Status and perspectives on BWR technology

The global deployment of the Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) nuclear system is supported by an extensive and growing technology base. Over some 25 years, the BWR design has been advanced in disciplined evolutionary stages, supported by exhaustive experimentation and confirmatory testing. The General Electric Company's (USA) current nuclear offering for example, the BWR/6 system and Mark III containment, incorporates the best features of previous BWR classes. Component designs, fuel and plant arrangements have been improved in several significant aspects which are expected to lead to higher capacity factors and reduced servicing times. Technical exchange between international BWR licensees, an impressive complex of full-scale test facilities and cooperative programmes involving BWR owners, as well as industry and government groups further broaden the technical resources brought to bear on BWR plant designs. (author)