India became the first country in the world to develop a technology for increasing the life of nuclear reactors. A giant thermal baffle weighing 70 tonnes, designed and built by the engineers of Indira Gandhi Centre For
Atomic Research, was integrated with the main vessel of the 500 MWe fast breeder reactor coming up at Kalpakkam, 65 km from Chennai on Thursday.
“This will save the country billions of rupees since the thermal baffle would increase the life period of the reactor by more than 10 years. The usual life period of nuclear reactors is 30 to 40 years,” said S.C. Chethal, director, reactor engineering group, IGCAR and the country’s ace reactor designer.
“The Thermal Baffle, consisting of two large shells made out of special steel with a height of 5 metres, will ensure that the maximum temperature of the main vessel of the reactor is maintained between 350 and 450 degree Celsius, thus minimising the effect of creep, thermal fatigue and embrittlement,” said Dr Prabhat Kumar, project director, BHAVINI, the public sector undertaking entrusted with the construction of the country’s first commercial FBR. He told reporters that the reactor, which generated power as well as more fuel than what it consumes, would be ready by March 2012.
Mr Chethal said that the construction of the first 500 MWe FBR was a learning process for the Indian scientists. “Six more reactors of this kind will come up soon with Kalpakkam itself housing three reactors. The construction period will come down by almost 24 months because of the experience gained by us,” said Mr Chethal.
He also said that by the time the country completes the sixth FBR, the costs would have come down by 30 per cent from that of the first reactor.