Ontario nuclear update - May 23rd, 2023

OVERKILL

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I couldn't make the @High Performance Lubricants Open House this year, since it happened to fall on the same dates as our group was getting an in-plant tour of Bruce Nuclear Generating station, which produces ~30% of Ontario's electricity!

This was a truly once in a lifetime opportunity, since the Unit 6 MCR (refurbishment project) had just wrapped up and fuel loading had just completed the day before. We were able to get up close and personal with Unit 6, including seeing the brand new steam generators, of which there are 8, on a unit with a thermal capacity of 2,832MWth, which gets converted into ~880MWe (1.18 million HP). The unit had not been fired since the replacement of all these key parts, so radiological hazard level was essentially zero, allowing us to get into places you normally can't. We received no dose for the entire tour.

@Rand was able to come up and join as well.

It's amazing to consider that what's essentially a 20x20 box can produce 4% of Ontario's electricity :geek: Most of the plant (which also really isn't that large) is the supporting equipment. Each unit has 4x 10MW pumps for their HT system for example, so there's lots of plumbing!

Bruce is a special plant in that it can handle a total loss of grid power and not have to SCRAM. It dumps steam to the condensors, and the reactors will drop down to 55% and idle, running all the services for the units and the site. This is a fantastic service in the event of a black start, as you have a tremendous amount of firm capacity with a ton of inertia that can be used to rebuild the grid, and that's exactly how it was used in the 2003 Blackout.

IMG_0062.jpeg
 
Why weren't all nuke plants built that way?
It never made sense to me, that when outside power is cut off, as in Ukraine, that the plant won't operate.
 
Why weren't all nuke plants built that way?
It never made sense to me, that when outside power is cut off, as in Ukraine, that the plant won't operate.
There's two parts to this.
1. US plants, by regulation, have to SCRAM on a loss of grid. Not sure how that applies internationally, Canada is different.
2. US plants (and by extension, most PWR/BWR facilities) aren't setup to be able to reject sufficient heat to be able to do this

Canadian plants don't have to SCRAM on a loss of grid. Even Pickering, which can't dump straight to the condensers (it dumps to atmosphere) can handle a loss of grid and reduce to 60% reactor power for a while before being shutdown, it's around 4 hours. Darlington can technically do it as long as Bruce, but they'd usually tap-out after 8hrs unless asked not to (it's hard on the condensers).

Bruce was designed to be able to idle indefinitely with a loss of grid. It's located more remotely than the other two, so a loss of grid was more likely. So, the plant was built to be able to island and look after itself until the grid comes back. CANDU's are pretty unique plants in terms of both design and operation. They don't want to work, since they use natural uranium, and everything happens in slow motion due to the obscene volumes of water (both heavy and light water) used. This means that the life of an operator is pretty easy, since everything is super slow. Once they are up, they just kind of plod along doing their thing. It also means that when you do lose the grid, the unit is very easy to control and ramp down, and the condensers are designed to be able to handle that.
 
Overkill, without too much info, might one ask what your job is that you get to tour all these cool sites? :geek:
 
[QUOTE="I Overkill, without too much info, might one ask what your job is that you get to tour all these cool sites? :geek:
[/QUOTE]
My day job is IT administrative in the healthcare sector, but I'm involved in an executive capacity in a nuclear-focused non-profit.
 
My day job is IT administrative in the healthcare sector, but I'm involved in an executive capacity in a nuclear-focused non-profit.
Mild mannered <>by day, nuclear powered by night!?

Great trip and excellent timing for an Amazing tour of Bruce B.
 
For those interested, inside that yellow can is pure hydrogen at 60psi give or take.
and a 40(ish) tonne rotor spinning at 1,800 RPM sitting inside the hydrogen...4 pole, rather than 2 pole 3600RPM. (Oz they are 3,000RPM).
The generator contains copper stator bars at 22,000 volts, and some ridiculous number of amps.
And they are hollow, and have water flowing through them end to end to cool them...really pure water, or nasty things happen.
those pipes running into the casing cool the hydrogen.
 
For those interested, inside that yellow can is pure hydrogen at 60psi give or take.
and a 40(ish) tonne rotor spinning at 1,800 RPM sitting inside the hydrogen...4 pole, rather than 2 pole 3600RPM. (Oz they are 3,000RPM).
The generator contains copper stator bars at 22,000 volts, and some ridiculous number of amps.
And they are hollow, and have water flowing through them end to end to cool them...really pure water, or nasty things happen.
those pipes running into the casing cool the hydrogen.
Yes, great info! We were told that the floor is red to remind people about the hydrogen.

Apparently, Bruce B (above) and Pickering B were/are 24,000 volts, while Pickering A (and Bruce A) were 18,500 volts. Though I believe Bruce A units have been rewound and should be the same as B now.
 
Extrapolating from your statement that one 20x20 box produces 4% of Ontario's electricity, 25 such units would meet 100% of Ontario's requirements, and 75 would do for all of Canada.

In reality you wouldn't need 75 even, as BC, Manitoba, Quebec, and Newfoundland/Labrador have abundant hydroelectric. Fifty perhaps? Amazing!
 
Extrapolating from your statement that one 20x20 box produces 4% of Ontario's electricity, 25 such units would meet 100% of Ontario's requirements, and 75 would do for all of Canada.

In reality you wouldn't need 75 even, as BC, Manitoba, Quebec, and Newfoundland/Labrador have abundant hydroelectric. Fifty perhaps? Amazing!

Ontario has hydro too! Niagara Falls for example. IIRC Quebec is the biggest producer of hydro.
 
Interesting stats on Ontario Hydro production.


And additional interesting stats. I knew Quebec was the highest but I had no idea it was that strong on hydro compared to Ontario and the ROC:
power generation.png



Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/691961/canada-hydropower-electricity-generation-by-province/
 
And additional interesting stats. I knew Quebec was the highest but I had no idea it was that strong on hydro compared to Ontario and the ROC:
View attachment 157704


Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/691961/canada-hydropower-electricity-generation-by-province/
Yes, the James Bay Project for example, is absolutely massive and covers an area the size of the state of Florida. To put it in perspective, Quebec's hydro system could power the whole of Australia.
 
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