Transcript Certifying the Design of the 4S Reactor

The 4S Reactor Project
30 Years of Power
4S Reactor Project
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Toshiba and CRIEPI Project
Super Safe, Small & Simple & Secure
Sodium-cooled, metallic fueled, small reactor
Key features
• Fuel costs are set for 30 years
• Operates without the need for grid or backup power
• Higher temperature increases efficiency of hydrogen and oxygen
production
• Negative heat coefficient
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4S Reactor Features
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Hydrogen generation
Transportable
No refueling for 30 years
Reasonable cost of power
Cogeneration of H2
Passive safety
Proliferation resistant
District Heating
Electricity
Desalination
4S Cross Section
Secondary
cooling loop
Steam generator
Turbine
Reactor top
dome
Shielding Plug
Condenser
Reactor Vessel &
Guard Vessel
Reactor Core
Seismic isolators
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Generator
Transportation
Designed for shop fabrication and mass production
Steel beam and autoclaved lightweight concrete
Steel plate reinforced concrete
Barge
Marine transport
Approximate dimensions: 90’ x 68’ x 120’
Approximate shipping weight: 3000 tons
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Electric Grid on the Yukon
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In 2004 the Department of Energy paid for a Study of the Galena
Electrical Alternatives.
The Nuclear Power alternative was found to be most desirable
both because of cost and because it causes less pollution.
Galena Electric Power –a Situational Analysis Advisory
Advisory Group Meeting
July 21, 2004
Outline
Purpose
Approach
System Options
Summary
Economic Analysis
Environmental Issues
Conclusions
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Galena Electric Power –a Situational Analysis
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Nuclear:
Possible Uses of Extra Power
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•Hydrogen Production
•Greenhouses
•Aquaculture
•Galena as a test-bed
•Transmission to Neighboring Villages
Increased use by consumers
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Mohamed ElBaradei
One potential strategy is to construct
hundreds of mini-nuclear power plants that
would each serve a single village, said
ElBaradei. These plants would be less
expensive than their full-size counterparts and
could be set up without a need for an
extensive power grid. In addition, the smallscale plants could be made with sufficient
safety features to prevent meltdown and theft.
This includes a passive cooling system that
works even if power is shut down, said
researchers this summer at Argonne National
Laboratory. The reactors could also run for 30
years without the need to refuel, and any theft
would require the use of large and
conspicuous gear that could be visible by
satellite, according to Argonne's senor
technical advisor David Wade.
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Nobel laureate Mohamed ElBaradei, director
general of the International Atomic Energy
Agency, gave this year's David J. Rose
Lecture on "Nuclear Technology in a
Changing World: Have We Reached a
Turning Point?" Photo / Donna Coveney
GNEP
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President George Bush
GNEP Element Demonstrate SmaII Scale Reactors
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In order to expand the use of nuclear energy in these small
electricity markets, a small reactor is preferred for small
electricity grids. These reactors will be safe, simple to operate,
more proliferation-resistant, and highly secure.
How the reactors would work
Small, more proliferation-resistant reactors could incorporate
features that would … include fuel designs that offer very longlife fuel loads (that last the entire life of the reactor); effective…
safeguards … to promote non-proliferation; potential for
district heating and potable water production; fully passive
safety systems; simple operation that requires minimal incountry nuclear infrastructure; use of as much existing licensed
or certified technology as possible; and use of advanced
manufacturing techniques.
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Pre-Application Review
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NRC recommends a Pre-Application Review before the reactor
manufacturer files the application for Design Certification
Pre-Application Review identifies issues for:
• Compliance with generic NRC policy guidance
• Staff technical resolution before design certification gets underway
• Applicant follow-up to develop necessary design changes
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Pre-Application Review allows reactor manufacturer to make
an early decision on whether to proceed with certification
4S Pre-Application
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A Pre-Application Review for the 4S should take about one
year
Intend to take advantage of the work that the NRC has already
done in reviewing similar designs:
• Sodium Advanced Fast Reactor (SAFR)
• Power Reactor Innovative Small Module (PRISM) liquid metal
reactor
• Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR)
• Argonne’s Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) and Experimental Breeder
Reactor (EBR-II)
• Fast Flux Test Reactor (FFTR)
Address issues in the prior NRC design reviews
Summary of Pre-Application Process
NRC Referral to
Advisory Committee on
Reactor Safeguards/
ACRS letter
Study and
Document
Preparation (TSB)
Initial Meeting
with NRC Staff
(TSB, NRC)
Submittal of
Preliminary Safety
Information Document
(PSID) (TSB)
Meetings with
NRC and NRC
technical reviews
(TSB, NRC)
Development and
Submittal of New
or Modified
Documents (TSB)
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NRC Questions to
and Requests for
Additional
Information (NRC)
Issuance
of PSER
(NRC)
4S Preliminary Cost Estimate
50MWe (135MWt) :
Commercial plant (mass
production phase)
• Plant Construction:
 $ 2,500-$3,000/KWe
• Busbar Cost:
 $.065 mills-$.070 /KW-hr*
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Fuel backend
60
50
mills/KW-hr
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Fuel
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O&M
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Capital
10
*8% house load factor is assumed
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0
Hydrogen Production
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eO2
O2-
Cathode
• ~15,000 Nm3/h
• ~10M gal/yr of diesel
equivalent
• ~10,000 people in rural areas
• Production can be shared with
district heating, desalination
and electricity
(Solid Oxide
Electrolyte Cell)
Electrolyte
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High temperature steam
electrolyser
Hydrogen production from the
50 MWe
Anode
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H2O
eH2
Sample Commodity Costs –
10 Megawatts of Electricity Equivalent
Commodity
Production
Rate
10 MWe
Yields:
Comments
Electricity
10 MW
240,000
KW/day
Oxygen
567 scf/min
817,071
scf/day
Assume electrolysis process
using Teledyne Titan HP generator
Hydrogen
1134
scf/min
1,634,143
scf/day
Assumes electrolysis process
using Teledyne Titan HP generator
9,188,522
gpd
Assumes Salt Water Reverse
Osmosis process with 35,000 ppm
TDS input and producing 350 ppm
TDS output
Desalinated 6,381 gpm
Water
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Construction Period
Month
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rock inspection
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Excavation
Waterproofing, lower mat, MMR (Man-Made Rock)
Seismic isolator
Transport rail for module
Module setting
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Module transport, rail dismantlement
Concrete curing of upper mat
Reactor room
RV insertion
▽Fuel load
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Reactor
Start-up test
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White Papers
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The City obtained a legislative grant of $500,000 to get additional
insight into the safety of the 4s reactor. This is being
accomplished through a series of White papers. Each white
paper is about 30 pages long and is available for review at
www.roe.com.
Work on the papers is being done by Burns & Roe, a nuclear
engineering firm in conjunction with PWSP, a large Washington
DC law firm. There will a total of 7 White papers written. The
topics are as follows:
Overview White Paper
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All of the Whitepapers include a narrative on the
conditions that we deal with to produce power in rural
Alaska. Also, they chronicle what steps the City council
has taken on this project.
The Overview White Paper explains the mechanics of the
reactor and the process required to get a reactor licensed
by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Nuclear Liability
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This white paper provides background on the regulations
regarding liability insurance for Nuclear Power plants.
It then compares the 4s at 10 MGW to traditional nuclear
plants at 1000 MGW.
Based on the smaller size and the passive safety features
the paper requests that the NRC consider the lower range
of the insurance requirements.
Physical Security
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This paper set forth the general physical security for
nuclear power plants, such as how many guards and
fencing etc.
The paper explains the inherent safety features of the 4s
design. Then provides a conceptual overview of the
physical security requirements in Galena and identifies the
staffing levels that would be needed.
Emergency Planning
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This paper addresses two components of emergency
planning. First is the plan to deal with onsite radiological
emergencies and the second is to prepare offsite plans to
provide responses to an emergency in the area
surrounding the plant.
The paper recommends a clear zone of 800 meters or a
half mile around the facility. This is the distance that
would need to be evacuated in the case of an emergency
at the plant.
State regulations will deal with the risk associated with
offsite plumes.
Decommissioning
This paper describes the planning for the 3 major areas of
decommissioning.
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1. selecting the appropriate disposal method at the end of the useful
life; disposing of the spent fuel, the sodium and returning the site to it’s
natural state,
2. estimating the cost of decommissioning and
3. establishing a mechanism for funding the decommissioning.
Decommissioning includes disposal of the spent fuel, the
primary sodium and the carrier vessel.
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Seismic Considerations
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The Seismic White Paper discusses the relevant siting
issues including the historical characteristics of the region
and the pertinent design features of the 4s reactor.
Containment
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The Containment white paper is a summary of the reactor
vessel and other containment systems.
The paper includes a general plant description, with extra
attention to those systems responsible for containment of
the core in the event of a severe accident.
The system is designed so that a sodium leak will not
leave the core uncovered.
Next Steps: Ownership
 A small Municipality such as Galena will not
be the owner of the 4s Nuclear Plant. Issues
include:
• Liability
• Financing
• Long term sustainability
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Ownership Continued
Ownership will most likely be an LLC. Potential scenarios
with pro’s & con’s are:
1. State of Alaska – AIDEA
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Pro:
Access to bond funds, loan guarantees,
Control determination on siting & location
could become owner/distributor/franchisee
Increased credibility at Toshiba, NRC, DOE
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Con:
AEA prohibited for nuclear projects
Educating the politicians to understand the viability of the
operations,
no state commitment to become involved.
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Ownership Continued
2. Private corporations.
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Pro:
Access to capital
Faster decision making
Other energy facilities
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Con:
most likely not Alaska specific
Profitability primary decision making tool
Cherry picking
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Alaskan Demand
1. Communities
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Several communities have already expressed interest in this energy
source
Any community or group of communities with a combined load of 5
MGW or more would also benefit
2. Industry
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Remote or off grid mining companies need an alternative to the high
cost and transportation issues associated with diesel
The size is also appropriate for some of the pipeline pump stations
Prerequisites for Deployment
1. NRC approval of the 4s plant
2. Owner & Operations alternatives settled
3. Plant production schedules set
4. Predictable construction schedules
5. Funding for R & D
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