Europe's first EPR is now producing power - Olkiluoto 3

[OVERKILL]

Previous thread on it first going critical here:

Olkiluoto 3 - First EPR in Europe is alive

Was going to wait to post this until it was grid synch'd, but that seems to be coming up fast. On December 21st, 2021, the reactor went critical for the first time. This has been a LONG time coming. The plant is currently doing pre-commissioning testing, forced trips and similar, at low...

bobistheoilguy.com

Olkiluoto 3, the first EPR in Europe to make it to completion and achieve criticality has, as of yesterday, now produced first electricity connected to the grid.
Output can be tracked here, and this site will be active until the unit is declared in service/enters commercial operation:

TVO - OL3 Production

www.tvo.fi

Initial cycling has had the unit producing up to 223MWe, final electrical output will be ~1,600MWe.

The initial output tests are performed at 30% reactor power. Once complete, they will step-up to 60% power level, which will be the next thing to watch for.

This unit brings Finland's share of power provided by nuclear up to 40%; 30% generated at this single site.

 

[Ursatdx]

This may be the only "Green" energy that is truly cost effective.
Disposal of spent fuel is an issue that could probably be solved with
a bit of ingenuity.

 

[OVERKILL]

This may be the only "Green" energy that is truly cost effective.
Disposal of spent fuel is an issue that could probably be solved with
a bit of ingenuity.

Funny you mention that, Finland's DGR is supposed to enter operation in 2025:

Geological Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel • Stimson Center

Examination of factors to determine technical, operational, and social competence for geological disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Waste

www.stimson.org

 

[Wrenchturner44]

Heard about this company the other day. There may be a new future for nuclear waste.

Home

NDB: Nano Diamond Battery is an innovative energy generator and storage that redefines and revolutionizes the battery as we know it.

ndb.technology

 

[Cujet]

Heard about this company the other day. There may be a new future for nuclear waste.

Home

NDB: Nano Diamond Battery is an innovative energy generator and storage that redefines and revolutionizes the battery as we know it.

ndb.technology

Cool technology, but I don't think it's new. I think it is nuclear power supply that provides a trickle of power 24/7/365, which then charges an onboard battery. That battery provides the working power. Hope the battery does not burn

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

This is quite a machine. Cool story I stumbled upon.

GE Builds 350-Ton Turbines at Its Power Facilities. Here’s What We Found on a Tour.

General Electric led a tour of one of its South Carolina gas power facilities as part of its Investor Day on Thursday—and while the machines produced there, and the process to make them, are incredible, sometimes great technology isn’t enough. The story of GE’s (ticker: GE) gas power division...

www.yahoo.com

GE Builds 350-Ton Turbines at Its Power Facilities. Here's What We Found on a Tour.

A General Electric 7HA.03 turbine is something to behold. Making one isn't easy.

www.barrons.com

 

[OVERKILL]

She's been tested up to 430MWe now, will be bumped to 500MWe on Tuesday.

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

She's been tested up to 430MWe now, will be bumped to 500MWe on Tuesday.

The turbine, one of the featured items produced at the site, is a behemoth, weighing in at around 350 tons. Bolts fastening parts of the shell—which contains compressor and turbine blades—are as thick as a man’s arm.

That got me really interested in the article! 350 tons! Bolts that big............

I love the idea of power from any turbines. Used to repair & maintain a bunch of small steam driven ones 20 years ago. They were used to drive pumps, fans and even emergency backup equipment in case of electrical blips or outages.

 

[OVERKILL]

The turbine, one of the featured items produced at the site, is a behemoth, weighing in at around 350 tons. Bolts fastening parts of the shell—which contains compressor and turbine blades—are as thick as a man’s arm.

That got me really interested in the article! 350 tons! Bolts that big............

I love the idea of power from any turbines. Used to repair & maintain a bunch of small steam driven ones 20 years ago. They were used to drive pumps, fans and even emergency backup equipment in case of electrical blips or outages.

Yep, so these are just really huge steam driven ones. Nukes are run a lower temperatures than gas or coal plants, so there's a lot of attention given to trying to optimize that. Some of the next gen SMR reactors are higher temp, but none of those are in production right now.

OL3 turbine hall:

And this turbine shot is from Flamanville, which is the same reactor design (EPR):

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

Yep, so these are just really huge steam driven ones. Nukes are run a lower temperatures than gas or coal plants, so there's a lot of attention given to trying to optimize that. Some of the next gen SMR reactors are higher temp, but none of those are in production right now.

OL3 turbine hall:
View attachment 95110

And this turbine shot is from Flamanville, which is the same reactor design (EPR):
View attachment 95112
View attachment 95113

Wow. Makes what we dealt with seem like miniatures!

 

[OVERKILL]

Latest update! The plant is now being run up to 745MWe.

 

[OVERKILL]

843MW now!

 

[wings&wheels]

Yep, so these are just really huge steam driven ones. Nukes are run a lower temperatures than gas or coal plants, so there's a lot of attention given to trying to optimize that. Some of the next gen SMR reactors are higher temp, but none of those are in production right now.

OL3 turbine hall:
View attachment 95110

And this turbine shot is from Flamanville, which is the same reactor design (EPR):
View attachment 95112
View attachment 95113

Overkill, is the wheel (blisk??) on the left in the second pic a turbine stage or something else?

I am fascinated by this!

 

[JTK]

Overkill, is the wheel (blisk??) on the left in the second pic a turbine stage or something else?

I am fascinated by this!

I just assumed that was a bull gear that runs something..

 

[Dave Hess]

Latest update! The plant is now being run up to 745MWe.

I didn’t know GE was involved in building new nuclear power plants.

 

[OVERKILL]

Overkill, is the wheel (blisk??) on the left in the second pic a turbine stage or something else?

I am fascinated by this!

Yes, would be part of a low pressure stage given the size. Here's a picture of the low pressure stages for a unit at Darlington, high pressure is on the left, you can just see it:

An assembled unit, the HP turbine is again on the far left:

 

[OVERKILL]

I didn’t know GE was involved in building new nuclear power plants.

Yes, they have been the turbine supplier for Europe and worked with EDF.

 

[Shannow]

I just assumed that was a bull gear that runs something..

That's a blade root attachement for the last row of blades, as you can see in the last photo, the blades have been stacked, and you can see the row with full circumferatial cover band through the free standing blades.
Here's one I did in 2009 (finger and pin attachment), upgrading thermal 660MW to 700MW, the last row blades are 33.5" airfoil, 3,000RPM, and new shape over '70s shape was worth around 15MW (2 off LP turbines, 2 ends each)....all up with HP, IP, 2 LPs, and Generator, that's 210 tonnes of spinny stuff...

 

[OVERKILL]

Just an update to this:

Testing was stopped in May when contamination was found:

Foreign material detached from the steam guide plates was found in the turbine’s steam reheater in May 2022, which requires inspection and repair work. According to investigations from the plant supplier, the repair work will last until the end of July. The plant unit’s test production programme and electricity production can only be continued after the completion of this repair work. Furthermore, additional time has been reserved in the schedule for the plant unit’s upcoming tests and their analyses based on previous experiences from the test production phase.

After the repair works, the commissioning program continues with tests in 60 % reactor power level. This phase includes house load operation test where the plant is disconnected from the external grid and feeds only own consumption. After this, the reactor power is raised up to 65 % and load ramp test on varieting power levels (65% - 25% - 65 %) will be performed.

The unit is expected to begin testing again in July, at 60% power. Hopefully this will be a learning experience for Hinkley Point C and Flamanville so they don't have the same problem.

 

[OVERKILL]

Just an update to this:

Testing was stopped in May when contamination was found:


The unit is expected to begin testing again in July, at 60% power. Hopefully this will be a learning experience for Hinkley Point C and Flamanville so they don't have the same problem.

Update:

Obviously this took longer than planned to rectify, but the unit is back to producing power now!