Hi, Osama As someone who also spent months studying nuclear engineering, I must say that CANDU has its benefits and drawbacks. CANDU has its benefits. The biggest benefit is its capability to operate continuously even in the occasion of refuelling. 1000 days of continuous operation is not only impressive but record-breaking. CANDU’s ability to utilise natural uranium instead of 3-5% low-enriched uranium makes the economics of the reactor much more attractive than a light water reactor such as a PWR or BWR. However, when it comes to the drawbacks. There’s one MAJOR drawback that I’m acutely aware of, which is the CANDU’s staggeringly time-consuming refurbishment project to enable another 25-30-year operational period. This is the main reason why if I’m the director of any utility’s nuclear division, a CANDU is most likely not my “top choice.” Warning: personal opinion. A CANDU not only has to replace its steam generators. The calandria must be de-fuelled first, then removing feeder tubes, then fuel channels, and finally calandria tubes. When everything is re-assembled, such a refurbishment takes a minimum of 3 years. For a PWR, such an operation to extend a reactor’s lifespan to 60 years could be achieved with three or even two extended outage. For example, in the case of Diablo Canton across the pond in the State of California, the operator replaced the twin-units’ steam generators during the early months of 2009 (50? 60 days?). During the second extended outage, the operator replaced the reactor vessel heads for the two units. During the third extended outage or even the second, the operator could replace a reactor’s HP/LP turbines. Thus, unlike a CANDU, a PWR can still generate electricity in between these extended outages.
Good series on Candu's! Can you do a follow up on the possible future. DUPIC could be a game changer across the nuclear feild using spent fuel from exixting reactors. I think the Candu is the most flexible nuclear design. Good show!
YESS DUPIC is facinating. Its been a bit difficult for me to find info about DUPIC online, I want to reach out to CANDU owners group to see if there is info I can get together and create a video on
Thanks Ilyas! Yes, the status of the units is captured in 02:36. Also, the two units at Pickering are currently in Safe storage and not decommissioned yet.
Thanks Geoff for the recommendation! Yes, I'm very interested in those reactors as well. I'll definitely add that to my future video topics list! Actually, there are still more CANDU's operating right now, as compared to indian PWHR'. However these numbers might change in the future (with the rate india is increasing its capacity)
Another great video , not sure if you mentioned this but I noticed a lot of these reactors have a 30 year life expand before being shutdown, why is that?
Thanks itsKEVO! That is a great question. Nuclear reactors are like vehicles, they need maintenance. Once CANDU reactors reach a 30 year life time, main equipment like the reactor heart (Calandria tubes) and steam generators need to be replaced. This is incredible since nuclear reactors are running at 100% Full power for most of the year. Other reactor types have up to 60 year life expectancy
Should at least double the number, if 20% of a country's current supply is Candu, another 20% will take the pressure off Wind Solar and Batteries to get going without the necessary mining and engineering equipment, that is already stretched to capacity. More Candu has to be the most efficient and effective way to upgrade power systems near to consumers?
I do know that CANDU's can be modified to use thorium mixed fuels. I don't know the exact design changes that would be required to facilitate this. However, I know India uses a lot more Thorium in its CANDU derived reactors
I got a question for you. I'm watching a video on the CANDU demonstration reactor and in it they point out a dump tank. I don't see any refrences for our current reactors. Do our current CANDUs have a dump tank? The video in question: ruclips.net/video/mdcXAOvRp78/видео.html
I believe only Pickering A (4 units) has a dump tank. All other CANDU units do not have a dump tank, as safety mechanisms are more than sufficient for reactor control
@@OsamaBaig fascinating! I'm guessing Pickering A was the first CANDU units, so they were modelled after the demonstration reactor. I had no clue about this tank.
Hi, Osama
As someone who also spent months studying nuclear engineering, I must say that CANDU has its benefits and drawbacks.
CANDU has its benefits. The biggest benefit is its capability to operate continuously even in the occasion of refuelling. 1000 days of continuous operation is not only impressive but record-breaking. CANDU’s ability to utilise natural uranium instead of 3-5% low-enriched uranium makes the economics of the reactor much more attractive than a light water reactor such as a PWR or BWR. However, when it comes to the drawbacks. There’s one MAJOR drawback that I’m acutely aware of, which is the CANDU’s staggeringly time-consuming refurbishment project to enable another 25-30-year operational period. This is the main reason why if I’m the director of any utility’s nuclear division, a CANDU is most likely not my “top choice.” Warning: personal opinion.
A CANDU not only has to replace its steam generators. The calandria must be de-fuelled first, then removing feeder tubes, then fuel channels, and finally calandria tubes. When everything is re-assembled, such a refurbishment takes a minimum of 3 years. For a PWR, such an operation to extend a reactor’s lifespan to 60 years could be achieved with three or even two extended outage. For example, in the case of Diablo Canton across the pond in the State of California, the operator replaced the twin-units’ steam generators during the early months of 2009 (50? 60 days?). During the second extended outage, the operator replaced the reactor vessel heads for the two units. During the third extended outage or even the second, the operator could replace a reactor’s HP/LP turbines. Thus, unlike a CANDU, a PWR can still generate electricity in between these extended outages.
Good series on Candu's! Can you do a follow up on the possible future. DUPIC could be a game changer across the nuclear feild using spent fuel from exixting reactors. I think the Candu is the most flexible nuclear design. Good show!
YESS DUPIC is facinating. Its been a bit difficult for me to find info about DUPIC online, I want to reach out to CANDU owners group to see if there is info I can get together and create a video on
So happy to see our very own Canadian Reactors widely used around the world! Also, loved the little subscribe pop up in the beginning of the video 💯
Excellent video! I always love some good CANDU content.
Appreciate your enthusiasm for CANDU DerekDotD!
Great overview, thanks
Thanks for watching!
Describe like a boss
Hope to see video related to openmc
Thanks! what is openmc?
Nice video! By the way, Pickering now has only 6 units, 2 units were decommissioned in the past.
Thanks Ilyas! Yes, the status of the units is captured in 02:36. Also, the two units at Pickering are currently in Safe storage and not decommissioned yet.
I would like a video on the CANDU derived reactors in India. There are more of those than actual CANDU reactors. :)
Thanks Geoff for the recommendation! Yes, I'm very interested in those reactors as well. I'll definitely add that to my future video topics list! Actually, there are still more CANDU's operating right now, as compared to indian PWHR'. However these numbers might change in the future (with the rate india is increasing its capacity)
Another great video , not sure if you mentioned this but I noticed a lot of these reactors have a 30 year life expand before being shutdown, why is that?
Thanks itsKEVO! That is a great question. Nuclear reactors are like vehicles, they need maintenance. Once CANDU reactors reach a 30 year life time, main equipment like the reactor heart (Calandria tubes) and steam generators need to be replaced. This is incredible since nuclear reactors are running at 100% Full power for most of the year. Other reactor types have up to 60 year life expectancy
Should at least double the number, if 20% of a country's current supply is Candu, another 20% will take the pressure off Wind Solar and Batteries to get going without the necessary mining and engineering equipment, that is already stretched to capacity. More Candu has to be the most efficient and effective way to upgrade power systems near to consumers?
Hi, do you guess CANDU may be used as a kind of thorium breeder reactor?
I do know that CANDU's can be modified to use thorium mixed fuels. I don't know the exact design changes that would be required to facilitate this. However, I know India uses a lot more Thorium in its CANDU derived reactors
it was done in a test program in enbalse in 89 to 91 also a test program for uranium-plutonium mixes the fuel bundles need a different geometry
CANDUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YESS
I got a question for you. I'm watching a video on the CANDU demonstration reactor and in it they point out a dump tank. I don't see any refrences for our current reactors. Do our current CANDUs have a dump tank? The video in question: ruclips.net/video/mdcXAOvRp78/видео.html
I believe only Pickering A (4 units) has a dump tank. All other CANDU units do not have a dump tank, as safety mechanisms are more than sufficient for reactor control
@@OsamaBaig fascinating! I'm guessing Pickering A was the first CANDU units, so they were modelled after the demonstration reactor. I had no clue about this tank.