The concept of a co-generating nuclear plant (RUTA-TE) for sea water desalination

A heating reactor can be used for water desalination with multi-effect distillation and multi-stage flash or reverse osmosis processes. However, pumps and other plant equipment need electricity, which may have to be supplied by an outside network. Because remote sites may not have such a possibility, the Research and Development Institute of Power Engineering has developed the concept of a small swimming pool reactor that generates heat and electricity for the desalination plant. Electricity is generated in a small turbine island near to the reactor. The steam for the turbine is generated in modular channels, which are submerged in the reactor pool. The secondary circuit feeds all the modular channels and collects their steam. The lower parts of the modular channels surround the ordinary core of a RUTA reactor, whose fuel assemblies are positioned in the pool. Thus, the central part of the core produces heat in the form of heated water (up to100 degrees C). This heat is transported from the reactor pool to the desalination facility through intermediate loops. The interface between the nuclear and desalination systems consists of three separate loops: two loops of the reactor plant, and the steam generation loop of the distillation unit. The loop to loop heat is passed through the heat transfer surfaces. The high pressure loop of the turbine island is not connected to the desalination system. Preliminary economic analysis has shown the competitiveness of such a desalination plant.