Pressurized Heavy Water (CANDU)
Heavy Water family · Generation II / III · Commercial
Uses heavy water so efficiently that it can run on unenriched natural uranium and refuel while operating.
How it works — schematic
🚧 Diagram in progress Simplified schematic for orientation, not an engineering drawing — we're actively refining these for accuracy.
Key specs
- Coolant
- Heavy water
- Moderator
- Heavy water
- Fuel
- Natural uranium
- Spectrum
- Thermal
- Outlet temp
- ~310 °C
- Status
- Commercial
Real-world examples
- • CANDU fleet (Canada, India, others)
Strengths
- + No enrichment needed
- + Online refueling
- + Fuel flexibility
Trade-offs
- – Expensive heavy water
- – Larger core
- – Tritium production