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</script>Concepts of nuclear reactors cooled with water at supercritical pressures were studied as early as the 1950s and 1960s in the USA and Russia. After a 30-year break, the idea of developing nuclear reactors cooled with SuperCritical Water (SCW) became attractive again as the ultimate development path for water cooling. This statement is based on the known history of the thermal power industry, which made a “revolutionary” step forward from the level of subcritical pressures (15 – 16 MPa) to the level of supercritical pressures (23.5 – 35 MPa) more than fifty years ago with the same major objective as that of SuperCritcal Watercooled Reactors (SCWRs) − to increase thermal efficiency of power plants by 10 – 15%. The main objectives of using SCW in nuclear reactors are: 1) to increase the thermal efficiency of modern Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) from 30 – 35% to about 45 – 50%, and 2) to decrease capital and operational costs and hence, decrease electrical-energy costs. To achieve higher thermal efficiency a nuclear steam reheat has to be introduced inside a reactor. Currently, all supercritical turbines at thermal power plants have a steam-reheat option. In the 60’s and 70’s, Russia, USA and some other countries have developed and implemented the nuclear steam reheat at a subcritical pressure in experimental boiling reactors. Therefore, it is important to summarize the experience of implementing nuclear steam reheat at several experimental Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs) worldwide and utilize it in the context of development of SCWRs with the steam-reheat option.
| citations This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 7 | |
| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Average | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Top 10% | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Average |
