Fast and High Temperature Reactors for Improved Thermal Efficiency and Radioactive Waste Management

Transcription

1 What s New in Power Reactor Technologies, Cogeneration and the Fuel Cycle Back End? A Side Event in the 58th General Conference, 24 Sept 2014 Fast and High Temperature Reactors for Improved Thermal Efficiency and Radioactive Waste Management Frederik Reitsma Nuclear Power Technology Development Section Division of Nuclear Power, Department of Nuclear Energy International Atomic Energy Agency

2 Content How do Fast Reactors and High Temperature Gas cooled Reactors support co-generation and fuel cycle back end? Why are they attractive to member states? Concluding remarks 2

3 Fast Reactor technology as future solution Extend the current nuclear resources from about 120 years to a thousand years Generate more energy from fuel Significantly reduce radioactive waste in quantity and in radio-toxicity Burn light water reactor waste while producing energy and more fuel 3

4 Extending Fuel Supply for Next Centuries Non effective use LWR Open Fuel Cycle Only a small fraction ( a few %) of the energy potential of natural uranium is exploited 300+ NPP operating today Fuel Sustaining Cycle 4

5 Relative radiotoxicity Fast Reactors Technology can reduce the time waste remain radiotoxic from 250,000 years to about 400 years. FP MA + FP Pu + MA + FP Spent Fuel Transmutation Plutonium Recycling Spent Fuel Direct Disposal Natural Uranium Time (years) Duration Reduction 1,000x Volume Reduction 100x 5

6 Fast reactor designs Experimental fast reactor EBR-I Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor Lead-Cooled Fast Reactor Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor Molten Salt Reactors.. all part of next generation 350 years of Operating Experience 6

7 Fast Reactors Today: In operation and under construction worldwide SFR in operation BN-600 and BOR-60 in Russian Federation FBTR in India CEFR in China Under Commissioning BN-800 in Russian Federation BN-800 (Russian Federation) Under Construction PFBR in India On hold JOYO and MONJU in Japan PFBR (India) CEFR (China) 7

8 Fast Reactor Technology Advantages Enhanced safety characteristics Atmospheric pressure in the primary circuit High thermal inertia Large coolant boiling margin Natural convection But, core is not in its most reactivity configuration Higher thermal efficiencies (higher temperatures) More efficient use of U resources Reduction of waste 8

9 Content How do Fast Reactors and High Temperature Gas cooled Reactors support co-generation and fuel cycle back end? Why are they attractive to member states? Concluding remarks 9

10 HTGR technology addressing the energy challenge Higher ( 20-50%) efficiency in electricity generation than conventional nuclear plants Potential to participate in the complete energy market Market is growing for smaller reactors Position close to markets or heat users Savings in transmission costs Smaller capital cost Can achieve higher fuel burnup 10

11 HTGR technology addressing the energy challenge Extended scope of application due to higher temperatures available Supply of process steam for petro-chemical industry and future hydrogen production

12 Process heat / co-generation * Survey of HTGR Process Energy Applications, NGNP Project, MPR-3181 Rev 0, May 2008 Near term market potential North America / USA only: o C = 75,000MWt (or reactors) Mostly Petroleum products: o C = 65,000MWt (or reactors) (Petroleum + Ammonia) Easily achievable today Allows flexibility of operation switching between electricity and process heat 12

13 Safety of HTGR technology Significantly improved safety Positioning close to process heat user is possible Decay heat removal by natural means only can even lose all the coolant and external cooling (station blackout and loss of ultimate heat sink) Most transients are slow (develop over hours and days) and no operator actions are needed All ceramic core with graphite core structures But, water and air ingress needs to be limited 13

14 Inherent Safety Characteristics Ceramic fuel retains radioactive materials up to and above 1800 C Heat removed passively without primary coolant all natural means Centre Reflector Pebble Bed Side Reflector Core Barrel RPV RCCS Citadel Conduction Radiation Conduction Conduction Radiation Convection Convection Conduction Radiation Conduction Radiation Convection Convection Conduction Convection Radiation Coated particles stable to beyond maximum accident temperatures Fuel temperatures remain below design limits during loss-of-cooling events 14

15 High Temperature Gas cooled Reactors Past Experience Current test reactors Extensive operating experience Mature technology ready for commercial deployment (in next decade) Wealth of know-how available Interest from new-comer countries Indonesia (BATAN) experimental power reactor 15

16 Prismatic (block-type) HTGRs 16

17 Pebble type HTGRs Spherical graphite fuel element with coated particles fuel On-line / continuous fuel loading and circulation Fuel loaded in cavity formed by graphite to form a pebble bed 1 mm 17

18 Multiple designs from member states 18

19 New deployment of HTGRs a reality HTR-PM construction of a commercial demonstration plant Modular 2 x 250MWth Shidao Bay, Shandong province, China 19

20 Concluding Remarks Fast Reactors and HTGRs each has its own unique benefits. Improved efficiencies in electricity generation and high temperature heat Efficient fuel utilization possible Improved safety characteristics Waste minimization The technology is ready for near-term commercial deployment All reactor designs have to take into account the main lessons learned from past accidents despite favourable safety characteristics in particular considering extreme external events affecting multiple units support member states to develop and share technology 20

21 Read more how can assist you.. Nuclear Power Technology Development Fast Reactors Gas Cooled Reactors Thank You 21

22 Back up Slides International Atomic Energy Agency

23 support member states Safety Standards Development for both Fast Neutron Systems (with Gen-IV) and HTGRs Workshops and Training PC-based simulator development Knowledge preservation Reactor Calculation Codes Verification and Validation Experimental data reports and benchmarking Technical Working Group - Fast Reactor: 26 and HTGR: 17 member states 23

24 Identified resources Total conventional resources Total conventional resources and phosphates Use of uranium resources Fast reactors * Pure fast reactor fuel cycle with recycling of U and all actinides Pure fast reactor fuel cycle with Pu recycling Current fuel cycle (LWR, once-through) Years * - based on 22 Mtu of phosphates, of identified resources, and of undiscovered resources the energy potential of natural uranium can be extended to last thousand of years 24

25 Normalized Flux/Lethargy Fast Reactors = use fast neutron spectrum LWR (EPRI NP-3787) SFR (ufg MC2-2 metal) E-03 1.E-02 1.E-01 1.E+00 1.E+01 1.E+02 1.E+03 1.E+04 1.E+05 1.E+06 1.E+07 Energy (ev) In LWR, most fissions occur in the 0.1 ev thermal peak In FR, moderation is avoided no thermal neutrons 25