Question

3. Most current light water reactors use some form of a _______________________ refueling pattern. This method is chosen because it combines the advantages of the ____________ and ___________ refueling patterns.

Answer 1

ANSWER :

Most current light water reactors use some form of a the supercritical water reactor (SCWR) refueling pattern. This method is chosen because it combines the advantages of the the pressurized water reactor (PWR) and the boiling water reactor (BWR) refueling patterns.

SCWR is typically designed as a direct-cycle, whereby steam or hot supercritical water from the core is used directly in a steam turbine. This makes the design simple. As a BWR is simpler than a PWR, a SCWR is a lot simpler and more compact than a less-efficient BWR having the same electrical output. There are no steam separators, steam dryers, internal recirculation pumps, or recirculation flow inside the pressure vessel. The design is a once-through, direct-cycle, the simplest type of cycle possible. The stored thermal and radiologic energy in the smaller core and its (primary) cooling circuit would also be less than that of either a BWR's or a PWR's