搜索
YYoouuccaannbbeessuurree......iiffiitt’’ssWWeessttiinngghhoouusseeNuclearPower-TheEnvironmentallyCleanOptionAstheworld'spopulationrises,sodoesitsrelianceonelectricity.Likewise,energydemandsaresoaringasnewtechnologiesandexpandeddevelopmentcreateadditionalenergyneeds.Thistrendwillonlycontinueasnationsgrowanddevelopingcountriesemerge.Forthemostpart,fossilfuelshavepoweredwholenationsandeconomies.Butasfossilfuelsdwindleandastheeffectsofpollutionandglobalwarmingincrease,it'stimetolookforbettersolutionstotheworld'senergyneeds.Continuedrelianceonfossilfuelsforthevastmajorityofourenergyneedsissimplynotrealistic.Viewingthesituationinaworldwidecontextmagnifiestheproblem.Withanadditionaltwobillionpeopleexpectedtoneedenergyby2020,fossilfuelscannotadequatelysatisfythedemandwithoutfurtherharmingtheenvironment.Likewise,renewableenergysourcesarestillintheirinfancy,aswellasbeinganunrealisticmeanstoprovidebaseloadgeneration.It'stimetorealizeagenerationofpowerthatissafe,plentiful,economicalandclean.It'stimeforanewgenerationofnuclearpower.NuclearPower-TheEnvironmentallyCleanOption1TheNuclearRenaissanceStartsHere.TMFeaturingproventechnologyandinnovativepassivesafetysystems,theWestinghouseAP1000TMpressurizedwaterreactorcanachievecompetitivegenerationcostsinthecurrentelectricitymarketwithoutemittinggreenhousegasesandfurtherharmingtheenvironment.WestinghouseElectricCompany,thepioneerinnuclearenergy,onceagainsetsanewindustrystandardwiththeAP1000.TheAP1000isthesafestandmosteconomicalnuclearpowerplantavailableintheworldwidecommercialmarketplace,andistheonlyGenerationIII+reactortoreceiveDesignCertificationfromtheU.S.NuclearRegulatoryCommission(NRC).TheestablisheddesignoftheAP1000offersthreedistinctadvantagesoverotherdesigns:UnequaledsafetyEconomiccompetitivenessImprovedandmoreefficientoperationsBasedonnearly20yearsofresearchanddevelopment,theAP1000buildsandimprovesupontheestablishedtechnologyofmajorcomponentsusedincurrentWestinghouse-designedplants.Componentssuchassteamgenerators,digitalinstrumentationandcontrols,fuel,pressurizers,andreactorvesselsarecurrentlyinusearoundtheworldandhaveyearsofproven,reliableoperatingexperience.Historically,Westinghouseplantdesignsandtechnologyhaveforgedthecuttingedgeofnuclearplanttechnologyaroundtheworld.Today,nearly50percentoftheworld's440nuclearplantsarebasedonWestinghousetechnology.Westinghousecontinuestobethenuclearindustry'sgloballeader.(GenerationIII+istheDepartmentofEnergy'snomenclatureforGenerationIIIAdvancedLightWaterReactorswithimprovedeconomicsandsafety.)AP1000isatrademarkofWestinghouseElectricCompanyLLC2ataGlanceTheAP1000TMisatwo-looppressurizedwaterreactor(PWR)thatusesasimplified,innovativeandeffectiveapproachtosafety.Withagrosspowerratingof3,415megawattthermal(MWt)andanom-inalnetelectricaloutputof1,117megawattelectric(MWe),theAP1000,witha157-fuel-assemblycore,isidealfornewbaseloadgeneration.ThestandardizedreactordesigncomplieswiththeAdvancedLightWaterReactorUtilityRequirementsDocument(URD).TheAP1000receivedFinalDesignApprovalfromtheU.S.NRCinSeptember2004,andDesignCertificationinDecember2005.TheAP1000isthefirstandonlyGenerationIII+reactortoreceivesuchcertificationfromtheNRC.AdditionallytheEuropeanUtilityRequirements(EUR)organizationcertifiedthattheAP1000pressurizedwaterreactorhassuccessfullypassedallthestepsofanalysisforcompliancewithEuropeanUtilityRequirements,confirmingthattheAP1000canbesuccessfullydeployedinEurope.SimplifiedPlantDesignSimplificationwasamajordesignobjectiveoftheAP1000.Simplificationsinoverallsafetysystems,nor-maloperatingsystems,thecontrolroom,constructiontechniques,andinstrumentationandcontrolsystemsprovideaplantthatiseasierandlessexpensivetobuild,operate,andmaintain.Plantsim-plificationsyieldfewercomponents,cable,andseismicbuildingvolume,allofwhichcontributetoconsid-erablesavingsincapitalinvestment,andloweroperationandmaintenancecosts.Atthesametime,thesafetymarginsforAP1000havebeenincreaseddramaticallyovercurrentlyoperatingplants.TheTechnologyTheAP1000iscomprisedofcomponentsthatincorporatemanydesignimprovementsdistilledfrom50yearsofsuccessfuloperatingnuclearpowerplantexperience.Thereactorvesselandinternals,steamgenerator,fuel,andpressurizerdesignsareimprovedversionsofthosefoundincur-rentlyoperatingWestinghouse-designedPWRs.Thereactorcoolantpumpsarecanned-motorpumps,thetypeusedinmanyotherindustrialapplicationswherereliabilityandlonglifeareparamountrequirements.LicensedPassiveSafetySystemsTheuniquefeatureoftheAP1000isitsuseofnaturalforces-naturalcirculation,gravity,convectionandcompressedgas-tooperateinthehighlyunlikelyeventofanaccident,ratherthanrelyingonoperatoractionsandacpower.Evenwithnooperatoractionandacompletelossofallon-siteandoff-siteacpower,theAP1000willsafelyshutdownandremaincool.Becausenaturalforcesarewellunderstoodandhaveworkedasintendedinlarge-scaletesting,nodemonstrationplantisrequired.TheWestinghouseadvancedpassivereactordesignunderwentthemostthoroughpre-constructionlicensingrevieweverconductedbytheU.S.NRC.LargeSafetyMarginsTheAP1000meetstheU.S.NRCdetermin