Nuclear Micro Reactors

This book looks at Generation IV (GEN IV) nuclear reactor design and the technology known as nuclear micro reactors that is currently under development. Coverage includes the advantages of nuclear micro reactor applications as sources of renewable energy, their use in military applications and Department of Defense requirements, and the nuclear industry’s trend toward the design of small and micro reactors. Nuclear micro reactor safety, security issues, and cost concerns are also explored. The book will provide scientists, engineers, and students with valuable guidance on the fundamentals needed to understand the research and development of the next generation of nuclear technologies.

This book looks at Generation IV (GEN IV) nuclear reactor design and the technology known as nuclear micro reactors that is currently under development. Coverage includes the advantages of nuclear micro reactor applications as sources of renewable energy, their use in military applications and Department of Defense requirements, and the nuclear industry’s trend toward the design of small and micro reactors. Nuclear micro reactor safety, security issues, and cost concerns are also explored. The book will provide scientists, engineers, and students with valuable guidance on the fundamentals needed to understand the research and development of the next generation of nuclear technologies.

Operating at a high level of fuel efficiency, safety, proliferation-resistance, sustainability and cost, generation IV nuclear reactors promise enhanced features to an energy resource which is already seen as an outstanding source of reliable base load power. The performance and reliability of materials when subjected to the higher neutron doses and extremely corrosive higher temperature environments that will be found in generation IV nuclear reactors are essential areas of study, as key considerations for the successful development of generation IV reactors are suitable structural materials for both in-core and out-of-core applications. Structural Materials for Generation IV Nuclear Reactors explores the current state-of-the art in these areas. Part One reviews the materials, requirements and challenges in generation IV systems. Part Two presents the core materials with chapters on irradiation resistant austenitic steels, ODS/FM steels and refractory metals amongst others. Part Three looks at out-of-core materials. Structural Materials for Generation IV Nuclear Reactors is an essential reference text for professional scientists, engineers and postgraduate researchers involved in the development of generation IV nuclear reactors. Introduces the higher neutron doses and extremely corrosive higher temperature environments that will be found in generation IV nuclear reactors and implications for structural materials Contains chapters on the key core and out-of-core materials, from steels to advanced micro-laminates Written by an expert in that particular area

Handbook of Generation IV Nuclear Reactors, Second Edition is a fully revised and updated comprehensive resource on the latest research and advances in generation IV nuclear reactor concepts. Editor Igor Pioro and his team of expert contributors have updated every chapter to reflect advances in the field since the first edition published in 2016. The book teaches the reader about available technologies, future prospects and the feasibility of each concept presented, equipping them users with a strong skillset which they can apply to their own work and research. Provides a fully updated, revised and comprehensive handbook dedicated entirely to generation IV nuclear reactors Includes new trends and developments since the first publication, as well as brand new case studies and appendices Covers the latest research, developments and design information surrounding generation IV nuclear reactors

Nuclear Power Reactor Designs: From History to Advances analyzes nuclear designs throughout history and explains how each of those has helped to shape and inform the nuclear reactor designs of today and the future. Focused on the structure, systems and relevant components of each reactor design, this book provides the readers with answers to key questions to help them understand the benefits of each design. Each reactor design is introduced, their origin defined, and the relevant research presented before an analysis of its successes, what was learned, and how research and technology advanced as a result are presented. Students, researchers and early career engineers will gain a solid understanding of how nuclear designs have evolved, and how they will continue to develop in the future. Presents reactor designs through history to present day, focusing on key structures, systems and components Provides readers with quick answers about various design principles and rationales Includes new approaches such as the micro-reactor and small-modular reactors

Future space missions and deep-sea explorations will require small/micro nuclear reactors (kWe~MWe) for power generation. Compared with conventional energy systems such as storage batteries and fossil energy, nuclear reactors are featured higher energy intensity, higher reliability, and longer lifetime. According to the coolant, the candidate small/micro nuclear reactors include the heat pipe cooled reactor, liquid metal cooled reactor, and gas-cooled reactor, most of which are still in the conceptual design stage with numerical studies and experimental research. These emerging reactors have an entirely different core structure and working principle from the existing light water reactors, which has led to an increasing need for updated simulation methods and experimental studies.

Handbook of Small Modular Nuclear Reactors, Second Edition is a fully updated comprehensive reference on Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), which reflects the latest research and technological advances in the field from the last five years. Editors Daniel T. Ingersoll and Mario D. Carelli, along with their team of expert contributors, combine their wealth of collective experience to update this comprehensive handbook that provides the reader with all required knowledge on SMRs, expanding on the rapidly growing interest and development of SMRs around the globe. This book begins with an introduction to SMRs for power generation, an overview of international developments, and an analysis of Integral Pressurized Water Reactors as a popular class of SMRs. The second part of the book is dedicated to SMR technologies, including physics, components, I&C, human-system interfaces and safety aspects. Part three discusses the implementation of SMRs, covering economic factors, construction methods, hybrid energy systems and licensing considerations. The fourth part of the book provides an in-depth analysis of SMR R&D and deployment of SMRs within eight countries, including the United States, Republic of Korea, Russia, China, Argentina, and Japan. This edition includes brand new content on the United Kingdom and Canada, where interests in SMRs have increased considerably since the first edition was published. The final part of the book adds a new analysis of the global SMR market and concludes with a perspective on SMR benefits to developing economies. This authoritative and practical handbook benefits engineers, designers, operators, and regulators working in nuclear energy, as well as academics and graduate students researching nuclear reactor technologies. Presents the latest research on SMR technologies and global developments Includes new case study chapters on the United Kingdom and Canada and a chapter on global SMR markets Discusses new technologies such as floating SMRs and molten salt SMRs

This book discusses advanced Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) as a way to provide safe, clean, and affordable nuclear power options. The advanced SMRs currently under development in the U.S. represent a variety of sizes, technology options and deployment scenarios. These advanced reactors, envisioned to vary in size from a couple megawatts up to hundreds of megawatts can be used for power generation, process heat, desalination, or other industrial uses. In-depth chapters describe how advanced SMRs offer multiple advantages, such as relatively small size, reduced capital investment, location flexibility, and provisions for incremental power additions. SMRs also offer distinct safeguards, security and nonproliferation advantages. The authors present a thorough examination of the technology and defend methods by which the new generation of nuclear power plants known as GEN-IV can safely be used as an efficient source of renewable energy. Provides a unique and innovative approach to the implementation of Small Modular Reactor as part of GEN-IV technology; Discusses how Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) can deliver a viable alternative to Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs); Presents an argument defending the need for nuclear power plant as a source of energy, its efficiency and cost effectiveness, as well as safety related issues.

The means to achieve decarbonization of all economic sectors are an open question of difficult resolution. For example, remote communities and industrial or mining activities detached from the main electric grid heavily rely on fossil fuels, diesel fuel in particular, for heat and power production. A combination of renewables and energy storage is often unfeasible, due to the climate conditions and maintenance challenges typical of those locations. Urban and industrial micro-grids with combined heat and power also are often unsuitable for renewable energy source solutions due to their intermittency and large land requirements Until now fossil fuels have been the solution of choice. In a historic period in which carbon emissions were not of concern and fossil fuels were quite inexpensive and broadly available, the main advantage of nuclear power was limited to its independence from the need to transport and store high amounts of fuels onsite, with organizational, security, and economic benefits deriving from it. However, the nuclear industry has now a historic opportunity to bring the concept of very small reactors with a flexible purpose from the ideation phase to commercialization, and potentially transform the energy sector for decades to come. Modern materials and instrumentation and controls can support the development of compact and reliable plug-and-play nuclear reactors with low and predictable maintenance needs and very low probability of consequential accidents. Moreover, automated decision making enabling autonomous operation can help lower the need for human operators, thus reducing the cost of the energy products. These very small nuclear reactors are generally referred to as micro-reactors and have a thermal power output of less than 20 MW. To move further from the prototype to the commercialization phase, micro-reactors need a strong business case. In fact, fossil fuels are still relatively inexpensive and in the near-term carbon credits will continue to be available to virtually compensate for the emissions. Thus, the energy price at which micro-reactors will compete is uncertain and depends on the application, the location served, the fossil fuel costs and the carbon credits prices. One of the positive aspects of micro-reactors is that, compared to fossil fuel power generators, their fuel costs are a much smaller share of the total cost. Thus, once a reactor is built, the cost of the energy it produces tends to be more predictable and stable than with fossil fuel power generators. This can be a valuable feature for customers and investors, who can make more accurate predictions on the future economic viability of their energy assets. In this study, we have focused on operation and maintenance cost, and in particular on whether it is possible to optimize the number (and thus the cost) of two kinds of staff: maintenance workers and plant operators. In particular, we have investigated whether and how, with the aid of proper technologies, it is possible to reduce onsite staff while relying on a fleet-type centralized service business unit that shares the staff among multiple reactors and locations. This staff organization is completely different from current nuclear power plant operating experience and brings micro-reactors closer to the model of operation and maintenance of small aero-derivative gas turbines and similar small transportable 'plug-and-play' power units. In particular, we identify a reference staffing scenario, which represents the minimum staffing level that has to be present onsite to allow the micro-reactor to operate with limited offsite assistance and thus similarly to the current fleet of large nuclear power plants. Then, we identify the optimal staffing scenario, which should be the eventual goal for micro-reactors operation. In this case, no personnel are permanently onsite, the reactor operation is monitored remotely and maintenance workers go onsite only for programmed activities. We then describe the enabling technologies for this second scenario: autonomous operation, remote monitoring and predictive maintenance. We finally estimate the cost of the personnel and the technologies, and make cost comparisons. In this report, we show that the change in staff organization from onsite personnel to offsite personnel could translate to an annual cost saving of ~25% for these two operation and maintenance (O&M) invoices. We also argue that relying more on the use of technology for plant health monitoring will also mean a higher degree of safety. Ultimately, to move from a traditional fully-manned, onsite personnel approach to an unmanned, remote personnel approach, a robust operating experience and the approval from the regulator will be needed. It will be important to achieve a high level of confidence on the reliability of the installed technology and a solid understanding of possible malfunctions and failure modes that may arise. Finally, it will be important to achieve an appropriate confidence level among the population with regards to these new O&M approaches.

Recent interest in small modular reactors (SMRs) is being driven by a desire to reduce the total capital costs associated with nuclear power plants and to provide power to small grid systems. According to estimates available today, if all the competitive advantages of SMRs were realised, including serial production, optimised supply chains and smaller financing costs, SMRs could be expected to have lower absolute and specific (per-kWe) construction costs than large reactors. Although the economic parameters of SMRs are not yet fully determined, a potential market exists for this technology, particularly in energy mixes with large shares of renewables. This report assesses the size of the market for SMRs that are currently being developed and that have the potential to broaden the ways of deploying nuclear power in different parts of the world. The study focuses on light water SMRs that are expected to be constructed in the coming decades and that strongly rely on serial, factory-based production of reactor modules. In a high-case scenario, up to 21 GWe of SMRs could be added globally by 2035, representing approximately 3% of total installed nuclear capacity.