Nuclear Power Technology

1. Nuclear Power Technology Steven Biegalski, Ph.D., P.E. Director, Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering The University of Texas at Austin

2. Outline • Economics of Nuclear Energy • Basics of a Power Plant • Heat From Fission • History of Nuclear Power • Current Commercial Nuclear Reactor Designs • Nuclear Fuel Cycle • Future Reactor Designs • Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident • Conclusions

3. Current World Demand for Electricity

4. World Energy Demand Forecast

6. U.S. Nuclear Industry Capacity Factors1971 – 2011, Percent Source: Energy Information Administration Updated: 3/12

7. U.S. Nuclear Refueling Outage Days Average (Days) Source: 1990-98 EUCG, 1999-2011 Ventyx Velocity Suite / Nuclear Regulatory Commission Updated: 3/12

8. U.S. Nuclear Production Costs

9. U.S. Electricity Production Costs 1995-2011, In 2011 cents per kilowatt-hour Production Costs = Operations and Maintenance Costs + Fuel Costs. Production costs do not include indirect costs and are based on FERC Form 1 filings submitted by regulated utilities. Production costs are modeled for utilities that are not regulated. Source: Ventyx Velocity Suite Updated: 5/12

10. Emission-Free Sources of Electricity Source: Global Energy Decisions; Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy

11. Comparison of Life-Cycle Emissions Tons of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent per Gigawatt-Hour Source: "Life-Cycle Assessment of Electricity Generation Systems and Applications for Climate Change Policy Analysis," Paul J. Meier, University of Wisconsin-Madison, August 2002.

12. Renewable Energy Sources Renewable * Relative Costs of Electricity Generation Technologies: Canadian Energy Research Institute

13. Basics of a Power Plant • The basic premises for the majority of power plants is to: • 1) Create heat • 2) Boil Water • 3) Use steam to turn a turbine • 4) Use turbine to turn generator • 5) Produce Electricity • Some other power producing technologies work differently (e.g., solar, wind, hydroelectric, …)

14. Nuclear Power Plants use the Rankine Cycle

15. Heat From Fission

16. Fission Chain Reaction

17. Nuclear History • 1939. Nuclear fission discovered. • 1942. The world´s first nuclear chain reaction takes place in Chicago as part of the wartime Manhattan Project. • 1945. The first nuclear weapons test at Alamagordo, New Mexico. • 1951. Electricity was first generated from a nuclear reactor, from EBR-I (Experimental Breeder Reactor-I) at the National Reactor Testing Station in Idaho, USA. EBR-I produced about 100 kilowatts of electricity (kW(e)), enough to power the equipment in the small reactor building. • 1970s. Nuclear power grows rapidly. From 1970 to 1975 growth averaged 30% per year, the same as wind power recently (1998-2001). • 1987. Nuclear power now generates slightly more than 16% of all electricity in the world. • 1980s. Nuclear expansion slows because of environmentalist opposition, high interest rates, energy conservation prompted by the 1973 and 1979 oil shocks, and the accidents at Three Mile Island (1979, USA) and Chernobyl (1986, Ukraine, USSR). • 2004. Nuclear power´s share of global electricity generation holds steady around 16% in the 17 years since 1987.

18. Current Commercial Nuclear Reactor Designs • Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) • Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) • Gas Cooled Fast Reactor • Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (CANDU) • Light Water Graphite Reactor (RBMK) • Fast Neutron Reactor (FBR)

19. The Current Nuclear Industry

20. Nuclear Reactors Around the World

21. Top 10 Nuclear Generating Countries 2009, Terawatt hours

22. Power Plants in United States

23. Nuclear Generation and Capacity • Amount of electricity generated by a 1,000-MWe reactor at 90% capacity factor in one year: 7.9 billion KWh—enough to supply electricity for 740,000 households. • Equivalent to: • Oil: 13.7 million barrels • Coal: 3.4 million short tons • Natural Gas: 65.8 billion cubic

24. PWR

25. BWR

26. Future Reactor Designs • Research is currently being conducted for design of the next generation of nuclear reactor designs. • The next generation designs focus on: • Proliferation resistance of fuel • Passive safety systems • Improved fuel efficiency (includes breeding) • Minimizing nuclear waste • Improved plant efficiency (e.g., Brayton cycle) • Hydrogen production • Economics

27. Location of Projected New Nuclear Power Reactors http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-reactors/col/new-reactor-map.html

28. Vogtle 3&4 Construction Started The expansion at Plant Vogtle, adding Units 3&4, is a 95-month undertaking with the units' completions expected in 2016 and 2017, respectively. 

29. Gen IV Reactors • Themes in Gen IV Reactors • Gas Cooled Fast Reactor (GFR) • Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) • Supercritical Water Cooled Reactor (SCWR) • Sodium Cooled Fast Reactor (SFR) • Lead Cooled Fast Reactor (LFR) • Molten Salt Reactor (MSR)

30. Themes in Gen IV Reactors • Hydrogen Production • Proliferation Resistance • Closed Fuel Cycle • Simplification • Increased safety

31. Hydrogen Production • Hydrogen is ready to play the lead in the next generation of energy production methods. • Nuclear heat sources (i.e., a nuclear reactor) have been proposed to aid in the separation of H from H20. • Hydrogen is thermochemically generated from water decomposed by nuclear heat at high temperature. • The IS process is named after the initials of each element used (iodine and sulfur).

32. Hydrogen Production (cont.)

33. What is nuclear proliferation? • Misuse of nuclear facilities • Diversion of nuclear materials

34. Specific Generation IV Design Advantages • Long fuel cycle - refueling 15-20 years • Relative small capacity • Thorough fuel burnup • Fuel cycle variability • Actinide burning • Ability to burn weapons grade fuel

35. Closed Fuel Cycle • A closed fuel cycle is one that allows for reprocessing. • Benefits include: • Reduction of waste stream • More efficient use of fuel. • Negative attributes include: • Increased potential for proliferation • Additional infrastructure

36. Simplification • Efforts are made to simplify the design of Gen IV reactors. This leads to: • Reduced capitol costs • Reduced construction times • Increased safety (less things can fail)

37. Increased Safety • Increased safety is always a priority. • Some examples of increased safety: • Natural circulation in systems • Reduction of piping • Incorporation of pumps within reactor vessel • Lower pressures in reactor vessel (liquid metal cooled reactors)

38. Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident • The March 11, 2011 9.0 magnitude undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan and subsequent tsunami waves triggered a major nuclear event at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station. • At the time of the event, units 1, 2, and 3 were operating and units 4, 5, and 6 were in a shutdown condition for maintenance.

39. Operating Reactor Designs

40. BWR Reactor

41. Reactor Containments - Before

42. Reactor Containments - After

43. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1368624/Japan-earthquake-tsunami-Fukushima-power-plants-poor-safety-record.htmlhttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1368624/Japan-earthquake-tsunami-Fukushima-power-plants-poor-safety-record.html

44. Fukushima Daiichi Accident Conclusions • The radionuclides released from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear incident were measured around the world. • Measurements were significantly above the detection limits for many systems. • Combination of atmospheric transport, radiation detection, and reactor modeling were fused to provide a picture of the event. • Radiation levels not predicted to be of concern in the U.S..

45. Conclusions • So, what does the future hold? • The demand for electrical power will continue to increase. • The world reserves of fossil fuels are limited. • Modern nuclear power plant designs are more inherently safe and may be constructed with less capital cost. • Fossil fuel-based electricity is projected to account for more than 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. • A 2003 study by MIT predicted that nuclear power growth of three fold will be necessary by 2050. • U.S. Government has voiced strong support for nuclear power production.