Abstract: A steam separator comprises an outer main swirler and an inner auxiliary swirler which is smaller than the main swirler. The swirlers are provided so as to be concentric on the inner wall at the lower side of the first stage inner cylinder. In the steam separator, when the gas-liquid two-phase flow which flows in the vicinity of the axial center of the first stage inner cylinder passes the auxiliary swirler, it is separated into steam and water by the centrifugal force. The separated water (droplets) is introduced into the main swirler. When the separated water (droplets) passes the main swirler, it is separated at the inner wall side of the first stage inner cylinder by the centrifugal force. Pressure loss in a steam separator is reduced and steam separation capability is increased without increasing the moisture from the steam separator.

Abstract: A nuclear power plant and an operation method of the nuclear power plant, which can uprate plant power without greatly modifying the construction of plant equipment, while keeping a core's pressure loss characteristic, a safety margin, and a design margin in the transient state substantially the same as those before the power uprate. Thermal power in a second operation cycle of a nuclear reactor is uprated from thermal power in a first operation cycle preceding the second operation cycle at least one operation cycle. A proportion of steam extracted from a steam system and introduced to a feedwater heater, which is in particular extracted from an intermediate point and an outlet of a high pressure turbine, with respect to a flow rate of main steam is reduced in the second operation cycle from that in the first operation cycle such that temperature of feedwater discharged from the feedwater heater lowers in the range of 1° C. to 40° C. in the second operation cycle.

Abstract: A nuclear power plant of the invention is equipped, for example, with a reactor; a steam loop comprising high and low pressure turbines; a condenser for condensing steam discharged therefrom the low pressure turbine; a feedwater heater for heating feedwater supplied from the condenser; and a feedwater loop for leading feedwater discharged from the feedwater heater to the reactor, and an operation method thereof is characterized by augmenting a second reactor thermal power output in a second operation cycle of the reactor larger than a first reactor thermal power output in a first operation cycle; and making an increase ratio of extraction steam, which is led to the feedwater heater with being extracted from the steam loop, in the second operation cycle for the first operation cycle smaller than an increase ratio of the second reactor thermal power output for the first reactor thermal power output.

Abstract: A fuel assembly in accordance with the present invention comprises a plurality of first fuel rods and a plurality of second fuel rods having a length shorter than a length of the first fuel rod, and these two kinds of fuel rods are arranged in a fuel rod array of 10 rows by 10 columns. Two water rods are arranged in regions capable of arranging 8 fuel rods. The second fuel rods are not arranged in the outermost tier of the fuel rod array. Which satisfies the following conditions, that is, B≧60  (Equation 1) 15≦n≦20(n: integer)  (Equation 2) Awr/Ach≦0.149  (Equation 3) Lp/Lf≧11/24  (Equation 4) Awr/Ach≧(3.00×10−4×n2+6.00×10−4×n−1.2×10−2)×(Lp/Lf−1)+1.75×10−1  (Equation 5) Awr/Ach≦(8.63×10−4×n2−6.09×10−2×n+1.33×10−1)×(Lp/Lf−8.

Abstract: A fuel assembly in accordance with the present invention comprises a plurality of first fuel rods and a plurality of second fuel rods having a length shorter than a length of the first fuel rod, and these two kinds of fuel rods are arranged in a fuel rod array of 10 rows by 10 columns. Two water rods are arranged in regions capable of arranging 8 fuel rods. The second fuel rods are not arranged in the outermost tier of the fuel rod array.

Abstract: A fuel assembly includes a plurality of fuel rods placed in a square lattice array of 9-rows/9-columns and at least one water rod. In this fuel assembly, the fuel rod pitch of the plurality of fuel rods is in a range of 14.15 mm to 14.65 mm, and means for offsetting and holding a fuel bundle composed of the fuel rods and the water rod is provided in such a manner that the center in a cross section of the fuel bundle is offset from the center in a cross section of the lower tie plate toward the channel fastener side. With this configuration, it is possible to provide a fuel assembly for a D-lattice core, which is capable of achieving the fuel economy comparable to that of a C-lattice core without reducing the thermal margin, and of using the existing fuel spacers.

Abstract: A boiling water type nuclear reactor core, in which a plurality of fuel assemblies, each enclosed in a channel box, are loaded and a plurality of control rods, each having control blades, are arranged between the channel boxes. Long blade control rods, each having control rod blades which extend in four directions, are arranged between channel boxes on diagonals of square bundle regions each formed by a plurality of fuel assemblies, and short blade control rods, each having a control rod blade length of about half of the width of one of the square bundle regions, are arranged between the channel boxes in the center of each of the square bundle regions.

Abstract: In each of a number of fuel assemblies loaded in a core of a boiling water reactor, a fuel holding portion of a lower tie plate holds lower end portions a plurality of fuel rods and at least one water rod. The water rod includes a rising pipe opened to a space in the lower tie plate below the fuel holding portion and introducing upward a coolant introduced to the rising pipe, and a falling pipe communicated with the rising pipe and introducing downward the coolant introduced through the rising pipe. The falling pipe has a coolant outlet opened to a second coolant passage defined between the fuel rods above the fuel holding portion. The rising passage is filled with the coolant during a period of rated power operation of the reactor, and a surface of the coolant is formed in the rising pipe during a period of non-rated power operation in which a flow rate of the coolant supplied to the fuel assemblies is lower than that during the period of rated power operation.

Abstract: A boiling water type nuclear reactor core, in which a plurality of fuel assemblies, each enclosed in a channel box, are loaded and a plurality of control rods, each having control blades, are arranged between the channel boxes. Latitudinal long blade control rods, each having control rod blades which extend latitudinally in four directions, are arranged between channel boxes on diagonals of square bundle regions each formed by a plurality of fuel assemblies, and latitudinal short blade control rods, each having control rod blades which extend latitudinally in four directions with each control rod blade having a latitudinal length of about half of the width of one of the square bundle regions, are arranged between the channel boxes in the center of each of the square bundle regions. The long blade control rods have a latitudinal blade length which is about twice as long as the latitudinal blade length of the short blade control rods.

Abstract: In each of a number of fuel assemblies loaded in a core of a boiling water reactor, a fuel holding portion of a lower tie plate holds lower end portions a plurality of fuel rods and at least one water rod. The water rod includes a rising pipe opened to a space in the lower tie plate below the fuel holding portion and introducing upward a coolant introduced to the rising pipe, and a falling pipe communicated with the rising pipe and introducing downward the coolant introduced through the rising pipe. The falling pipe has a coolant outlet opened to a second coolant passage defined between the fuel rods above the fuel holding portion. The rising passage is filled with the coolant during a period of rated power operation of the reactor, and a surface of the coolant is formed in the rising pipe during a period of non-rated power operation in which a flow rate of the coolant supplied to the fuel assemblies is lower than that during the period of rated power operation.