System 80 is a

pressurized water reactor A pressurized water reactor (PWR) is a type of light-water nuclear reactor. PWRs constitute the large majority of the world's nuclear power plants (with notable exceptions being the UK, Japan and Canada). In a PWR, the primary coolant (water) is ...

design by

Combustion Engineering Combustion Engineering (C-E) was a multi-national American-based engineering firm that developed nuclear steam supply power systems in the United States. Originally headquartered in New York City, C-E moved its corporate offices to Stamford, Connec ...

(which was subsequently bought by

Asea Brown Boveri ABB Ltd. is a Swedish-Swiss multinational corporation headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland. The company was formed in 1988 when Sweden's Allmänna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget (ASEA) and Switzerland's Brown, Boveri & Cie merged to create ...

and eventually merged into the Westinghouse Electric Company). Three System 80 reactors were built at

Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station The Palo Verde Generating Station is a nuclear power plant located near Tonopah, Arizona, in western Arizona. It is located about due west of downtown Phoenix, Arizona, and it is located near the Gila River, which is dry save for the rainy sea ...

System 80+

An updated version of the plant has been designed which was given a "+" at the end of the name. This indicates an ''evolutionary'' plant design - changes were made to improve costs and safety. The control rods differ by using both 12 finger CEAs (control element assemblies) and 4 finger CEAs. The 12 finger ones are more reactive and only used for shutdown, while the 4 finger CEAs are used to control reactivity smoothly during operation. The System 80+ in 1993 was considered by members of the

American Nuclear Society The American Nuclear Society (ANS) is an international, not-for-profit organization of scientists, engineers, and industry professionals that promote the field of nuclear engineering and related disciplines. ANS is composed of three communities ...

as the "premier" burner of

weapons grade plutonium Weapons-grade nuclear material is any fissionable nuclear material that is pure enough to make a nuclear weapon or has properties that make it particularly suitable for nuclear weapons use. Plutonium and uranium in grades normally used in nucl ...

, as the reactor design can handle a full inventory of MOX plutonium. After the Cold War ended, 100 tons of surplus weapons grade plutonium existed and the System 80+ was assessed to be the best available way to "denature" it beyond use in typical bomb designs, the "burning"/fissioning process would produce reactor grade plutonium, which while still a security concern, it is considerably diminished. The System 80+ was developed into the Korean OPR-1000 and later APR-1400, and contributed design features to the AP1000. The NRC has certified the System 80+ for the U.S. market, but Westinghouse ceased actively promoting the design for domestic sale, prior to their bankruptcy.NRC

.

References

{{reflist Nuclear power reactor types