Reactors are used to protect motors and reduce power line distortion (also known as dirty power) in variable frequency drives. These reactors are available in a variety of impedance levels for different applications.
The large nuclear plants such as the two AP1000s at Vogtle were notorious for time and cost overruns. Small reactors can be built quickly and are less costly.
Electrical
Nuclear reactors generate about 10 percent of the world's electricity without emitting greenhouse gases. They are a reliable source of clean and affordable energy. They are used in homes, businesses and industries. They can provide backup power when the grid goes down or replace power generators that use diesel fuel.
Reactors are also useful for transient control and voltage compensation in transmission lines. They help reduce the notch voltage in transmission lines caused by Ferranti Effect under light load conditions. This can damage electronic equipment, so a reactor is added in series with an SCR power source to create a voltage divider and reduce notching. These reactors are made of high-performance materials that can withstand the stresses of power generation. They are also highly safe and have no radioactive material.
Mechanical
Mechanical engineering plays a crucial role in the nuclear power industry, where precision and safety are paramount. The core of a buy reactors contains fuel rods that are a combination of enriched uranium and plutonium, which are bombarded with neutrons to initiate nuclear fission. The resulting heat is used to create steam for generating electricity. These are housed in a robust steel reactor vessel surrounded by radiation shielding and a containment building.
Reactors are designed to limit inrush current and eliminate voltage notching, reflected wave noise or volt/tach harmonic distortion. They can be installed as line or load reactors. Line reactors are wired in series between two points in a circuit to minimize inrush current. Load reactors are placed at the output of motor drives to help eliminate voltage spikes and reflected wave noise. industrial reactors models come in a variety of sizes. They also include different manway arrangements such as a dished cover with one fused sight glass or flat covers with two fused sight glasses and opening assistance via davit or spring assist.
Instrumentation
A reactor requires an elaborate system to measure, monitor, check, control and communicate. This system is called the instrumentation and control (I&C) system and is adapted to the design of each reactor.
For example, consider a temperature transmitter connected to the reactor vessel. In this case the line type connecting the transmitter to the indicator is a hollow diamond-shaped line, rather than the usual analog 4 to 20 mA. This indicates that the instrument is sending digital signaling – also known as fieldbus – which uses electrical pulses of 0 and 1 to represent process variables. This same technology is being used in many SMR projects to develop sensors for flow monitoring, temperature measurement and core melt localisation, among other applications. Several water-based flow loops provide a unique proving ground for complex I&C research in a safe, low-risk environment. For example, using a forced-circulation test loop, scientists can develop and demonstrate advanced concepts of operation and fault tolerant control.
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