Review of operating history

The review of the operating history of PFR which follows is, of necessity, selective. There have, however, been earlier reviews in journals and conference papers, and activities relating to PFR and its associated reprocessing plant have regularly been reported at Annual Meetings of the IWGFR. 

The approach to criticality began in F ruaiy 1974. The time fi-om start of construction to filling of the primary circuit had been seven years compared with the four years planned, the delay bdng due principally to difficulties experienced in the welding of the reactor vessel roof Nevertheless, the reactor was delivered at a cost of about 40M, with an additional 5M for 

Year GROSS ELECTRICAL GENERATION Net Electrical Generation (Mw-dayi) GENERATOR AVAILABILITY Reactor Thermal Energy Reactor Availability  

Declared Thermal Capacity of Reactor 600 MWt Declared Electrical Output of Stotion 250 MWe 

Commissioning had proceeded without major problems though a water test of the sodium side of Circuit 3 had revealed a gas entrainment problem requiring modification of all shut-off circuits, and bearing problems on one of the prinuuy pumps and two of the secondary pumps had needed attention. 

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