APPSC GROUP - II MAINS EXAMINATION

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY

INDIAN NUCLEAR REACTORS & NUCLEAR PLANTS

Nuclear energy is the fth largest source of electricity in India, contributing about 3% of country’s
total electricity generation.

Presently, India has 22 operating reactors, with an installed capacity of 6780 MWe. Among these
eighteen reactors are Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) and four are Light Water Reactors
(LWRs).

Plans for expansion : increase nuclear power capacity to 22,480 MW by 2031, accounting for nearly
9% of the energy mixed by 2047.

Nuclear Reactor

It is a complex system designed to initiate and control nuclear reactions for the purpose of
generating electricity or producing heat. The key principle behind a nuclear reactor is the controlled
ssion (splitting) of atomic nuclei, releasing a signi cant amount of energy.

The main purpose of a reactor is to contain and control the energy released. Uranium is used as the
nuclear fuel in the reactors.

The heat produced by nuclear reactions is used to convert the water into steam, which is further
converted into carbon-free electricity with the help of turbines.
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Types of Nuclear Reactors

• Pressurised water reactors (PWR)

• Boiling water reactors (BWR)

• Pressurised heavy water reactor (PHWR)

• Advanced gas cooled reactor (AGR)

• Fast neutron reactor (FNR)

• High temperature gas cooled reactor (HTGR)

• Light water graphite reactor (LWGR)

• Molten salt reactor (MSR)

• Small modular reactor (SMR)

Pressurised heavy water reactor (PHWR)

It is a type of nuclear reactor that uses heavy water (deuterium oxide, D2O ) as both a moderator and
a coolant. PHWRs are commonly employed for electricity generation, and are known for their unique
characteristics.

Key features and components:

PHWRs typically use natural uranium(U-238) as fuel. Unlike uranium used in some other reactor
types, natural uranium can sustain a nuclear chain reaction without the need for extensive
enrichment.

Boron control rods are used to regulate the rate of the nuclear chain reaction by absorbing neutrons.
by adjusting the position of these control rods, operators can control the reactors power output.

In April 2015 the government gave in principle approval for new nuclear plants at ten sites in nine
states. Those for indigenous PHWRs are :

• Gorakhpur in Haryana's - Bakra mainline Canal

• Chutka and Bhimpur in Madhya Pradesh - Narmada river

• Kaiga in Karnataka - Kali River

• Mahi Banswara in Rajasthan - mahi river

Nuclear Power Plants in India

1. Rajasthan (Rawatbhata)
2. Tamil Nadu (Kudankulam; Kalpakkam)
3. Gujarat (Kakrapar)
4. Uttar Pradesh (Narora)
5. Karnataka (Kaiga)
6. Maharashtra (Tarapur)
Applications of Isotopes :

• MEDICINE: Medical professionals use diagnostic techniques such as radio-pharmaceuticals, scans

or radioisotopes, and apply radiotherapy treatments that include X rays as well as radiation from
radioactive elements or radiation-producing equipment such as accelerators.

• Beyond diagnostics and the treatment of diseases, nuclear technology is used to sterilize medical
equipment, learn about biological processes with the use of tracers or study the properties of
tumorous cells, blood clots.

• HYDROLOGY: Isotope hydrology is a nuclear technique that uses both stable and radioactive
isotopes to follow the movements of the water in the hydrologic cycle. These isotopes can be used
to research subterraneous fresh water sources and determine their origin, their type of charge,
whether there is a risk of intrusion or contamination by salt water and whether it is possible to use
them in a sustainable manner.

• AGRICULTURE: In the eld of agriculture, radioisotope and radiation techniques are applied to
improve the quality of food by inducing mutations in plants and seeds to obtain the desired crop
varieties without having to wait out the long process of natural mutation. Nuclear technology is
also very useful in pest control, increasing food production and reducing the amount of necessary
fertilizers.

• INDUSTRY: The use of isotopes and radiation in modern industry is highly important to the
development and improvement of processes, measurement, automatization and quality control.
Currently, almost all branches of science use them in different ways and To understand the
mechanisms of reactions.

• SPACE: One of the main applications of nuclear batteries is space navigation. It involves feeding
the instrumentation of terrestrial satellites and planetary probes with more powerful generators so
that they can reach nearby planets and send information to Earth.

India’s 3 Stage Nuclear Program:

• India's three-stage nuclear power programme was formulated by the well-known physicist Homi
Bhabha in the 1950s -
◦ To achieve country’s long term energy security, independence and sustainable
development.
◦ Through the use of uranium and vast thorium reserves.

• The three stages are:

◦ Natural uranium fuelled Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs)
◦ Fast Breeder Reactors (FBRs) utilising plutonium-based fuel
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 ◦ Advanced nuclear power systems for utilisation of thorium

• The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) is carrying out indigenous R&D activities for
development of Advanced Nuclear Power systems in line with the 3-stage nuclear power
program.

• The three stages are expected to allow the country complete self-suf ciency in nuclear energy.

• Stage I: Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs):

◦ The rst stage involves using natural uranium to fuel PHWR to produce electricity and
producing Plutonium-239 as a by-product.

◦ Kindly note here that the PHWRs were chosen for the rst stage because, in the 1960s,
India had an e cient reactor design in terms of uranium utilization.

◦ It was calculated that rather than going for the creation of Uranium Enrichment
Facilities, it would be wiser to create heavy water production.

◦ Moreover, using Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors rather than Light Water Reactors
was also a correct and wise decision. While Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors used
unenriched uranium, Light Water Reactors required enriched uranium. Further, India
could domestically produce the components of PWHR, as opposed to LWRs.

◦ Furthermore, the by-product plutonium-239 would be used in the second stage.

• Stage II: Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR):

◦ The second stage involves using plutonium-239 to produce mixed-oxide fuel, which
would be used in Fast Breeder Reactors. Plutonium 239 undergoes ssion to produce
energy and metal oxide is reacted with enriched uranium reacts with mixed-oxide fuel
to produce more plutonium-239.

◦ Furthermore, once a su cient amount of plutonium-239 is built up, thorium will be used
in the reactor, to produce Uranium-233. This uranium is crucial for the third stage.

• Stage III: Thorium-Based Reactors:

◦ In the third stage of India’s three-phase nuclear power programme, self-sustaining

reactors powered by uranium-233 and thorium-232 will be deployed.

◦ Reactors classi ed as thermal breeder reactors are able to be refuelled with naturally
occurring thorium following the initial fuel charge.

◦ The main fuel used in the reactor is thorium-232, which is converted to uranium-233 to
provide energy.
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Recent developments in 2024: The commencement of “Core Loading” at India’s rst indigenous Fast
Breeder Reactor (500 MWe) at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu marked the entry into the vital second stage
of India’s three-stage nuclear program.

The government had approved in 2003, the creation of Bhartiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Ltd
(BHAVINI) to construct and operate India’s most advanced nuclear reactor-Prototype Fast Breeder
Reactor (PFBR).

The Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR) will initially use the Uranium-Plutonium Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuel.

• The Uranium-238 “blanket” surrounding the fuel core will undergo nuclear transmutation to
produce more fuel, thus earning the name ‘Breeder’.
• The use of Throium-232, which in itself is not a ssile material, as a blanket is also envisaged in
this stage.
• Thorium will create ssile Uranium-233 which will be used as fuel in the third stage.
• FBR is thus a stepping stone for the third stage of the program paving the way for the eventual
full utilization of India’s abundant thorium reserves.
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