ORIG. RUSSIAN: USE OF NUCLEAR REACTORS FOR DISTRICT HEATING AND HEAT SUPPLY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-00904R000100100020-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 12, 2009
• Sequence Number: 20
• Publication Date: May 1, 1964
• Content Type: STUDY

 Approved For Release 2009/08/17: CIA-RDP88-00904R000100100020-8
Third United Nations
International Conference
on the Peaceful Uses
of Atomic Energy
Confidential until official release during Conference
A/CONFO 28/P/319
USSR
May 1964
Original: RUSSIAN
USE OF NUCLEAR REACTORS FOR DISTRICT
HEATING AND HEAT SUPPLY
A. C. Gorshkov, Yu. I. Koryakin,
A. A. Login.ov, E.Ya. Sokolov.
Fuel and power factors for large nuclear reactor use
for district heating ani centralized heat supply.
In the total fuel-power balance of the USSR electric power
constitutes about 15% at present and total electrification having
been carried out according to the approved plan, it will consti-
tute about 25%. If nuclear power stations substitute a conside-
rable number of fossil fuel-fired power plants their influence,
however, on the total fuel-power balance will be comparatively
not great. Nuclear fuel influence on the total fuel-power balance
may and must be considerably greater if it is used not only for
electricity generation but for centralized heat supply as well.
May one consider the situation usual when more than 2 /3 of
heat generated at nuclear power plants is lost in turbine conden-
sers, while a great amount of coal, oil and gas is burned to get
mean and low temperature heat at boilers plants? For example, in
our country 1400 million heal got due to burning high quality
fuel was spent for these purposes in 1960.
Such use of high quality fuel took place during a wide deve-
lopment in the USSR of district heating and centralized heat
supply which meet above 50% process heat and about 20% space hea-
ting demands.
Forty year experience in an extensive development of district
Approved For Release 2009/08/17: CIA-RDP88-00904R000100100020-8
 Approved For Release 2009/08/17: CIA-RDP88-00904R000100100020-8
heating and heat supply in the USSR makes it possible to reco-
mend these methods of using fuel as main ones for a radical rati-
onalization of fuel-power balance, nuclear fuel sibstituting par-
tially fossil one. In the first turn it is advisable to use
nuclear fuel to meet heat supply demands in the districts where
there is lack of fossil fuel or it is got at high capital and
operating costs.
Nuclear reactors may be used at nuclear heating and power
plants where electric power and heat are generated simultaneo-
usly as well as at nuclear district heating plants where heat is
generated in the form of steam or hot water sent directly to
consumers. The type of the plant must be chosen taking into con-
sideration technical and economic factors and demands of heat
consumers.
As a rule, to make the operation of heating and power plant
economic a definite concentration of heat load is necessary which
is 200-300 heal/hr for a fossil fuel-fired plant, maximum elect-
ric output of the heating and power plant being 50-100 Mw.
Steam and water heat networks are used to transport heat in
the USSR. The choice of a coolant and the type of heat network
is determined by technical and economic considerations and depends
mainly on the heat source and heat load types. To simplify the
system of heat supply it is advisable to use a single coolant
type for district heat loads of all kinds.
If the heat load of the district consists only of heating,
ventilation and hot water supply, two-tube water heat network is
usually used for district heating, the scheme of connecting it
td) nuclear heating and power plant is shown in Fig.1.
In the cases when in the district there is some demand for
process heat besides heating, ventilation and hot water needs,
p: )cess heat demand requiring heat of a higher temperature, it
j.a advisable to use three-tube water networks.
In case of heat supply over long distances when heat is
transported from a nuclear heating and power plant located far
away from heat consumers, heat networks consisting of a single
tube transit main, connecting the nuclear heating and power
plant and heat using district, and two-tube distribution
319
Approved For Release 2009/08/17: CIA-RDP88-00904R000100100020-8
 Approved For Release 2009/08/17: CIA-RDP88-00904R000100100020-8
network within the district may prove to be advisable. The
scheme of connecting a nuclear heating and power plant to a water
network with a single tube main and two-tube distribution network
is shown in Fig, 2.
The studies carried out show that in case of heat supply
plants using fossil fuel (no matter wether the station is of dis-
trict heating or boiler plant type centralized heat supply is
economic in districts where heat load density is 0.4 heal
(465 )or greater. Fir.I1a-
The progress achieved in use of new methods of centralized
and local heat supply control allows to reduce significantly
specific water flow rate per unit of heat load. New designs of
underground heat pipes, single -tube main use to transport heat
over long distances should cut down significantly heat network
construction capital costs and reduce operating costs. This will
promote a further efficiency of district heating and centralized
heat supply from nuclear and fossil fuel-fired plants.
The use of nuclear heating and power plant in the system of
centralized heat supply will ensure the clearness of the air in
the neghbourhood which is very difficult to achieve if coal fired
heating and power plants are used even in case the most advanced
methods of purifying smoke are applied.
The following special features of nuclear heating and power
plant operation are to be considered while choosing its type:
1. Radiation safety of heat consumers and the personel to
operate and maintain heat generators, heat networks and consumer
sets.
2. The possibility of using initial low steam conditions at
a nuclear plant in comparison with steam of a fossil fuel-fired
heating and power plant.
3. Large capital investment in a nuclear heating and power
plant may be justified if the use factor of design plant output is
somewhat higher.
Radiation safety of a heat consumer may be ensured by proper
choosing the steam generating plant scheme as to ensure it in
the heat metwork and at consumer sets is more complex due to large
water or steam flow rate.
3 -
Approved For Release 2009/08/17: CIA-RDP88-00904R000100100020-8
 Approved For Release 2009/08/17: CIA-RDP88-00904R000100100020-8
Initial low temperature coolant use at nuclear heating and
power plant results in worsening economic characteristics of the
plant but to a less degree than of a nuclear power plant with a
condenser.
When at a nuclear heating and power plant standard turbines
with heat extraction for heat supply and industrial purposes are
used the temperature (t) of live steam should be 535?C and the
pressure 90 atm.
For example, such steam conditions may be achieved in ura-
nium-graphite reactor at the Beloyarsk nuclear power station
after I.V.Kurchatov /1/.
The principal. flow sheet of the unit with net electric capa-
city (Ne) of 100 Mw of the nuclear heating and power plant in
question is shown in Fig.3.
Primary water at a pressure of 150 atm. and a temperature of
300?C is pumped into the reactor, it leaves the reactor in the
form of steam-water mixture at a saturation temperature of 340?C
and passes to the steam drum.
Dry steam flows to the evaporator of the steam generator
where it condenses at a pressure of 150 atm. giving heat to the
secondary water. The primary condensate leaves the evaporator at
a temperature of 340?C, mixes with water leaving the steam drum
and then enters the steam generator preheater where its tempera-
ture decreases to 300?C. In the preheater secondary feed water
temperature is raised from 222?C to the saturation temperature at
a pressure of 110 atm., it turns partially into steam (up Io 20%
by weight) and in the form of steam-water mixture is piped he
steam generator evaporator.
Having left the evaporator secondary steam enters the steam
superheating channels and then a pressure of 90 atm and tempera-
ture of 535?C it is fed to the turbine.
Nuclear district boiler plant instead of process heat boiler
one can be used to supply consumers who need only mean and low
temperature heat. For example, organic-cooled and moderated reac-
tors of the APEYC plant reactor type may be used at such
plants to ensure the coolant temperature of 300?C at reactor out-
let. At this temperature the organic coolant radiolysis and
4
Approved For Release 2009/08/17: CIA-RDP88-00904R000100100020-8
 Approved For Release 2009/08/17: CIA-RDP88-00904R000100100020-8
pyrolysio will be insignificant, and safe in operation well proved
fuel elements canned with aluminium alloy may be used in the
reactor.
Alongside with nuclear reactor use for heat and electric
energy production they may be used for sea water desalinization
in the districts badly in need of drinking, industrial or irriga-
ting water. Central Asia areas are the districts of the kind,
the Caspian and Aral Seas being water supply sources. But Cent-
ral Asia is a part of the USSR well provided with fuel reso-
urces (oil, combustible gas) thus it is very difficult for nuc-
lear power to be competitive with power from fossil-fuel fired
plants for sea water desalinization.
Preliminary cost estimates show that economically acceptable
desalted water costs may be got using about 10000 Mw(t) nuclear
reactors with fuel burn-up about 50000-60000 Mwd/ t. At the pre-
sent state of reactor engineering development it is quite possib-
le to get such unit thermal output and nuclear fuel burn-up
level. The solution of the problem of nuclear reactor use at
desalting plant is facilitated as temperature conditions of fuel
element operation are less severe the coolant temperature requi-
red at reactor outlet being about 200-250?C.
Calculations show that in the Soviet Union any reactor of
proven design may be used for water desalinization.
2. Technical and economic advisability of self-con-
tained small nuclear heating and power plant use.
Calculations show that alongside with promising large nuc-
lear heating and power plant use in power systems it is economi-
cally justified to construct 20-50 Mw nuclear heating and power
plants to supply enterprises located in remote north-eastern and
eastern areas of the USSR with electric energy and heat.
Disconnection of energy consuming units in remote areas,
long distances between towns and industrial enterprises, a great
number of relatively small electric energy consumers, hard cli-
matic conditions determine the main tendency in power supply of
remote areas in the near future, It is aimed at the development
5 -
Approved For Release 2009/08/17: CIA-RDP88-00904R000100100020-8
 Approved For Release 2009/08/17: CIA-RDP88-00904R000100100020-8
of a great number of self-contained (i.e. not united into power
systems) sources of electric energy and heat supply.
In the total power balance of the country self-contained
small power stations will constitute about 5% for the nearest
10-15 years /2/.
This means that about 20 million kw will be provided from
small power stations.
Economic advantages of small nuclear heating and power
plants over fossil fuel-fired stations in remote areas are con-
nected with high fossil fuel costs. Coal transport to some dis-
tricts of the USSR results in rising its price 30-40 times and
thus in high fuel cost. While the fuel cost of power from a
nuclear heating and power plant does not depend actually on the
distance nuclear fuel is transported over but on fuel burn-up
and the cost of fuel element fabrication.
Calculations show that for remote areas fuel cost of power
from a nuclear heating and power plant is considerably less than
that of conventional heating and power plants. Fuel cost frac-
tion of total power cost for thermal power stations located in
remote areas is 65-70% due to high transport costs while for
20-50 Mw nuclear power station it is 15-25%. On the whole in
some cases it results in lower nuclear power cost compared to
conventional one.
However, nuclear heating and power plant capital costs are
higher than those of a conventional one with the same output. In
the USSR a more expensive power plant is considered to be econov
mically attractive if additional investment of capital in it is
justified at the expence of decrease in power cost for the term
less or equal to normative one when additional investment is
completely justified (eight years).
Technical and economic calculations carried out have shown
that a nuclear heating and power plant is economically attrac-
tive for use at enterprises consuming much heat in the form of
steam and hot water and located in remote areas.
The analysis of net use of energy in industrial processes
shows that a large group of enterprises may be picked out among
many others with demands for mean and low temperature heat
319
6 -
Approved For Release 2009/08/17: CIA-RDP88-00904R000100100020-8
 Approved For Release 2009/08/17: CIA-RDP88-00904R000100100020-8
(130-200?C) constituting 72-98% of the total energy used. As
fossil fuel is not directly used in industrial processes at these
enterprises they may be located near raw material deposits, a
nuclear heating and power plant provided, if even there is no
fossil fuel in this district.
A nuclear heating and power plant use for enterprises of the
same type but with different conditions of supply may bring a
different gain or not at all.
For example, the comparison of the possibilities to use a
nuclear heating and power plant for the Astrahan pulp-board mill
and the Krasnovishersk pulp-paper mill has shown that additional
investment in the nuclear heating and power plant for the Kras-
novishersk mill will by justified for less than eight years,
while for the Astrahan one the term will be longer) the former
being located in the north of Perm district and consuming black
oil which is very expensive because of high transport expenses,
and the latter being located in the district where natural gas
as cheap fuel is used. Consequently a nuclear heating and power
plant use for the Krasnovishersk enterprise may turn to be eco-
nomically attractive but the use of the same plant for the Ast-
rahan one may be uneconomic.
A small nuclear heating and power plant supplying enter-
prises located in remote areas with heat and electric energy
should meet the following requirements:
a) Control simplicity and constant readiness for operation
as the nuclear power and heating plant will be the only source
of power supply. Therefore the reactor chosen for the plant
should be of the proven type;
b) The possibility of being transportable. The plant should
be compact. To save time and money on mounting it should be as-
sembled of separate large blocks made at a mill;
c) Suitability to local conditions. The plant should be
anti-seismic and operate in case of ever-frozen ground, air low
temperatures,
possible lack of water, etc. ;
d) The possibility to adjust to large and sharp load chan-
ges due to the time of a day or year. The nuclear heating and
power plant should be stable in a wide range of power (from 20
319
Approved For Release 2009/08/17: CIA-RDP88-00904R000100100020-8
 Approved For Release 2009/08/17: CIA-RDP88-00904R000100100020-8
to 100%) and should quickly change power level;
e) Long time interval between refuelings. As it is not de-
sirable to shut down the reactor often the reactir life-time
should be long enough (two-three years) ;
f) The possibility of changing in a wide range the ratio of
electric energy output to heat one and of varying the temperature
of the heat generated.
g) The necessity of the coolant (steam or water) being clean
from radioactive contamination.
At the present state of reactor engineering development these
requirements for a small muclear heating and power plant are
quite realistic.
A typical block of a separate 12 IMw(e) nuclear heating and
power plant has been developed to meet the needs of enterprises
and a small town in a remote district in electric and heat energy.
A thermal uranium-graphite pressure-tube reactor with boi-
ling water as coolant is usedat the nuclear heating and power
plant. In the main the reactor design is similar to that of the
Beloyask nuclear power station after I.V.Kurchatov /1/.
The safe operation of the uranium-graphite reactor under
boiling conditions is confirmed by operating experience of the
Pirst Nuclear Power Station of the USSR /5/.
The principal scheme of such a nuclear heating and power
plant is shown in Fig.4.
Steam-water mixture is piped from every fuel element channel
to the separator. Steam from the separator is fed to the turbo-
generator and water is transported to the circulating pump. The
steam extracted from the turbine passes to the boiler where water
circulating in the district heating network Is heated and to the
regenerative preheaters of feed water. The condensate from the
boiler passes to low pressure preheaters and then to the turbine
condenser.
According to the diagram of heat and electric energy use
the operation of a nuclear reactor at a heating and power plant
must be adjusted to great changes in heat and electric energy use
depending on the season or time of day.
Day diagrams of heat production at a nuclear heating and
power plant in winter and summer show that the nominal thermal
319
8
Approved For Release 2009/08/17: CIA-RDP88-00904R000100100020-8
 Approved For Release 2009/08/17: CIA-RDP88-00904R000100100020-8
power of the reactor-turbogenerator unit should be 60 Mw.
In this case the unit power is 12 Mw(e) and about 29 Mw(t).
Such a unit can generate 17 Mw(e) at an initial steam pressure of
40 atm and the turbine operating with a condenser.
Thus, the preliminary investigation of the problem shows
that developing on a wide scale district heating and centralized
heat supply in the USSR large nuclear reactor uses for combined
generation of heat and electric energy as well as for heat gene-
ration only are a promising trend in the radical improvement of
fuel-power balance.
In addition, the use of separate small about 20-50 Mw nuc-
lear heating and power plants for heat and electricity supply of
enterprises located in remote areas is economically justified in
a number of cases.
References
1. N.A.Dollezhal, A.K.Krasin, P. I.Aleshchenkov, A.N.Grigoryante,
B. V. Florinsky, M. E. Minashin, I. Ya. Emelyanov, N. M. Kugushev,
V.N.Marapov, Yu? I.Mityaev, A.N*Galanin. Uranium-graphite
Reactor with High Pressure Steam Superheating. Paper No.2139
to the 2nd International Conference on the Peaceful Uses of
Nuclear Energy, Geneva, 1958.
2. L.A.Melentyev, M.A.Stirikovich, E.O.Shteingaus, Fuel-power
Balance of the USSR, Gosenergoizdat, 1962.
3. The Basis of Technical and Economic Designs in Power Engine-
ering, Gostechizdat, 1959.
4. The Tipical Methods of Calculating Economic Efficiency of
Capital Investment and Up-to-date Techniques in USSR Industry,
Gosplanizdat, 1960.
5. N.A.Dollezhal, A.K.Krasin, P.A.Nikolaev, A.N.Grigoryants, G.N.
Uehakov, Operating Experience of the First Atomic Power Station
of the USSR and its Operation under Boiling Conditions, Paper
No.2183 to the 2nd International Conference on the Peaceful
Uses of Nuclear Energy, Geneva, 1958.
Approved For Release 2009/08/17: CIA-RDP88-00904R000100100020-8
 !F1
Approved For Release 2009/08/17: CIA-RDP88-00904R000100100020-8
Approved For Release 2009/08/17: CIA-RDP88-00904R000100100020-8
 Approved For Release 2009/08/17: CIA-RDP88-00904R000100100020-8
41,
E
12
23
20
24'
21
1 i I
15
Pig.3. Principal flow sheet of large nuclear heating and
power unit with net electric output of 100 Mw.
1 - reactor; 2 - evaporating channel; 3 - steam
superheating channel; 4 - circulating pump ; 5 -
steam drum; b - preheater; 7 - evaporator; 8 -con-
denser; 9 - reactor shut-down cooling tank; 10 -
steam cooler; 11 - condensate pump; 12 - superhea-
ting regulator; 13 - feed pump; 14 - secondary circuit
emergency pump ; 15 - primary circuit emergency um ;
16 - deaerator; 17 - high pressure preheaters f 11Bf) ;
18 - low pressure preheaters (nom); 19 - boilers ;
20 - condenser; 21 - condensate pump ; 22 - steam to
high pressure preheater; 23 - steam to low pressure
preheater; 24 - heat network.
- 11 -
r-/
Approved For Release 2009/08/17: CIA-RDP88-00904R000100100020-8
 Approved For Release 2009/08/17: CIA-RDP88-00904R000100100020-8
40
O
M
heat network
water
Pig.4. Principal flow sheet of self-contained small
nuclear heating and power unit with net electric
output of 12 Edw.
1 - reactor; 2 - separator; 3 - circulating pump;
4 - turbogenerator; 5 - condensate pump; 6 - con-
densate purification unit ; 7 - low pressure pre-
heaters; 8 - deaerator; 9 - feed water pump; 10
boilers.
12 -
Approved For Release 2009/08/17: CIA-RDP88-00904R000100100020-8