Middleton, Bobby M.; Reyes, Gustavo A.; Harrison, Thomas J.; Burli, Pralhad B.; Foss, Andrew F.; Huning, Alexander H.; Yadav, Vaibhav Y.; Drennen, Thomas E.
Advanced Reactor and Small Modular Reactor (AR/SMR) designs have the potential to provide clean, reliable baseload energy. Ensuring the capability to deploy these reactors in an economically viable fashion is of interest to industry. A large portion of the expected operating costs of AR/SMRs involves the security of the plant. Security by Design (SeBD) is the practice of including features in the design and construction of the site, with the intent to decrease the operating costs related to security. Quantifying the increase or decrease in the overall lifetime cost to the plant as a result of SeBD is of paramount importance in understanding the disadvantages and benefits of such activities. The National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Office of International Nuclear Security (INS) is funding the development of a methodology whereby the capital expenses and operating expenses, as well as the physical security effectiveness, of SeBD can be quantified for AR/SMRs. This report is an interim report on the progress of the work performed by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Idaho National Laboratory, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). It is the second annual report on this work.
Water management has become critical for thermoelectric power generation in the US. Increasing demand for scarce water resources for domestic, agricultural, and industrial use affects water availability for power plants. In particular, the population in the Southwestern part of the US is growing and water resources are over-stressed. The engineering and management teams at the Palo Verde Generating Station (PV) in the Sonoran Desert have long understood this problem and began a partnership with Sandia National Laboratories in 2017 to develop a long-Term water strategy for PV. As part of this program, Sandia and Palo Verde staff have developed a comprehensive software tool that models all aspects of the PV (plant cooling) water cycle. The software tool the Palo Verde Water Cycle Model (PVWCM) tracks water operations from influent to the plant through evaporation in one of the nine cooling towers or one of the eight evaporation ponds. The PVWCM has been developed using a process called System Dynamics. The PVWCM is developed to allow scenario comparison for various plant operating strategies.
Nuclear power offers the promise of long-term electrical power for remote areas. Recent advances in passive safety and long-life cores make a reactor that can be operated autonomously for 20 years or more a real possibility. This white paper discusses a reactor concept that offers the potential for further development, resulting in a permanently hermetically-sealed "nuclear cartridge." The term "nuclear cartridge" is meant to imply a nuclear energy source that can be inserted into a site and operated autonomously until its energy has been depleted, then withdrawn and replaced by another cartridge. The concept can be scaled for various sizes, ranging from about 1 megawatt-electric (MWe) to about 100 MWe. The paper also discusses the concept of Integrated Safety, Operations, Security, and Safeguards (ISOSS) by design as it applies to this reactor design. Finally, a discussion of smart grids and how they can benefit the transfer of power to the end user is included. The Nuclear Cartridge concept has been developed with the following characteristics in mind: highly reliable autonomous operation coupled with international monitoring, requiring minimal on-site operations personnel; walkaway passively safe design; cartridge replacement cycle on the order of 20 years; load following capability; physical security by design requiring minimal security personnel during operations; and proliferation resistance by design. As illustrated in figure 1, integrating the reactor with advanced power conversion, smart grids, and other sources of energy results in a resilient and sustainable energy source.
Sandia National Laboratories and General Atomics are pleased to respond to the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-e)’s request for information on innovative developments that may overcome various current reactor-technology limitations. The RFI is particularly interested in innovations that enable ultra-safe and secure modular nuclear energy systems. Our response addresses the specific features for reactor designs called out in the RFI, including a brief assessment of the current state of the technologies that would enable each feature and the methods by which they could be best incorporated into a reactor design.
This report outlines the thermodynamics of a supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) recompression closed Brayton cycle (RCBC) coupled to a Helium-cooled nuclear reactor. The baseline reactor design for the study is the AREVA High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR). Using the AREVA HTGR nominal operating parameters, an initial thermodynamic study was performed using Sandia's deterministic RCBC analysis program. Utilizing the output of the RCBC thermodynamic analysis, preliminary values of reactor power and of Helium flow rate through the reactor were calculated in Sandia's HelCO2 code. Some research regarding materials requirements was then conducted to determine aspects of corrosion related to both Helium and to sCO2 , as well as some mechanical considerations for pressures and temperatures that will be seen by the piping and other components. This analysis resulted in a list of materials-related research items that need to be conducted in the future. A short assessment of dry heat rejection advantages of sCO2> Brayton cycles was also included. This assessment lists some items that should be investigated in the future to better understand how sCO2 Brayton cycles and nuclear can maximally contribute to optimizing the water efficiency of carbon free power generation
This report outlines the work completed for a Laboratory Directed Research and Development project at Sandia National Laboratories from October 2012 through September 2015. An experimental supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO 2 ) loop was designed, built, and o perated. The experimental work demonstrated that sCO 2 can be uti lized as the working fluid in an air - cooled, natural circulation configuration to transfer heat from a source to the ultimate heat sink, which is the surrounding ambient environment in most ca ses. The loop was also operated in an induction - heated, water - cooled configuration that allows for measurements of physical parameters that are difficult to isolate in the air - cooled configuration. Analysis included the development of two computational flu id dynamics models. Future work is anticipated to answer questions that were not covered in this project.
Middleton, Bobby M.; Boland, Thomas R.; Schlafli, William E.; Landrey, Bruce T.
This is the initial milestone report of the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Suitability study by Sandia National Laboratories and the Scitor Team (Scitor Corporation and Landrey & Company). This study reflects the intent of the memorandum of understanding between the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Defense (DOD) to enhance national energy security and demonstrate leadership in transitioning to a low carbon economy. This report summarizes existing guidance and studies relating to SMRs and includes an update on light water reactor SMR technology. A key product of this phase of the study is identification of Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado and Clear Air Force Station, Alaska for detailed use case SMR suitability analyses. The final report in December 2015 will assess the feasibility of SMRs for energy security and clean energy for Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) installations. This page intentionally left blank. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY During this first phase of the study, the team conducted broad research of existing federal and private sector policy, guidance, regulations, studies, and reports. Through this and other research the team identified major processes, potential impediments and issues, and key considerations that would affect SMR deployment on AFSPC installations. This research provided valuable information for development of use case installation selection criteria. Further, it will aid the development of recommendations for essential changes needed to facilitate successful and effective SMR deployment. With the assistance of members of the Headquarters, AFSPC staff and other DoD and Air Force representatives, the team also worked with major stakeholders to garner their inputs on factors affecting SMR deployment. The team also gathered information from the four US companies that are developing near term light-water SMRs on the operational performance characteristics and commercialization status of their technologies. Further, the team gathered perspectives of SMR deployment scenarios from utilities that are operating nuclear power plants and some that are serving AFSPC installations. This effort also included an assessment of the Lifecycle Cost of Energy for SMRs and preliminary consideration of economic factors that are critical to realistic commercial introduction of SMRs. The team began with the 12 AFSPC installations in the Continental United States and Alaska and applied criteria derived from research and stakeholder interactions to determine the two optimum installations for the use case studies. The AFSPC installations vary from large Air Force Bases (AFB), with multiple missions, fully mature infrastructures, and robust services to small Air Force Stations (AFS) with single missions and limited infrastructures, often in remote locations. The selection criteria evolved into two categories: AFSPC-related criteria (mission priorities, synergistic support capabilities, and installation operations) and siting criteria (available land, seismology, hydrology, population density, proximity to hazardous activities/protected lands). For mission priorities, the team used prioritized space superiority activities approved by the Commander, AFSPC, and inputs from various subject matter experts (SME). The team determined synergistic support capabilities--installation-SMR owner/operator collaboration on key activities such as security, fire protection, and emergency response--from existing host unit documents, SME inputs, and team member familiarity with AFSPC installation capabilities. Installation operations factors were obtained through inputs from applicable Air Force agencies and SMEs. Based on Department of Energy guidance, the team developed values for a Site Selection Evaluation Criteria and submitted them to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to apply their Oak Ridge Siting Analysis for power Generation Expansion tool. Since data for Clear AFS, AK are not currently included in the siting tool, the team used similar United States Geologic Survey data. Finally, since the study's focus is SMR feasibility versus actual siting, the team considered use case-unique considerations rather than using AFSPC and siting criteria as the only determinants in selecting the use case installations. As a result of the selection process, the team concluded that Schriever AFB, CO and Clear AFS, AK best lend themselves to the more detailed use case feasibility analysis. This conclusion considers the higher priority missions performed on both installations and their generally favorable siting characteristics, but also enables a robust use case comparison of two installations that represent the spectrum of AFSPC installation characteristics: a fully-mature, multi-mission AFB and a more limited capability, single mission, remotely-located AFS. The next phase of the SMR Suitability study will involve performing use case studies of Schriever AFB and Clear AFS. This includes site visits; in-depth interaction with installation SMEs; expanding interaction with DoD, Air Force, AFSPC, and private sector entities; refining commercial business models; and consideration of micro-grids and other technologies that may enhance SMR deployment on DoD installations