Georgia Tech s SYMPOSIUM ON THE FUTURE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY Nuclear Energy in the Near-Term November 1, 2012

Transcription

1 Georgia Tech s SYMPOSIUM ON THE FUTURE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY Nuclear Energy in the Near-Term November 1,

2 Sodium Reactor Experience Heritage Built and operated EBR-I FFTF SEFOR CRBR Seawolf EBR-II PRISM PRISM: Culmination of US sodium development experience Reviewed by NRC Based on 30 years of full scale testing (At EBR-II) Decades of US development GE 1981 Program PRISM 1988 PRDA ALMR S-PRISM Internal GE Program PRISM wins US Bid NRC Licensing submittal Energy Bill Build PRISM Program stops

3 EBR II: A better sodium reactor 1970 Design (not built) 1960 s Design (Operated 30 years) USA s Clinch River Reactor Large Loop Oxide fuel Active safety Similar to sodium reactors built in UK, China, India, France, & Russia USA s EBR II Small Pool Metal fuel Passive safety Design similar to PRISM 3

4 PRISM: The Commercialisation of EBR-II 1960 s Design 1980 s Design USA s EBR II Small Pool Metal fuel Passive safety EBR-II proved the technology GEH s PRISM Small Pool Metal fuel Passive safety PRISM commercialises the technology 4

5 PRISM: The best reuse option Two-reactor power block Uses all types of UK plutonium 622 MWe (net) Features advanced safety systems Design prevents Loss of Coolant Accident Design removes decay heat without automatic or operator actions Metallic fuel Metallic fuel is the key! 5

6 PRISM how it works... Fast spectrum With sodium coolant To produce electricity 6

7 Fissions per Absorption Why a fast spectrum? (a catalyst to shorter decay) Thermal Fast Actinide Actinides have a higher probability of fission at fast energies 7

8 With sodium coolant Sustain a loss of all power indefinitely Grade Inlet Plenum Inlet Plenum Collector Cylinder Containment Vessel Reactor Vessel Reactor Silo RVACS Flow Paths Containment CORE ELEVATION Overflow Path Normal Flow Path Air Inlet (8) Air Outlet Stack Reactor Vessel (2 in) 37 ' 0 " Silo Cavity Vessel Liner (1 in) Containment Vessel (in) ft ft ft ft Collector Cylinder (1n) ft Concrete Thermal Insulation (2 in) Flow Annuli & Silo Cross Section Why? Metal fuel, to metal cladding, to metal coolant, to metal reactor vessel, to air cooling. 8

9 Produce electricity: carbon free power 9

10 PRISM technology proven since 1964 PRISM component testing Licensing preparation complete NRC NUREG-1368: no obvious impediments to licensing Draft US license application Mature engineering design 10

11 UK Plutonium Situation Current worldwide Plutonium Russia: 190 MT* US: 92 MT UK: 87 MT and rising Other: 117 MT** Sellafield 98% of UK plutonium stored at Sellafield Plutonium viewed as security risk & increasing economic burden UK Government publications indicate strong and sustained interest in addressing stored plutonium. The defacto strategy to date is storage and the defacto improvement is MOX Are their better ways to achieve this objective? References/Notes * Estimate per NDA Plutonium Credible Options analysis, 2010 ** 40MT of Japanese plutonium is also stored in UK 11

12 Advanced Recycling Center & PRISM Benefits Include: Waste half-life yrs Uranium energy extracts 90% Non-proliferation no plutonium separation Environmentally responsible dry process 12