ABSTRACT
Pressurized water reactors (PWRs) are the most common type of nuclear reactors in the world. The larger units use containment buildings similar to those used in a Western PWR, although by comparison, the containment buildings used in the smaller versions are rather flimsy compared to their Western counterparts. Coolant enters the core of a PWR at a temperature of about 292°C and leaves the core at a temperature of about 325°C. The characteristics of the power plant thermal cycle for a PWR depend upon who is designing it and where it is located. The design of the core also varies slightly from one PWR to the next, and in spite of Westinghouse’s efforts to standardize most of these components, there is no such thing as a standard core design. The design changes have normally been evolutionary rather than revolutionary. The model F steam generator has been the standard steam generator in Westinghouse PWRs since 1976.
