The NPD Nuclear Power Station Electrical System and the Statistical Approach to Its Design

This paper describes the electrical system designed for the Nuclear Power Demonstration (NPD) Generating Station and the statistical approach used to make decisions as the design progressed. NPD is a 22-mw (megawatt) nulcear power station designed by Canadian General Electric Company in co-operation with Atomic Energy of Canada, Ltd., and The Hydro Electric Power Commission of Ontario (HEPC). The reactor is heavy-water-moderated and heavy-water-cooled and uses natural uranium as the fuel. The plant is located on the Ottawa River about 1 mile downstream from the Ontario Hydro's Des Joachims generating station. An electrical system was designed for NPD which is quite similar to that which would be found in a conventional generating station of the same rating. However, because of the critical nature of some of the processes during all phases of operation including shutdown, a great deal of emphasis was placed on reliability. Throughout the design, circuit configuration and equipment selection stressed reliability as well as cost.