T h e steam-turbine generator in A-C's unit will b e similar to that used i n t h e Argonne plant, b u t will have a m u c h greater generating capacity. A-C also built all of the power generation e q u i p ment for Argonne's reactor. T h e r e actor vessel itself will b e 9 feet i n diameter and 2 3 feet high. Housing would be in a steel and concrete building, while the generator unit will b e Argonne kicks off EBWR; Allis-Chalmers plans power housed in a conventional building. Reactor power will be adjusted b y reactor using both nuclear and conventional fuels controlling the r a t e of water recirculation through t h e reactor core. This will b e achieved b y large high volume actor. Circulation of this cooling water pumps located a t t h e bottom of t h e NUCLEAR POWER took two giant steps is by natural convection. reactor. Water will carry along t h e last week. Just as t h e first nuclear Argonne's reactor is claimed to b e steam produced by the heat of t h e power system in the U . S . designed and built solely for t h e generation of elec- extremely flexible. For example, t h e reaction; steam bubbles will b e septric power went into full operation at 4-foot diameter core can b e increased arated b y static moisture separators. After t h e energy of t h e steam is used Argonne, Allis-Chalmers came u p with to 5 feet if desired. Fuel elements of a new twist in power reactors—a con- different dimensions a r e provided t o for driving t h e turbine-generator, extrolled recirculation boiling reactor permit changing t h e water-to-uranium haust steam will be condensed and ( C R B R ) using both nuclear and con- ratio. T w o uranium enrichments, 0.7 returned to t h e reactor t o be used ventional fuels (C&EN, F e b . 18, page and 0.14%, permit t h e core's critical again. If greater steam output i s d e size a n d power distribution pattern t o sired, speed of t h e recirculation p u m p s 7). will b e increased by automatic control. be varied. Operationally, the main differences Currendy, a total of 6.1 tons of ura- This will force out additional steam between the t w o are: nium, averaging 1.4% U 2 3 5 , is in t h e from the reactor core, causing power t o • In Argonne's experimental boiling core. In t h e active region, t h e core increase to a higher level. O n t h e water reactor ( E B W R ) , steam is gen- is m a d e of Zircaloy-2, which does n o t other hand, the p u m p s will slow d o w n absorb neutrons readily a n d has good to reduce the quantity of steam r e erated within the reactor vessel and piped directly to a turbine without in- corrosion resistance. Outside of t h e moved from t h e reactor core if p o w e r active region, t h e core is fabricated demands decrease. termediate heat exchangers. Nuclear fuel t o b e used in CRBR • A-C's reactor, although basically a from stainless steel. A boiling w a t e r reactor, claims Ar- is described as a special enriched uraboiling water one, will also use fossil gonne, is inherently safe. Control rods, nium fuel. Details have n o t b e e n r e fuel. I t will produce saturated steam nine of them in this case, control t h e vealed. which will flow through a superheater reaction. These rods, five made of • Economy A p p e a l s . Economy is to the turbine. T h e superheater will b e fired by fossil fuels. Argonne's re- neutron-absorbing hafnium and. four what makes t h e nuclear a n d convenfrom stainless steel containing 2 % tional fuels combination attractive. I n actor is rated a t 20,000 kw. of heat and 5000 kw. of electricity for its own use, boron, can control a nuclear reaction a turbine, the steam must be superwhile A-C's will generate 60,000 kw. greater than c a n possibly take place in heated to get rid of the water w h i c h of electricity for commercial purposes. the reactor. If t h e rods fail to reduce causes corrosion and erosion of turbine the reaction, high-pressure concentrated parts. Superheating with coal o r oil is t h e cheapest way out. I n Argonne's • A r g o n n e ' s EBWR. Argonne's re- boric acid is injected b y automatic valves. Boron will poison the nuclear unit, emphasis is on reactor performactor is t h e first of five original reactor chain reaction. EBWR's pressure ves- ance, and no effort is being m a d e t o projects in t h e AEC's civilian power sel c a n withstand more than t h e nor- superheat the steam produced. reactor development program launched in 1954. EBWR w e n t "critical" late mal 600 p.s.i. operating pressure. Three Its reactor plans, notes A-C, may last year and ran for a short while about levels of fission product containment undergo several changes before operata month ago (C&EN, Jan. 14, page 7 ) . are found in t h e reactor. There a r e ing date, about five years from n o w . T o be used exclusively for experiments, about 100 alarm points, too. The company estimates that about two it will generate no electricity for comAllis-Chalmers' CRBR. Allis-Chalyears are needed for additional research mercial use. However, t h e plant will mers' CRBR reactor will b e built for a and development, o n e year to commeet t h e major portion of Argonne's group of 10 midwestern utility com- plete design, a n d t w o more years for own electrical requirements. panies. No site has been chosen as construction. In any of these stages, yet, a n d the reactor is still subject to changes may occur. Total cost of t h e Primary advantage of a boiling water site, reactor, and its power accessories, reactor, says Argonne, is simplicity. AEC approval. Northern States Power E B W R is a thermal reactor: Neutrons will own and operate t h e plant. N S P and construction will be in the neighwas chosen because of its size a n d t h e borhood of $20 or $25 million. produced by fission a r e slowed down b y a moderator, enabling use of ura- extent of its transmission system. Actually, A-C is in an enviable p o nium with a low U 2 3 5 enrichment. EnAccording t o A-C, one outstanding sition in nuclear power development. ergy liberated by the chain reaction is feature of the n e w type of boiling water The company started its nuclear staff transferred to water in contact with reactor it will build is t h e high en- in 1949 and is looking for additions. t h e fuel plates. The light water (even- ergy output p e r unit volume. T h e A-C has been in on design and contually heavy water may be used) cylindrical core, measuring 5 by 5 feet, struction of several plants, including serves as moderator a n d coolant. Water will generate 133 megawatts of heat. Argonne's. As a matter of fact, it is converted t o steam which is fed to This, says t h e company, is possible b e - came u p with a power reactor bluea turbine-generator. From here the cause of t h e large volume of water print as far back as 1945. spent steam goes to a condenser and being recirculated continuously through • Argonne Prototype. Based o n t h e water formed returned to t h e re- the reactor. data obtained from Argonne's boiling
INDUSTRY
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FEB. 2 5. 1 9 5 7
water experiments Commonwealth Edison and a group of associated companies a r e planning a boiling water reactor plant in. northern Illinois. Another boiling water power reactor, rated at 22,000 kw. of electricity, is planned by Rural Cooperative Power in Minnesota. General Electric is also building a reactor—similar i n many respects to EBWR—in California for i t s program of private industrial development. According to Northern States Power, additional companies are considering joining t h e group of utility companies which are already in on A-C's reactor. Participating companies in addition to Northern States Power are: Mississippi Valley Public Service and Otter Tail Power of Minnesota, Interstate Power in Iowa, Iowa Power and Light, Iowa Southern Utilities, Wisconsin Public Service, Northwestern Public Service in South Dakota, St. Joseph Light & Power in Missouri, and Central Electric Gas in Nebraska.
Calculated Risk Pays Off Grace turns a profit on ammonia two years after plant start up —acetylene may come next I T I S N ' T EASY n o w a d a y s to start a n e w
plant operation based on ammonia. The field is crowded, t o say t h e least. But Grace Chemical made t h e grade last year on two products—ammonia and urea. Some producers, hard-pressed to get rid of their ammonia, tried exporting itOthers found a n outlet via ammonium sulfate sales abroad. Grace, however, broke through the ranks in domestic ammonia markets, a n d successfully introduced urea in Latin America. Plant engineers at Memphis are working to g e t maximum production from a 250-ton-per-day unit (C&EN, Jan. 19, 1955, page 212). T h e plant
Reactor core structure in Argonne's E B W R holds fuel elements in proper p o sition a n d guides t h e cross-shaped control rods. T h e lower part, where t h e reaction takes place, is zirconium; the upper part is made of stainless steel
design is n o w running 2 5 % capacity. • Struggle for Profits. Newcomers in t h e ammonia business have good cause to worry about profits. Nationwide, sales have fallen short of installed plant capacity by about 2 5 % . Many producers have a rough time maintaining a large sales volume. No one h a s made a move t o convert his ammonia plant for methanol production, nor is such a m o v e likely. This year six companies a r e building new methanol units: Celanese, Commercial Solvents, Du Pont, Escambia, Hercules, a n d Rohm & Haas. Everyone, i t seems, is counting on farmers' using more ammonia, and they're trying to ride out t h e storm. It may b e three t o five years, however, before demand catches up with plant capacity. Meanwhile, ammonia salesmen are knocking heads to move their products. • Five-Point P r o g r e m . Grace's success is due t o many factors, of which "supersalesmen" are only a part. Firstrate management w a s responsible for a five-point program. • Grace planned for a diversity of products—40% of its ammonia goes into urea (C&EN, June 20, 1955, page 2 5 9 6 ) . A solid form of nitrogen fertilizer, urea can also be used as a protein source for cattle feed; it has a large industrial market. Urea's major market in Latin America is bananas. • C o m p a n y officials picked an ideal plant location, near a good natural gas source. T h e Memphis plant has access to water transportation. It straddles a rich farm market of t h e Mid-South and is within striking distance of the Corn Belt. • Grace h a d a full sales staff on the job almost two years before production came from the plant. During this time, company salesmen w e r e out beating t h e bushes for customers. • Salesmen aimed at a diversity of markets, both in the class of customers and in geographical location. Grace sells to big and little customers, agricultural a n d industrial. • Executives tied company products to t h e parent organization's (W. R. Grace & Co.) century-old merchandizing outlets. ( W . R. Grace got its start exporting guano from Peru to Europe and the United States.) Widely recognized as a big factor in FEB.
2 5,
1957
C&EN
23
