfrith
Winfrith was a United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority site near Winfrith Newburgh in Dorset. It covered an area on Bovington Heath to the west of the village of Wool between the A352 road and the London Waterloo to Weymouth railway line....
in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, a 100 MW reactor which ceased operation in 1990 after 23 years of successful operation having reached the end of its design life. http://www.ukaea.co.uk/casestudies/decommissioning/SGHWR_fuel_ponds/index.asp It was owned by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority is a UK government research organisation responsible for the development of nuclear fusion power. It is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and was formerly chaired by Lady Barbara Judge CBE...
. Decommissioning is now being carried out by Research Sites Restoration Limited on behalf of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority is a non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom formed by the Energy Act 2004. It came into existence in late 2004, and took on its main functions on 1 April 2005...
.
Another example was the Italian project CIRENE, hosted at Latina Nuclear Power Plant
Latina Nuclear Power Plant
Latina Nuclear Power Plant is a nuclear power plant at Latina, Lazio, Italy. Consisting of one 153 MWe Magnox reactor, it operated from 1963 until 1987....
.