Enhanced CANDU 6: Reactor Core Design and Safety Characteristics

Abstract

The Enhanced CANDU 6® (EC6®) nuclear power plant is a mid-sized Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor design, based on the highly successful CANDU® 6 family of power plants, upgraded to meet today’s Canadian and international safety requirements and to satisfy Generation III expectations. Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL®) is completing the development and pre-project review of this design in readiness for new build projects this decade. The EC6 is based on natural uranium fuel, but is able to utilize additional fuel options, including the use of Recovered Uranium (RU or RepU) and Thorium based fuels. The EC6 offers the provenness of the CANDU 6 reference plant design, together with incremental enhancements that provide added benefits in defence-in-depth safety, operating margin, reliable performance and aging management.

This paper outlines the basis for CANDU core safety, based on generic reactor physics characteristics, and presents the specific EC6 enhancements to reactor core and physics design to ensure a robust safety case.