Question 1

All nuclear reactors in India, including those at Kudankulam, run on domestically sourced natural uranium.

Accepted Answer

While India's indigenous Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) use natural uranium, the Russian-built VVER-1000 reactors at Kudankulam are Light Water Reactors (LWRs) that strictly require imported Low Enriched Uranium (LEU).

Question 2

Kudankulam Unit-3 represents an upgrade to the latest VVER-1200 reactor technology.

Accepted Answer

Unit-3 utilizes the exact same VVER-1000 (AES-92) reactor design as Units 1 and 2. The VVER-1200 technology is only proposed for the unbuilt Phase 4 (Units 7 and 8).

Question 3

Consider the following statements regarding the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP):
1. The VVER-1000 reactors at KNPP utilize natural uranium as fuel and light water as both coolant and moderator.
2. Unit-3 of KNPP will be the first VVER-1000 reactor globally to commence operations with an 18-month refueling cycle from its initial launch.
3. The TVS-2M fuel assemblies supplied by Rosatom enable an extended operational cycle due to a higher uranium mass and advanced anti-debris filters.
How many of the statements given above are correct?

Accepted Answer

(b) Only two — Statement 1 is incorrect because VVER-1000 reactors are Light Water Reactors (LWRs) that require Low Enriched Uranium (LEU), not natural uranium. Natural uranium is used in India's PHWRs. Statements 2 and 3 are correct; Unit-3 pioneers the 18-month cycle from initial launch using the advanced TVS-2M fuel assemblies.

Question 4

Match List I (Nuclear Technology/Fuel Concept) with List II (Application/Characteristic):
List I:
A. PHWR
B. VVER-1000
C. TVS-2M
D. LEU

List II:
1. Light water acts as both coolant and moderator
2. Advanced fuel assembly featuring a rigid structure
3. Heavy water acts as both coolant and moderator
4. Enriched U-235 fraction typically required for LWRs

Select the correct answer using the code below:

Accepted Answer

(a) A-3, B-1, C-2, D-4 — Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) use heavy water (A-3). VVER-1000 is a Pressurized Water Reactor using light water (B-1). TVS-2M is the specific advanced fuel assembly design supplied for Kudankulam (C-2). Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) is required to sustain fission in LWRs like the VVER-1000 (D-4).

Question 5

Assertion (A): The delivery of TVS-2M nuclear fuel assemblies allows Kudankulam Unit-3 to operate on an extended 18-month refueling cycle rather than the standard 12-month cycle.
Reason (R): The TVS-2M fuel assemblies utilize Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) which takes longer to undergo complete fission.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Accepted Answer

(c) A is true but R is false — The Assertion is true, as the TVS-2M assemblies do enable an 18-month cycle. However, the Reason is false. The cycle is extended due to a denser loading (higher uranium mass) and rigid structural improvements, utilizing Low Enriched Uranium (LEU, ~4-5% U-235). Commercial power reactors do not use Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU, >20% U-235), which is reserved for nuclear weapons or specialized naval reactors.

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