SMR An Unconditionally Safe Source of Pollution-Free Nuclear Energy for the Post-Fukushima Age

Transcription

1 SMR -160 An Unconditionally Safe Source of Pollution-Free Nuclear Energy for the Post-Fukushima Age Dr. Stefan Anton SMR LLC Holtec Center 1001 U.S. Highway 1 North Jupiter, Florida 33477, USA July 17,

2 SMR 160 A New Paradigm for Nuclear Energy SMR-160 is being developed by SMR LLC, a subsidiary of Holtec International Enhanced Safety and Security ( Post-Fukushima ) passive safety features, underground core, secure, smaller source term It is SMR-160 s mission to light up the ill-lit areas on the globe with affordable pollution free energy shorter construction duration, lower operational costs, quicker return on investment, low carbon emissions 2

3 SMR 160 Benefits Each unit is Autonomous Small footprint, <5 Acres and inconspicuous Short construction time, <3 Years Robust design for all accidents and beyond design basis accidents Passive safety systems Reactor is underground Spent fuel storage underground Long refueling cycle, 3.5 years Short outage period, 5 days High capacity factor, >98% 3

4 An Overview of SMR-160 Passive Boron Injection Tank Front Section View Pressurizer Elevation 91 Passive Water Make-up Tanks Super Heater Passive Core Cooling Heat Exchanger Steam Generator Transfer Canal Elevation 0 Elevation -43 Reactor Vessel Head Spent Fuel Pool Elevation -105 Reactor Well The containment is 45 feet in diameter. 4

5 Technology Differentiators Enhanced Safety & Security Features The reactor core is located deep underground Because the reactor water is unborated it has a strong negative reactivity coefficient, the reactor becomes subcritical as soon as the water temperature in the core begins to rise above the design point. Passively cooled for both normal operation and forced shut down scenarios by thermo-siphon action. The containment is a steel structure that efficiently dissipates heat to the environment (Holtec Patent) through an external reservoir of water. Large pipe break Loss Of Coolant Accident (LOCA) rendered non-credible by design: no large piping in the Reactor Coolant System (RCS) loop. Double protection against crashing aircraft. Fuel is protected by airplane crash resistant Enclosure Structure & Containment Bldg. A missile shield over the spent fuel pool (located inside the containment ) provides additional missile protection. Containment remains passively self-cooling indefinitely after a LOCA. Elevation 91 Elevation 0 Elevation -43 Elevation -105 Front Section View 5

6 Technology Differentiators (cont d) Enhanced Safety & Security Features (cont d) The Containment & its internals designed to withstand the strongest Design Basis Earthquake postulated for any existing U.S. or international nuclear plant location. Tall column of water above the reactor core large coolant inventory. The RCS, fuel pool and small break LOCA are passively cooled during a station black out event. Post-LOCA peak pressure is reduced to 50% of its peak value in less than one hour by purely passive action (regulatory requirement is 24 hours). All safety systems are inside the containment. Diesel power used only for non-safety functions such as start up and for DC battery charging. 6

7 Technology Differentiators (cont d) Enhanced Operational Features (cont d) In-containment wet, and underground dry storage of spent fuel. Air cooled condenser option is available. Integral pressurizer (eliminate large external piping) with pressure controlled by regulated nitrogen. Steam generation with superheating to maximize turbine blade life. No boron in the reactor coolant in normal operation (to simplify system operations and mitigate internal corrosion/crud formation in the reactor system). The Containment can maintain safe configuration after LOCA indefinitely. The water inventory in the RV will be preserved without any time limit. Front Section View Integral Pressurizer Super Heater Steam Generator Elevation 0 Elevation -43 Elevation 105 7

8 Technology Differentiators (cont d) Fuel packaged in a Unitary Cartridge (Holtec Patent) Refueling occurs by changing out a single cartridge that facilitates rapid refueling. Specialized tooling required to remove fuel Design hardened against security threats Fuel Cartridge is a multi-function device serves as: a fuel rack in the pool a fuel basket for dry storage. Low turbulence in the Core protects fuel from fretting damage. 8

9 Technology Differentiators (cont d) Fuel assembly emulates a proven design extensively used in PWRs Fuel nozzles redesigned to facilitate loading in a cartridge and maximize natural circulation 9

10 Technology Differentiators (cont d) Underground location of safety systems to provide: Immunity from external natural events. Maximum protection from malevolent human intervention. Minimum occupational and off-site dose. In the event of a station black-out (Fukushima accident), the reactor s post-scram heat is rejected to the atmosphere by purely passive means (Holtec patent):the Containment is accident-immune. Spent fuel pool cooled by a passive system no pumps, no reliance on off-site power or emergency diesel generators. (Holtec patent) Even a postulated massive cracking of the fuel pool structure (such as Fukushima after the earthquake) will not expose fuel to a dry condition: The fuel stored in the pool will remain safely under water even if the pool structure sustains massive cracks (after a cataclysmic event such as an earthquake). 10

11 Technology Differentiators (cont d) SMR-160 s non-safety waste heat rejection can be directly to air (reliance on a natural water source for cooling virtually eliminated, if desired). Holtec provides innovative air cooled condensers in two configurations: HI-MAX which is a horizontal A-frame design HI-VACC which stands for Holtec International Vertical Air Cooled Condenser HI-MAX SS - First Generation Tube HI-VACC 11

12 Power Cycle Design Objectives o Enhance natural circulation in the core o Minimize RCS return water temperature and maximize buoyancy head o Minimize primary loop pressure drop and maximize core circulation o No Reactor Coolant pumps o Cycle efficiency over 30% (Turbine Power Output MW / Reactor Thermal Power MWt) o Integrate steam superheating in the power cycle o Maximize turbine blade life o Turbine blade damage prevented using superheated steam. o Simplified Steam Cycle for enhanced reliability o Single Feedwater Heater train no Moisture Separator Reheaters (MSRs) o Use safety related passive systems within the containment with loss of offsite power (station blackout) to cool reactor coolant, spent fuel pool, and containment 12

13 Concluding Remarks SMR-160 is 160 MWe and is engineered to provide safe, reliable, clean energy to support the world s growing population and energy needs. Distributed power generation eliminates reliance on a robust transmission grid. Sized to supply off-the-grid independent energy to vital infrastructure assets such as national labs & defense installations. Ideally sized for cogeneration, district heating & desalination plants. Black start capable. Generation capacity at a site can be incrementally increased by adding units 13