Carolinas–Virginia Tube Reactor

Carolinas–Virginia Tube Reactor, also known as Parr Nuclear Station, was an experimental pressurized tube heavy water nuclear power reactor at Parr, South Carolina in Fairfield County. It was built and operated by the Carolinas Virginia Nuclear Power Associates.PurposeConstruction started on January 1, 1960. The CVTR was built to test the concept of a heavy water moderated and cooled pressurized tube reactor for civilian power. It was the first US heavy water power reactor. It was operated by the Carolinas Virginia Nuclear Power Associates, which was a consortium of the following utilities: Carolina Power & Light Company, Duke Power Company, South Carolina Electric & Gas Company (SCE&G), and Virginia Electric and Power CompanyDesignDesign of the CVTR began around 1955. CVTR had a thermal output of about 65 MW and a gross electrical output of 19 MW. Westinghouse Atomic Power Division was responsible for the design of the nuclear systems while Stone and Webster Engineering designed the remainder of the plant.The reactor consisted of 36 vertical U-tube fuel channels in a moderator tank which was 10 feet in diameter and 16 feet tall. Each leg of the U-tube contained one fuel assembly made up of 19 fuel rods. The reactor used enriched uranium; 12 of the tubes contained fuel enriched to 1.5% U-235 and 24 tubes contained fuel enriched to 2% U-235.