Compact, Deployable Reactors for Power and Fuel in Remote Regions

Transcription

1 Compact, Deployable Reactors for Power and Fuel in Remote Regions James R. Powell and J. Paul Farrell Radix Corporation, Long Island, New York Presented by Jerry M. Cuttler Dunedin Energy Systems, LLC at the ANS 2010 Annual Meeting San Diego, California June 17, 2010

2 Overview Two reactor designs are described for transport by truck or aircraft to remote sites where supply of energy and materials is very limited and expensive. Applications include providing power, heat, fuel, water, and fertilizer. Locations include Artic and other remote settlements, mining operations, remote areas in undeveloped countries. Reactor unit transported as single vehicle, and connected with other modules (e.g., turbine-generator, atmospheric water extraction unit, etc.) transported to site. Two reactor designs based on existing commercial nuclear fuel (TRIGA Rods and TRISO Particles) and PWR conditions. Reactors not opened at operating site after shutdown they are transported back to facility for refueling or disposal. Reactors have integral gamma shield for safe handling and transport when removed from operating site.

3 DEER (deployable electric energy reactor) Applications Power and heat in Canadian and other remote settlements. Power and heat in oil sands mining operations. Power and heat in other remote mining operations. Power, fuel, water, and fertilizer production in undeveloped areas.

4 Remote Areas EXAMPLE Canada (Northwest Territories & Nunavut) Nunavut & Northwest Territories a matter of National Sovereignty. 25 towns ( persons each) spend $220 to $300 million a year for heat and electricity. cost of fuel is $8/gal. Residents pay $0.39 to $0.94/kWh (subsidized price of electricity).

5 Oil Sands Processing Chain North American Oil Sands: History of Development, Prospects for the Future Marc Humphries, Analyst in Energy Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Updated January 17, 2008

6 Role of DEER in Oil Recovery DEER reactors can supply either : (A) steam and hot water; (B) steam, hot water, and electrical power; and (C) electrical power only Probstein and Hicks, Synthetic Fuels, Dover, 2006 Option B offers a low cost way to make hydrogen for hydrotreating. The turbine exhaust pressure is set relatively high, e.g., above 1 atmosphere, which results in steam and hot water for options 1 and 3 in processing the oil sands, while still enabling the generation of substantial amounts of electric power to be used for electrolyzing water to make hydrogen.

7 Commercial Applications EXAMPLE Other Mining Operations in Canada Map shows locations and types of all mines in Nunavut. Almost none of the mines shown are serviced by year round roads; only winter ice roads. Western Troy Case Study.

8 Commercial Applications EXAMPLE Mining Operations in Canada Canada - top 4 oil producer by Largest supplier of oil to the United States. Oil sands extraction requires 1 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day. ~1,200 cubic ft per barrel of oil % of Alberta s megatons of industrial greenhouse gas come from oil sands. Missing Kyoto Targets; CO 2 up 24% since Carbon Cap and Trade imminent. $10 to $40 per ton of CO 2 displacement. 2,000,000 bbl per day takes up to 8,000 MW of Power.

9 The Product Add-Ons Production 10 MW(e) 50 MW(e) JP-8 Fuel Potable Water [40 C, 23% humidity atmospheric conditions in Iraq] 3,000 gallons per day 430,000 gallons per day* 15,000 gallons per day 2,150,000 gallons per day*

10 Design Objectives for DEER Nuclear Power System Transportable by Truck or Aircraft Modular Units Reactor, turbine-generator, and heat rejection are separate modules. Additional modules for CO2 extraction from atmosphere, H2 production by electrolysis, fuel production by Fischer-Tropsch process, water production, ammonia production, as desired. Modular Units Connected at Site to Form Complete System Short set-up time, e.g., few days. Reactor Not Opened During Operating Period at Site After shutdown, modules can be quickly removed from site, e.g., few days. Reactor unit has integral gamma shield, to keep gamma dose to handling personal during removal and transport within allowable limits. Reactor transported to facility for disposal or refueling for new operating site. Reactor Uses Well Developed Commercial Nuclear Fuel, Non-Weapons Grade, and Standard Steam Cycle

11 DEER Installation and Removal

12 Three Nuclear Fuel Options Used in dozens of research reactors around the world for decades. Extremely safe automatically shuts down when control rods are pulled out. UZrH 1.8 hydride fuel can withstand high temperatures. Zero release of fission products Used in 100's of reactors operating around the world for decades. UO2 particles dispersed in Zr metal matrix. Fuel is very tough and rugged. Operates to high burnings with Zero release of fission products Used in high temperature graphite reactors for decades TRISO particles imbedded in graphite blocks or potable. Normally helium cooled. In AMP TRISO. Particles would be water cooled. Operates to high temperature with Zero release of fission products

13 TRIGA Fuel Selected for Baseline System TRIGA Reactors Operate at Many Locations Worldwide Has Operated Safely for Decades and 1000s of Reactor Years Perceived as Safe, Reliable and Simple to Operate Automatic, Safe Shutdown from Large Reactivity Insertions Excellent Retention of Fission Products Uses 20% Enriched, Non-Weapons Grade Fuel Minimal Testing of TRIGA Fuel required for AMP System

14 Baseline TRIGA Fueled Rector Designs (DEER-1) 10 and 50 MW(e) Can Operate at Lower Powers, e.g. 0.5 to 1 MW(e) for Native Settlements in Canada 2 to 3 Years Operating Life at Maximum Power Up to 30 Years at Lower Power 3D MCNP and Monte Burns Analyses for Criticality and Burnup Performance Full Representational Geometry Standard PWR Operating Conditions

15 Reactor Geometry Cross Sectional View 10 Megawatt(e) System

16 The Baseline Design Reactor Scale and Components

17 Baseline Parameters Reactor Parameters 50 MW(e) 10MW(e) Thermal Power 200 MW(th) 40 MW(th) Cycle Efficiency 25% 25% Reactor OD, meters Module OD, meters (w/0.2 meter Tungsten Shield) Reactor Core OD, meters Reactor Core Length, meters Fuel Element Diameter, centimeters # of Fuel Elements in Core Wt % Uranium in UZrH 1.8 Fuel Weight of Uranium in Core, kg (20% U-235 Enrichment) Reactor Weight w/fuel, metric tons Module Weight w/shield, metric tons

18 Keff vs. Operating Time for AMP Using TRIGA Fuel at 10 MW(e) and 50 MW(e) Output [ In operation, the reactor control rods are used to control Keff.]

19 Temperature of Hot Fuel Elements vs. Distance from Inlet for 2078 fuel elements, thermal power of 50 MW; fuel element diameter 0.9 cm, core length 60 cum, water temperature 507 K (in), 568 K (out)

20 Thermal Afterheat thermal power following shutdown for the 10 MW(e) DEER reactor Approximately one-third is from short range beta particles, which stop inside the reactor, and twothirds is from gamma photons, which require shielding. Two days after shutdown, the thermal power is 150 kilowatts, about 0.3% of the 40 megawatts Generated at full power

21 Gamma Dose Rate Gamma dose rates after 1000 hours of operation as a function of the distance from the surface of the reactor. Calculation is based on a 20 cm thick tantalum shield 2.3 days after reactor shutdown. The gamma attenuation factor inside the reactor is 10:1.

22 TRISO Fuel Selected for Advanced System TRISO Fuel Enables very Compact, Lightweight, High Power Advanced Reactor Systems Packed Beds of TRISO Fuel Particles would be Directly Cooled by Water Core Power Densities can be >> 1 MW(th)/Liter TRISO Particles can be Hydraulically Loaded into, and Unloaded from, SNAP Reactors Spent Fuel Particles transferred to Small Transport Cask in a Few Hours and Rapidly Transported away from Site After TRISO Particles are Removed, Residual Radioactivity in Reactor System is Much Less Reactor can be Re-Loaded with Fresh, Non-Radioactive TRISO Particles, or Removed from Site TRISO Particles Have Excellent Retention of Fission Products

23 Advanced TRISO Fueled Reactor Designs (DEER-2) 10 and 50 MW(e) Can Operate at Lower Powers, e.g. 0.5 to 1 MW(e) for Native Settlements in Canada 3D MCNP and Monte Burns Criticality and Burnup Analyses of Detailed Geometry Very High Power Density Capability in Particle Bed Reactor (PBR) Fuel Elements SDI Program on PBR Nuclear Rocket Demonstrated 30 MW(th) per Liter Power Density in H2 Cooled Non-Nuclear Blow-Down Experiments on PBR Fuel Elements Spent TRISO Fuel Particles can be Hydraulically Unloaded from PBR Fuel Elements and Fresh Ones Hydraulically Loaded In Demonstrated in Lab Tests Fuel Particles can be Unloaded After Shutdown Integral Shield Not Required Standard PWR Operating Conditions

24 DEER-2 Advanced Reactor design using hydraulic loading/unloading of TRISO nuclear fuel particles.

25 Elevation and cross sectional views of the 10 MW(e) advanced DEER-system transport cask.

26 Parameters for Advanced Reactor Based on Fuel Elements with Hydraulically Loaded/Unloaded TRISO Particles Reactor Parameters Thermal Power (MW) Cycle Efficiency (%) Reactor OD (m) Reactor Core OD (m) Reactor Core Length (m) # of Fuel Elements in Core Fuel Element OD (cm) Thickness of TRISO Bed in Fuel Element (cm) Average Power Density in TRISO Bed MW(th) / liter Initial U-235 Loading in Core (kg) 50% Burnup Lifetime (mos.) Weight of Reactor, incl. Fuel (metric tons) DEER DEER

27 Summary and Conclusions Compact transportable reactors can meet needs for power, heat, fuel, water, and fertilizer in remote areas where conventional fuel supply is very difficult and expensive. Economics are favorable for many locations. Reactor Module and Process Modules transported by truck or aircraft to remote locations. Transportable reactor designs appear practical. DEER-1 reactor uses TRIGA fuel and standard PWR conditions. DEER-2 Reactor uses TRISO fuel particles in packed bed fuel elements. Reactors are not opened at operating sites for refueling. TRIGA fuel rods remain in reactor after shutdown Reactor module has integral gamma shield to enable safe transport of shut-down reactor. TRISO fuel particles hydraulically unloaded from reactor into shielded transport cask for removal Integral shield not necessary. Detailed 10 and 50 MW(e) designs have been carried out. Can operate at lower power and longer lifetime, depending on location and demand. Many different applications include: Power and heat in remote Arctic settlements. Mining operations (oil sands and others). Water and fertilizer in drought areas. Etc.