Simplified PWR features for a 600 MWe plant

In response to this potential for small plant applications, the Electric Power Research Institue (EPRI) sponsored development of an advanced light water reactor plant in a 9-month program carried out by Westinghouse and Burns and Roe; the program terminated in March 1986. Further development is now in progress on a 3-year program under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Energy. The pressurized water reactor (PWR) design being produced is called the AP-600, reflecting the advanced passive safety features and the chosen 600 MWe plant output. An important requirement established from the beginning of the conceptual design study with EPRI was that there would be no requirement for a prototype design. Accordingly, the AP-600 design, as currently conceived, uses many well-proven plant design features. The following sections discuss specific design features