Evolution of Nuclear Reactor Technology and Safety

1. Proceedings Report:
Symposium on
“Nuclear Energy: Technology, Safety & Environment”
Date: 6th January 2014 Venue: Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University, Gandhinagar
Organized by : Partners: Knowledge Partner:

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Contents Background ................................................................................................................................................... 3 Event Details ............................................................................................................................................... 4 List of Dignitaries .......................................................................................................................................... 4 Prof. P. K. Banik, Director General, Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University ....................................... 5 Mr. G. Vaitheeswaran, Faculty, Department of Nuclear Energy, School of Technology, Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University………………………………………………………………………………………………………5 Mr. S. K. Malhotra, Head – Public Awareness, Department of Atomic Energy, Chief Guest of the Symposium………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………6 Dr. H. B. Raghavendra, Director – School of Technology, Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University……7 List of speakers – Technical Session 1………………………………………………………………………………………………….7 Mr. S. K. Malhotra, Head – Public Awareness, Department of Atomic Energy………………………………….7 Dr. M. Sai Baba, Associate Director, Resource Management Group, Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic Research ................................................................................................................................................ 8 Mr. Indravadan Dulera, Reactor Engineering Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre .................... 9 List of speakers – Technical Session 2 ................................................................................................ 10 Dr.CVS Rao, Head – Plasma Diagnostics Division, Institute of Plasma Reasearch .............................. 10 Mr. L. K. Jain, Site Director – Kakrapar, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited ........................ 12 Mr. Ganesh Iyer, Jt. General Manager, Larsen & Toubro, Hazira Works ............................................ 12 List of speakers – Panel Discussion and Question & Answer Session ................................................... 13 Mr. A. Ravi Prasad, Adjunct Professor, Department of Nuclear Energy, School of Technology, Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University ........................................................................................................ 15 Way forward ............................................................................................................................................... 15

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Background
Nuclear power generation is driven by highly advanced technologies and precision based processes. However, there is always a common school of thought that deployment of nuclear power is laced with risks throughout the power generation system. This claim, although not entirely true, cannot be ruled out of any significant discussions on nuclear power. Even small accidents at nuclear power reactors can lead to massive negative implications in terms of human life, environment, costs of running the project and the overall reputation of the country. The recent Fukushima Daiichi nuclear incident in Japan is just another reminder of the scale of the malignant effects that a nuclear disaster can have.
India has acknowledged the importance of maintaining safe operations at nuclear power reactors and hence all the reactors in the country adhere to strict safety standards. Nuclear power plants in India operated by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. have achieved about 386 reactor years of experience in safe operation of nuclear power plants; and even nuclear effluents are strictly maintained within the limits specified by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board. India’s three phase nuclear power program is mostly indigenous and poised for even greater developments in the coming future.
In spite of the multiple security measures deployed for safer and cleaner generation of nuclear power, there is a general consensus that any activity related to nuclear power is unsafe and having a destructible tendency. There is a massive need to sensitize the public towards the benefits of nuclear power and the safety measures undertaken during the entire process. Unless we are able to generate significant public awareness about the advancements in nuclear power safety, the world will never be able to fully appreciate the cutting edge technologies involved in this power generation process; and the human talent and hard work that have gone into making nuclear power safe and sustainable.

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Event Details Day 1 – 6th January, 2014
List of Dignitaries Name Organization
Mr. S. K. Malhotra
Head – Public Awareness, Department of Atomic Energy (Chief Guest)
Prof. P. K. Banik
Director General, Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University
Dr. CVS Rao
Head – Plasma Diagnostics Division, Institute of Plasma Reasearch
Dr. M. Sai Baba
Associate Director, Resource Management Group, Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic Research
Mr. L. K. Jain
Site Director – Kakrapar, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited
Mr. Indravadan Dulera
Reactor Engineering Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
Mr. Ganesh Iyer
Jt. General Manager, Larsen & Toubro, Hazira Works
Dr. H. B. Raghavendra
Director – School of Technology, Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University
Mr. G. Vaitheeswaran
Faculty, Department of Nuclear Energy, School of Technology, Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University

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Prof. P. K. Banik, Director General, Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University
Welcome Address Dr. Banik, in his welcome address stressed the importance of nuclear energy in India’s energy basket and the need to generate more public awareness regarding nuclear safety. He highlighted the growth story of the Department of Nuclear Energy within Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University and the role being played by the department for the development of nuclear energy not just by training highly talented students in the concerned field, but also by providing a platform for conducting sound research in collaboration with both national and international organizations. Finally he once again warmly welcomed all the participants of the symposium to engage in constructive discussions regarding the advancements in nuclear power generation and the safety procedures employed therein.
Mr. G. Vaitheeswaran, Faculty, Department of Nuclear Energy, School of Technology, Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University About the Symposium Mr. Vaitheeswaran next gave a brief introduction of the symposium and the need to organize such an event in today’s times. He emphasized the clear importance of nuclear power in the world’s power generation mix to meet the continuously rising global demand of energy. Nuclear power being a highly clean source of energy, Mr. Vaitheeswaran called it the fuel of the future and stressed the need to resolve key existing issues in the nuclear energy sector through constructive dialogue and discussion. Finally, he thanked all the guests, eminent scientists, researchers and all concerned stake holders for attending the symposium; and called upon the participants to make full use of this strong platform to discuss the advancements in nuclear technology both from a short term as well as long term point of view.

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Mr. S. K. Malhotra, Head – Public Awareness, Department of Atomic Energy, Chief Guest of the Symposium
Inauguration Speech Mr. S. K. Malhotra, the chief guest of the symposium delivered the inauguration speech to set the tone of the symposium, sharing his ideas in his trademark articulate and humorous manner. He began by highlighting the damage being caused to the environment due to incessant human activities and the climate change cycle being observed as the result of this damage. In such a scenario, he advised the need to promote cleaner and environment friendlier fuel options, with renewable energy clearly being a front runner. Speaking on the need to have more symposiums like this one, Mr. Malhotra also spoke at length about the general fear psychosis that people generally have when it comes to nuclear power. He said that radioactivity is indeed a harmful phenomena for living beings, however it is only the harmful part which is highlighted to the general public, which is indeed disappointing. He highlighted the role being played by radioactivity in important sectors such as healthcare, without which, human beings wouldn’t have enjoyed such excellent disease prevention and curing technologies. He then gave a brief summary on India’s nuclear energy program and the currently operating reactors in India. Using a number of humorous examples and statistics, he stressed how nuclear power generation was even safer than power generation from coal or hydroelectric power generation, simply because of the immense safety measures employed in nuclear power generation. He explained how highly regulated the nuclear power industry in India was, and even the measures that were being taken to dispose nuclear waste. Next Mr. Malhotra articulated on the major precautions that should be taken during nuclear power generation to maintain the risk as low as possible. He said it was important to be able to control the neutronic activity within the reactor and to be able to remove heat from the reactor as safely as possible. These broad steps, combined with the guarantee that no radioactive leaks occur from the reactor, go a long way in ensuring safe and environment friendly operations of nuclear reactors. He said that five levels of safety were always followed in nuclear reactor operations, which is one of the basic reasons why nuclear power generation is one of the safest processes in the power generation sector. The importance of ADS technology in nuclear safety was also highlighted by the chief guest during his address. Mr. Malhotra then enumerated the three main principles of nuclear commerce from India’s point of view namely: 1) Ensuring the supply of nuclear fuel 2) Reprocessing of nuclear fuel and 3) Continuation of our three phase nuclear program; and highlighted their importance in the country’s development. Finally, using some anecdotes, Mr. Malhotra emphasized how the Uranium – Plutonium – Thorium program was important for strong and indigenous development of nuclear power in India; and how public awareness needs to be continuously generated regarding the same. He concluded by officially declaring the symposium open and wished the event a grand success.

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Dr. H. B. Raghavendra, Director – School of Technology, Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University
Closing Remarks The closing remarks of the inaugural session were given by Dr. Raghavendra who thanked all the members of the organizing committee for putting up such a grand event only through their dedication and hard work. He also thanked all the partners and supporters of the event; and finally all the participants who had come to attend the seminar with total enthusiasm.
List of speakers – Technical Session 1 Evolution of Nuclear Reactor Technology and Safety Name Organization Topic
Mr. S. K. Malhotra
Head – Public Awareness, Department of Atomic Energy
Indian and International Best Practices in Public Affairs for Nuclear Energy
Dr. M. Sai Baba
Associate Director, Resource Management Group, Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic Research
Fast Breeder Reactor Technology
Mr. Indravadan Dulera
Reactor Engineering Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
Advanced Heavy Water Reactor Technology
Mr. S. K. Malhotra, Head – Public Awareness, Department of Atomic Energy
Topic: Indian and International Best Practices in Public Affairs for Nuclear Energy
Mr. Malhotra started off with a summary on the growth of nuclear power in the world so far, and the constant obstacles and hurdles being faced in the same. He explained how nuclear power is often misunderstood and confused by the general populace and also the role played by external factors in the same. He then highlighted some of the contributions that nuclear energy makes to the overall development of the society in the fields of agriculture and healthcare, but which go unnoticed to the world at large. Statistically, he showed how nuclear power had an ambitious growth story from the early 1970s to mid 1980s which was hampered by the shock of the Chernobyl accident in Russia.
When the world started coming out of this shock and nuclear power was on the rise once again, the Fukushima disaster took place which once again led to the world getting risk averse in dealing with nuclear power. He then showed the role that BRIC countries will play in the development of nuclear power in the coming future. However, he highlighted that many people in developing countries around

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the world have very little knowledge of nuclear energy and only know it by the unfortunate accidents associated with it.
Finally, Mr. Malhotra summarized the role of effective communication in sensitizing the society towards the importance of nuclear power; and making the society understand how safe and effective nuclear power can prove to be in the near future. He stressed the need for an attractive R&R policy or CSR measures along with the usage of sound communication methods to make the world more aware and knowledgeable about the safe nature of nuclear power. He concluded by highlighting some of the initiatives taken by the Department of Atomic Energy towards generating nuclear energy awareness amongst not only the educated class, but also amongst young school children and the general public on the whole.
Dr. M. Sai Baba, Associate Director, Resource Management Group, Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic Research
Topic: Fast Breeder Reactor Technology
Dr. Sai Baba started his presentation by giving a glimpse of the importance for cleaner and greener energy to have sustainable development in the future. With the help of interesting statistics, Dr. Sai Baba showed the rates at which electricity demand and consumption in the world are growing and the effects that various energy generation techniques have on the environment.
He then gave an introduction of the process of nuclear fusion and the breeding process in nuclear reactors. A detailed description of the three phase closed fuel cycle program was also given by which he stressed the cutting edge technologies being used at each stage of the process.

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Dr. Sai Baba then talked at length about the Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR) technology and its status both in India and worldwide. Here, he mentioned that FBR could be the first totally indigenous technology for India. R&D issues in the development of the FBR program were also covered during the discussion. The Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic Research is amongst the prestigious institutes that are responsible for the development of nuclear power in India, and Dr. Sai Baba, representing such an august center, gave a brief about the center’s vision and goals that they intend to achieve in the coming future.
The various aspects in the design, manufacture and testing of various components of a FBR were also discussed during the presentation. Advancements in the studies on fuel cycles, fuel reprocessing, sodium fire safety and erection of the reactor assembly were also discussed at length. Dr. Sai Baba pointed out that reactor care should be taken as per the geo – political location of the reactor and blind comparisons with other regions shouldn’t be made during the same.
Finally, he summarized the need for India to successfully implement the FBR program and the various companies involved in the same. Dr. Sai Baba ended his presentation by once again stressing the need for various stakeholders of the nuclear power generation process to work together towards achieving the single aim of development and promotion of cleaner and safer nuclear energy.
Mr. Indravadan Dulera, Reactor Engineering Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
Topic: Advanced Heavy Water Reactor Technology
Mr. Indravadan Dulera started off his presentation by explaining the current nuclear energy scenario and the need to develop further advancements in the field of nuclear power generation. He highlighted the Indian case and the reasons why India can and should follow its three phase nuclear power program. The importance of advanced reactors to meet India’s energy requirements was highlighted in this context.
Mr. Dulera explained that four types of advanced reactors are being developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) namely: 1) Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) 2) Compact High Temperature Reactor (CHTR) 3) Innovative High Temperature reactor (IHTR) and 4) Molten Salt Breeder Reactor (MSBR)
Each of these four reactors were explained in great detail over the course of the presentation from the point of view of their design, goals, included safety features, process flow diagrams, components of the reactors and major areas of development. The description of each reactor was technically very

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exhaustive and covered even the minute design and operational features of each of the four reactors. Mr. Dulera also pointed out few of the opportunities for further research in the development of each of these reactors and asked the young research community to look at each of these opportunities as newer challenges and find ways to overcome these challenges.
Finally he concluded by remarking that thorium is perhaps the most important fuel from a nuclear point of view and the AHWR was being developed as a demonstrator for the industrial scale thorium fuel cycle. He also pointed out that India and the huge talent pool of Indian scientists was working towards the development of high temperature reactors and MSBRs and this should help India’s nuclear power program tremendously in the years to come. List of speakers – Technical Session 2 Evolution of Nuclear Reactor Technology and Safety Name Organization Topic
Dr. CVS Rao
Head – Plasma Diagnostics Division, Institute of Plasma Reasearch
Fusion Technology and its progress
Mr. L. K. Jain
Site Director – Kakrapar, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited
Indian PHWR Technology, Safety and Operational Experiences
Mr. Ganesh Iyer
Jt. General Manager, Larsen & Toubro, Hazira Works
Academic Institutions’ preparedness for the technical man power supply for the anticipated growth in Nuclear Industry
Dr.CVS Rao, Head – Plasma Diagnostics Division, Institute of Plasma Research
Topic: Fusion Technology and its progress
Dr. CVS Rao started his talk with a detailed introduction and discussion on the nuclear fusion process including the mechanism of the process and the differences between nuclear fusion and fission processes. He gave an idea of the scale of fusion reactions and highlighted how these reactions occurred in stars such as the Sun.
Much of Dr. Rao’s talk centered on the most advanced device in toroidal confinement which is named as Tokomak by the Russians. He gave an exhaustive and detailed description of the Tokomak including its design, features, advanced characteristics and the progress so far in global Tokomak development.
He summarized the current global as well as Indian program for Tokomak development and research in a very lucid and illustrative format. The scale of the size and engineering complexity of the Tokomak, as shown by Dr. Rao through illustrative pictures, was enough to astound the audience throughout the

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presentation. The Plasma Burning process along with issues and challenges in the same were also highlighted.
A summary of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) then followed with Dr. Rao presenting the global support garnered for ITER development along with the support from the R&D sector to build the complex components of the ITER. The Indian contribution to the ITER development was highlighted along with the probable Indian fusion roadmap for a better and nuclear power friendly future.
To sum up, Dr. Rao stressed on the importance of using best quality material for safe and effective development of nuclear projects such as the ITER. He remarked that structural properties of the raw materials need to be continuously studied and modified, and awareness generated about the same.
Mr. L. K. Jain, Site Director – Kakrapar, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited
Topic: Indian PHWR Technology, Safety and Operational Experiences
Mr. L. K. Jain from NPCIL started his presentation by giving an introduction of the Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) technology including the fission chain reaction and the ways in which the reaction is controlled inside the reactor. Power generation in the PHWR and various components of the PHWR were explained through illustrative diagrams and process flow diagrams. He then gave an overview of the various nuclear power plants in India including special focus on the Kakrapar power station.
In the next section of his talk, the extensive safety features employed in nuclear power plants were detailed along with illustrative diagrams. Safety features like these definitely need to be highlighted to change public opinion regarding nuclear power plants and Mr. Jain did an excellent job by including this part in his presentation.
Mr. Jain finally illustrated various PHWR experiences in his presentation along with statistical details showing the safety records and various safety methods adopted by the NPCIL. He then concluded his operational – experience oriented talk by showcasing some of the awards and accolades won by the Kakrapar nuclear plant over the course of its operation.

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Mr. Ganesh Iyer, Jt. General Manager, Larsen & Toubro, Hazira Works
Topic: Academic Institutions’ preparedness for the technical man power supply for the anticipated growth in Nuclear Industry
Mr. Ganesh Iyer kicked off the last technical presentation of the symposium by giving an statistical overview of nuclear power generation all around the globe; and the further developments planned in this sector globally. He expressed confidence in the development of the sector in India and around the world, due to an increasing awareness and a combination of essential supporting factors in the right mix.
After showcasing the various focus areas in nuclear power generation, he moved on to the major part of his presentation which was a discussion of the technological and scientific challenges being faced by the nuclear industry and the ways in which academia can help in this regard.
A number of engineering and welding challenges were illustrated and the ways his organization successfully overcame these challenges were also explained. In his final section on institutional preparedness, Mr. Iyer summarized the various focus areas that need to be taught to young personnel entering the nuclear industry and the ways to modify the curriculums to suit these challenges. Mr. Iyer concluded by demonstrating some of the illustrative steps that can be taken to bridge the gap between academia and industry; and hoped that both these sectors would work closely to chart India’s successful nuclear energy future.

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List of speakers – Panel Discussion and Question & Answer Session India’s Nuclear Energy: Prospects and Challenges Name Organization
Mr. S. K. Malhotra
Head – Public Awareness, Department of Atomic Energy (Chairman of the Panel)
Dr. CVS Rao
Head – Plasma Diagnostics Division, Institute of Plasma Reasearch
Dr. M. Sai Baba
Associate Director, Resource Management Group, Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic Research
Mr. L. K. Jain
Site Director – Kakrapar, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited
Mr. Indravadan Dulera
Reactor Engineering Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
Mr. Ganesh Iyer
Jt. General Manager, Larsen & Toubro, Hazira Works
The final segment of the event was an open house question – and – answer session with a number of relevant questions being asked by the audience to the distinguished panel, related to their presentations as well as India’s general nuclear energy prospects.

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The session started with a discussion on fuel cells and their importance as a future source of energy, albeit not a very major source, but yes as an important source of energy. The next question was regarding the microfusion – fission propulsion system and its feasibility in space. The panelists then highlighted the role of ISRO and BARC in conducting research in the concerned field. Questions related to software used in designing of reactors and technical questions related to nuclear fusion and fission processes were also answered spontaneously and very adeptly by all the panelists.
The major topic of discussion during this session was related to the participation of private industry players in India’s nuclear power generation sector and the reasons for a majority participation still being seen from the public sector companies. The panelists highlighted the fact that as per the atomic energy act, less than 50% participation is only allowable from the side of private players in terms of ownership of nuclear power plants in India. One of the major reasons for such regulations is the safety and security issues related to nuclear power plants and nuclear fuels.
Even NPCIL doesn’t own any nuclear fuel and even spent nuclear fuel could be used as a source of energy by groups with evil intentions, if not taken care of properly. Hence the basic conclusion of this decision was that private players are always welcome to participate in the nuclear energy sector, if not necessarily in owning the power plants, but definitely in the development and advancement of the nuclear power sector in India.
The panel session thus proved to be a very informative and educative one. The enthusiastic participants got a golden chance to interact openly with such knowledgeable panelists and both parties made fully effective and exhaustive use of the same.

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Mr. A. Ravi Prasad, Adjunct Professor, Department of Nuclear Energy, School of Technology, Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University
Vote of Thanks
The vote of thanks for the seminar was delivered by Mr. A. Ravi Prasad who thanked each one of the speakers for taking out their time to share their knowledge during this symposium. He enumerated the activities being conducted by the parent organizations of each of the speakers in conjunction with Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University and the way it was benefitting the students of the institute. He concluded by thanking all the organizers for their support throughout the organization of the event and all the participants for ensuring the grand success of this symposium on Nuclear Energy: Technology, Safety & Environment.
Way Forward
The one day symposium turned out to be a strong platform for researchers and industry players to come together and discuss the issues, challenges and way forward in the development of India’s nuclear energy program. Each of the speakers demonstrated the advancements being conducted in the field of nuclear power generation and the safe ways to take these developments forward.
 Government & private sector should join hands to educate the society more about the safe and environment friendly applications of nuclear energy, not just as a fuel but also in the other public welfare domains such as agriculture and healthcare
 Government should examine & take steps on the current public awareness methods and should also find out ways to increase their efficiency.
 Government should undertake initiatives to educate the masses on the importance & necessity of nuclear energy to meet India’s future energy demands
 Younger research fraternity should be encourage by the society to develop innovative solution to the challenges in the development and operation of technological wonders such as the AHWRs, ITER and the Tokomak
 The private sector should be encouraged to participate more in the development of nuclear energy on a PPP basis, so as to leverage their technical knowhow and availability of capital
 Industries and academia should work in collaboration to reduce the general gaps in demand and supply of skilled manpower

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