Engineering Design of the Ebwr Facility

Several nuclear reactor projects in the United States have incorporated a token production of electric power such as the Experimental Breeder Reactor I and the Borax III and IV Reactors located in Arco, Idaho, and the SIR reactor prototype at the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory. These projects, however, were undertaken for the purpose of reactor development, and the application to electric power generation was rather incidental and the amount of power generated was small. The EBWR project was designed from the beginning as a central-station type of plant and was the first of several concurrent projects of similar purpose to start operation. The experimental nature of the plant and the fact that it has a forerunner influenced engineering design. A number of more or less expensive safety precautions were incorporated to cover foreseeable hazardous situations which could possibly take place and to provide a reasonable margin of safety to cover unpredictable contingencies. Undoubtedly operating experience and continued development work will prove that some of these precautions are not warranted. The investment cost of such a plant would be correspondingly reduced.