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The Future of Nuclear Energy Hydrogen and Electricity Production

Charles W. ForsbergOak Ridge National LaboratoryOak Ridge, Tennessee 37831

Tel: (865)-574-6784Email: forsbergcw@ornl.gov

WIN Region II ConferenceOak Ridge, Tenn.

February 2-3, 2005

The submitted manuscript has been authored by a contractor of the U.S. Government under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725. Accordingly, the U.S. Government retains a nonexclusive, royalty-free license to publish or reproduce the published form of this

contribution, or allow others to do so, for U.S. Government purposes. File name: WIN.Feb3-05

Limited Energy Alternatives Are Pushing Nuclear Energy Forward

Demand Growth

Greenhouse Gas Constraints

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World Energy Demand Is Increasing

Source: EIA IEO 2004

1 quad is a mile-long coal train (11,000 tons) every 2 hours 365 days / year

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Temperature and Atmospheric CO2 Correlate: Limits Likely on CO2

Economics of Nuclear Power Are

Improving

Evolution Over Time Can

Dramatically Improve A

Technology

Westinghouse AP-1000

GE ESBWR

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Evolution of the GE Boiling Water Reactors Has Reduced Complexity and Materials

ABWR (Existing) ESBWR: >50% reduction in buildingvolume and number of components

(~30% reduction in capital cost)

The ESBWR is now in pre-certification review atthe Nuclear Regulatory Commission

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Quantities of Materials For Different Reactors Over Time

0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

1970sPWR

1970sBWR

EPR ABWR ESBWR GT-MHR AHTR-IT

Building volume (relative to 336 m3/MWe) Concrete volume (relative to 75 m3/MWe) Steel (relative to 36 MT/MWe)

Non-nuclear input Nuclear input

1000 MWe 1000 MWe 1600MWe 1350 MWe 1550 MWe 286 MWe 1235 MWe

Back to the FutureHigh-Temperature Reactors

New Technologies and New Needs Are Bringing Back High-Temperature Reactors

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Brayton Power Cycles May Enable Economic High-Temperature Reactors

Utility steam turbines are limited to 550ºC.

Historically, there was a limited incentive for higher-temperature reactors because there no way to efficiently convert heat to electricity

High-temperature high-efficiency utility Brayton cycle systems developed in the last decade

Efficient energy conversion technology supports the use of high-temperature reactors

GE Power Systems MS7001FB

General Atomics GT-MHR Power Conversion Unit (Russian Design)

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Decreasing Oil Discoveries Worldwide Are Driving Hydrogen Demand

(Source: Nature 17 June 2004, p.694)

We are going to a hydrogen transport economy, the questions are:

(1)the form of hydrogen in the vehicle (gasoline, methanol, hydrogen, etc.)

(2)where hydrogen is used (refinery, tar sands plant, vehicle)

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The Initial Replacements For Crude Oil Will Be Heavy Oils And Tar Sands

Tar sands and heavy oils are located in Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, and the United States

Hydrogen is required to convert these feeds to liquid fuels

Syncrude Canada Ltd. Tar Sands Operations

High-Temperature Reactor Options

High Temperatures for Efficient Electricity Production and Hydrogen Production

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A Worldview of Nuclear Reactors

04-135

0

800

1000

Electricity (MW)

Te

mpe

ratu

re (

°C)

200

400

600

0 1000 2000

Light Water Reactor (High Pressure)

Liquid Metal Fast Reactor(Low Pressure)

Range of Hydrogen Plant Sizes

European Pressurized-Water

Reactor

Helium-Cooled High-Temperature Reactor (High-Pressure)

Brayton(Helium or Nitrogen)

Thermo-chemical Cycles

Rankine(Steam)

Electricity Hydrogen

Application

Liquid Salt Systems (Low Pressure)• Heat Transport Systems (Reactor to H2 Plant)• Advanced High-Temperature Reactor (Solid Fuel)• Liquid-Salt-Cooled Fast Reactor (Solid Fuel)• Molten Salt Reactor (Liquid Fuel)• Fusion Blanket Cooling

General Electric ESBWR

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The Choice of Coolant Impacts The Size of Reactor

03-258

Water (PWR)

Sodium (LMR) Helium Liquid Salt

Pressure (MPa) 15.5 0.69 7.07 0.69

Outlet Temp (ºC) 320 540 1000 1000

Coolant Velocity (m/s) 6 6 75 6

Number of 1-m-diam. Pipes Needed to Transport 1000 MW(t)

with 100ºC Rise in Coolant Temperature

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One Type of High-Temperature Reactor Fuel Has Been Demonstrated

Coated ParticleGraphite-Matrix Fuel

1250ºC Operation1600ºC Accident

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Two Coolants are Compatible with Graphite Materials and High-Temperature

Operations

Helium (High Pressure/Transparent)

Molten Fluoride Salts(Low Pressure/Transparent)

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GT-MHRPlant Layout

A 600 MW(t)

Helium-Cooled Near-Term Option:

50 years of Helium-Coolant

Experience

Reactor Cavity Cooling System

Reactor Pressure Vessel

Control Rod Drive Stand Pipes

Power Conversion System Vessel

Floors Typical

Generator

Refueling Floor

Shutdown Cooling System Piping

Cross Vessel (Contains Hot & Cold Duct)

35m(115ft)

32m(105ft)

46m(151ft)

Sketch Courtesy of General Atomics

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Passively Safe Pool-Type Reactor Designs

High-Temperature Coated-Particle

Fuel

The AdvancedHigh-Temperature Reactor The 2400 MW(t) Liquid-Salt-Cooled

Longer-Term Option

General Electric S-PRISM

High-Temperature, Low-Pressure

Transparent Molten-Salt Coolant

Brayton Power Cycles

GE Power Systems MS7001FB

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Advanced High-Temperature Reactor(Newest Reactor Concept)

04-108

ReactorHeat ExchangerCompartment

Passive DecayHeat Removal

Hydrogen/ElectricityProduction

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High-Temperature Reactors Have Common R&D Needs (Fuel, Brayton Cycles, etc.)

(Existing Technology Makes Helium-Cooling the Near-Term Option; Potential Economics Makes Salt-Cooling the Long-Term Option)

GT-MHR (287 MW(e))Near-Term (Helium)

81m70m

AHTR (1235 MW(e))Longer-Term (Liquid Salt)

Per Peterson (Berkeley): American Nuclear Society 2004 Winter Meeting

Both Reactors Same Scale

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Conclusions and Observations

Energy needs and environment are driving the reconsideration of nuclear energy

LWR evolution over decades is favorably changing LWR economics

High-temperature reactors are likely to follow LWRs Efficient Brayton cycles for electricity Hydrogen generation

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