ACR Technology for CANDU® Enhancements

Abstract

The ACR-1000 design retains many essential features of the original CANDU plant design. As well as further-enhanced safety, the design also focuses on operability and maintainability, drawing on valuable customer input and OPEX. The engineering development of the ACR-1000 design has been accompanied by a research and confirmatory testing program. This program has extended the database of knowledge on the CANDU design. The ACR-1000 design has been reviewed by the Canadian regulator, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) which concluded that there are no fundamental barriers to licensing the ACR-1000 design in Canada after completing three phases of the pre-project design review. The generic PSAR for the ACR-1000 design was completed in September 2009. The PSAR contains the ACR-1000 design details, the safety and design methodology, and the safety analysis that demonstrate the ACR-1000 safety case and compliance with Canadian and international regulatory requirements and expectations. The ACR technology developed during the ACR-1000 Engineering Program and the supporting development testing has had a major impact beyond the ACR program itself: Improved CANDU components and systems; Enhanced engineering processes and engineering tools, which lead to better product quality, and better project efficiency; and Improved operational performance This paper provides a summary of technology arising from the ACR program that has been incorporated into new CANDU designs such as the EC6, or can be applied for servicing operating CANDU reactors.