New Ways to Reliable Back–Up Power for Nuclear Power Plants

摘要

Reliable back-up power is critical to nuclear power plants. Post Fukushima stress analysis, aging installations and reactor service life extensions post new challenges to the industry. Gensets need to be exchanged or added, additional requirements need to be met. Modifications need to be applied to installations where they were never anticipated by the original plant design. Caterpillar is a major supplier of a wide range of back-up power solutions with decades of experience in the nuclear power industry. Caterpillar developed a modular back-up power installation design to overcome restrictions imposed by the initial plant design and conventional ways of installing back-up power sources. This new design has brought a new level of flexibility to the industry while fully meeting operators and regulators requirements. This paper introduces to the various levels of emergency power sources at nuclear power plants. General considerations like redundancy, diversity and technical requirements are presented. Seismic qualification methods, mechanical impact protection, genset sizing and the relevance of anticipating future changes are discussed in particular. Comparing two real life projects illustrates the importance of early and thorough analysis of all parameters and how CAT modular solutions can shorten project duration, reduce investment cost and project risk. These benefits can materialize for any back-up power solution: additional installations (post Fukushima), replacement or upgrade projects and even new build projects. Owners and operators receive highest level of dependability not only during operation but during planning and project implementation already - cost and schedule stay under control from the beginning throughout the entire nuclear power plant service life.