Innovative Reactor Concepts(Generation IV)

Aliki van Heek

Programme Manager 4th Generation Nuclear

Energy Systems

NRG

22 June 2009

2

Contents• Development demand, systems & projects• Innovation for economy• Innovation for safety• Innovation for sustainability

- Early prototype/demo reactors

- Shippingport- Dresden, Fermi I- Magnox

Generation I

- First demo of nuclear power on commercial scale

- Close relationship with DOD

- LWR dominates

- LWR-PWR, BWR- CANDU- HTGR/AGR- VVER/RBMK

Generation II

- Multiple vendors- Custom designs- Size, costs, licensing times driven up

- ABWR, System 80+, AP600, EPR

Generation III

- Passive safety features- Standardized designs

- Combined license

Generation IV

- Highly economical- Proliferation resistant- Enhanced safety- Minimize waste

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

Atoms forPeace TMI-2 Chernobyl

- Early prototype/demo reactors

- Shippingport- Dresden, Fermi I- Magnox

Generation I

- First demo of nuclear power on commercial scale

- Close relationship with DOD

- LWR dominates

- Early prototype/demo reactors

- Shippingport- Dresden, Fermi I- Magnox

Generation I

- First demo of nuclear power on commercial scale

- Close relationship with DOD

- LWR dominates

- LWR-PWR, BWR- CANDU- HTGR/AGR- VVER/RBMK

Generation II

- Multiple vendors- Custom designs- Size, costs, licensing times driven up

- LWR-PWR, BWR- CANDU- HTGR/AGR- VVER/RBMK

Generation II

- Multiple vendors- Custom designs- Size, costs, licensing times driven up

- ABWR, System 80+, AP600, EPR

Generation III

- Passive safety features- Standardized designs

- Combined license

Generation IV

- Highly economical- Proliferation resistant- Enhanced safety- Minimize waste

Generation IV

- Highly economical- Proliferation resistant- Enhanced safety- Minimize waste

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

Atoms forPeace TMI-2 Chernobyl

3

Development demand

innovativenuclearsystems

econ

omy safety

sustainability

4

Reactor systems

innovativenuclearsystems

econ

omy safety

sustainability

“fast”

“high temperature”“w

ater

-coo

led”

5

European R&D projects

innovativenuclearsystems

econ

omy safety

sustainability

“fast”

“high temperature”“w

arer

-coo

led”

EISOFAR

ELSYGCFR

ALISIA

HPL

WR

RAPH

AEL

6

Innovation for economy

• Super-critical water-cooled reactor

• Follow-up development on Generation III reactors currently under construction

• Higher pressure

• Higher temperature

�Higher efficiency

�Better economy

European project:

High Performance Light Water Reactor

(HPLWR)

Cooling water is in ‘super-critical’ state

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European project HPLWR

• High Performance Light Water Reactor

• Main issue: safety

�heat removal under all circumstances

Main activities:

• Fuel element

• Reactor core

• Thermal hydraulic calculations

design

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Innovation for safety• High temperature reactor

• Alternative design with

- helium coolant

- particle fuel

- low power density

�“Melt-free” core

�Higher temperatures

�Also applicable for non-electric energyproducts

European project:

ReActor for Process heat, Hydrogen and ELectricty generation (RAPHAEL)

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European project RAPHAEL

• ReActor for Process heat, Hydrogen and ELectricty generation

• Based on Generation I experience

• Main issue: high temperature materials

• Main part: irradiation experiments of

- Fuel

- Graphite

- Vessel steel

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Innovation for sustainability• Fast reactor designs

• Alternative design with coolant notinteracting with neutrons:

- Sodium

- Lead

- Helium

- Fluoride salt

• Suitable to

- Breed fuel from U-238

- Transmute long-lived waste isotopes

• European projects: one for each coolantmaterial

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European fast reactor projects

• Sodium: European Innovative Sodium-cooledFast Reactor (EISOFAR)

• Lead: European Lead-cooled System (ELSY)

• Helium: Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor (GCFR)

• Fluoride salt: Assessment of LIquid Salts for innovative applications (ALISIA)

• Generic achievement: first Minor Actinidebearing fuel fabricated and tested within EU Framework projects

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European project: European InnovativeSodium-cooled Fast Reactor (EISOFAR)

• based on Generation I experience• Roadmap written; new project ESFR started• French activity for demonstration reactor• Main issue: sodium chemical reactivity

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European project: European Lead-cooled System (ELSY)

• No Generation I basis (except for a few Soviet submarines)

• R&D basis from earlier projects (ADS)

• Main issue: heavy weight of lead

• Main activities: design and safety analyses

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European project: Gas-Cooled FastReactor (GCFR)

• No Generation I basis

• Earliest fast reactor activityin EU since ’90s break (2003)

• Main issue: heat removalunder all circumstances

• Main activities: design and safety analyses for:

- demonstration reactor

- commercial reactor

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European project: Assessment of LIquidSalts for innovative applications (ALISIA)

• Special feature: fuel dissolved in coolant• No Generation I basis• Main issue: corrosivity of salts• Main activities:

- Salt selection- Integrated reprocessing

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Next step for Fast Reactors: SNE-TP European Industrial Initiative (EII)

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Thank youfor your attention!

www.iket.fzk.de/hplwr/ (HPLWR)www.raphael-project.org/ (RAPHAEL)

www.gcfr.org/ (GCFR)www.elsy-lead.com/ (ELSY)

cordis.europa.eu/ (all EC projects)www.snetp.eu/ (SNE-TP)