U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Reactor

Research and Development Program for Fast

Reactors

John W. Herczeg

Deputy Assistant Secretary

for Nuclear Technology Research and Development

Office of Nuclear Energy

March 1, 2018

資料１

PRESENTATION OUTLINE

DOE-NE MISSION AND PRIORITIES

DOE-NE ADVANCED REACTORS PIPELINE

INDUSTRIAL FAST REACTOR INITIATIVES

GAIN INITIATIVE

SODIUM-COOLED FAST REACTORS

WHY A FAST SPECTRUM TEST REACTOR

VERSATILE TEST REACTOR DESCRIPTION

TREAT UPDATE

POOL vs. LOOP REACTORS

METAL vs. OXIDE FUELS

CONCLUSIONS

2

Presidential and Departmental Nuclear Energy Priorities

• President Trump ordered review of nuclear energy policy:

“[W]e will begin to revive and expand our nuclear energy sector…which produces clean, renewable and emissions-free energy. A complete review of U.S. nuclear energy policy will help us find new ways to revitalize this crucial energy resource.”

• Nuclear energy role as clean baseload power is key to environmental challenges:

“If you really care about this environment that we live in…then you need to be a supporter of this amazingly clean, resilient, safe, reliable source of energy.” Secretary Rick Perry at Press conference, May 10th

• Executive Order Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth

• Commercialization of advanced SMRs crucial to future of US nuclear sector

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MISSION PRIORITIES

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2010 20202030 2040

LWR LIFE EXTENSION (60 yrs)USED FUEL STORAGE

ADVANCED LWR FUELSSMALL MODULAR REACTORS

ADVANCED REACTORS NUCLEAR HYBRID ENERGYLWR LIFE EXTENSION (80 yrs)

SUSTAINABLE FUEL CYCLEGEOLOGIC REPOSITORY

TREAT VTR

RD&D INFRASTRUCTURE

DOE-NE MISSION

• Advance nuclear power as a resource capable of making major contributions in meeting our Nation’s energy supply, environmental and energy security needs

• Seek to resolve technical, cost, safety security, and regulatory issues through RD&D

• By focusing on the development of advanced nuclear technologies, support the goals of providing domestic sources of secure energy, reducing greenhouse gases, and enhancing national security.

Existing Fleet

Advanced Reactor Pipeline

Fuel Cycle Infrastructure

DOE-NE MISSION AND PRIORITIES

REACTOR TYPES

Light-Water Based SMRs

e.g. NuScale

High-Temperature Reactors

• Prismatic & pebble bed designs

• Helium Cooled

• Molten Salt Cooled

Emphasis: TRISO fuel and Graphite qualification

Liquid Fueled Reactor (Molten Salt)

• Fast-, thermal- and hybrid-spectrum designs

Fast Spectrum Reactors

• See next viewgraph

5

Xe-100 Pebble-Bed Reactor (200 MWth)

AREVA - HTGR

12 X 50 MWe

DOE-NE ADVANCED REACTORS PIPELINE

INDUSTRIAL FAST REACTOR INITIATIVES

REACTOR TYPES

Sodium-Cooled

e.g. TerraPower TWR, GE PRISM, ARC-100

Lead or Lead-Bismuth Eutectic-Cooled

e.g. Westinghouse (Lead), Gen4Energy (LBE)

Gas-Cooled

e.g. GA EM2

Molten Salt-Fueled

e.g. TerraPower MCFR, Elysium MCSFR

Heat-Pipe Cooled Microreactors

e.g. OKLO, Westinghouse

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GA EM2 (265 MWe)

GE PRISM (840 MWth, 311 MWe))

TerraPower TWR (550 MWe)

Transportable Microreactors (~5 MWth)

Different Advanced Reactor Designs Being Developed By Industry

Gas Reactors

GE HitachiPRISM

TerraPowerTWR

Advanced Reactor Concepts LLC

ARC-100

Fast Reactors

Molten Salt

Reactors

Elysium USAMCSFR

TerraPowerMCFR

GA Gas-cooled Fast Reactor

ADVANCED REACTOR EXAMPLES

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WHAT IS GAIN INITIATIVE?

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• Time to market is too long

• Facilities needed for RD&D are expensive

• Capabilities at government sites have not been easily accessible

• Technology readiness levels vary

• Some innovators require assistance with regulatory processes

• Provide nuclear innovators and investors with single point of access into DOE complex

• Provide focused research opportunities and dedicated industry engagement

• Expand upon DOE’s work with Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

• Private-public partnership, dedicated to accelerating innovative nuclear energy technologies time to market

DOE recognizes the magnitude of the need, the associated sense of urgency and the benefits of a strong and agile private-public partnership in achieving the national goals.

What are the issues?

What do we need to do?

What is the DOE initiative?

Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear

GAIN:

9@GAINnuclear

Modeling and Simulation

Knowledge Management & Integration

Unique Facilities

Modeling & Simulation

Crosscutting Design Support

NRC InterfaceBase Reactor

and Fuel Cycle R&D Programs

Experimentation

HPC Infrastructure

Verification and Validation

M&S Expertise

Reactor physics

Nuclear Hybrid Energy

Nuclear Cyber Security

Digital I&C Human Factors

Licensing Framework

Gradual Risk Reduction

Licensing Support Expertise

Advanced Fuel Cycles

Advanced Reactors

LW-based Reactors

Nuclear Fuels

Instrumentation and Sensors

Materials Science

Test Reactors

– GAIN –

Industry and investor access to DOE capabilities and expertise

Expertise

gain.inl.gov

Connecting nuclear innovators to DOE laboratory capabilities and RD&D programs

DOE-NE FAST REACTOR PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

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• For fast reactor commercial deployment, two recurring challenges are identified

• Capital cost

• Licensing framework for non-LWRs

• Capital cost reduction through application of innovative technology solutions

• Improved design approach – components and maintenance

• Advanced materials

• Advanced energy conversion to improve size/efficiency

• Advanced modeling and simulation to optimize performance

• Fuel development to improve fuel cycle costs

• Resolution of key licensing issues

• Safety R&D to validate tools and assure margins

• Qualification of fast reactor fuels

R&D INFRASTRUCTUREe.g. Test Reactors

DATA & KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

TRAINING OF NEXT GENERATION OF ENGINEERS

& SCIENTISTS

INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIONS

WHY SODIUM FAST REACTORS?

• U.S. and global experience with sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFR) is more mature compared to other types of fast reactors.

• SFR is ready for prototyping/demonstration

• However, it is not clear that today’s design combined with today’s technologies will meet the requirements for capital, operational and fuel-cycle costs.

• Commercial market readiness, including supply-chain and human capital, is an issue.

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Experimental Breeder Reactor (EBR-II)

Fast Flux Test Reactor (FFTF)

WHY A TEST REACTOR?

• Innovative technologies are being pursued to reduce capital, operations, and fuel-cycle costs for the next generation of sodium-cooled fast reactors.• Higher burnup fuels

• Metallic fuels without sodium bonding

• Materials that can sustain much higher dpa (400 dpa!!)

• Other fast reactor designs being pursued by industry (lead, LBE, gas, molten salt) rely on different fuel and material types.• Commercial viability and licensing requires considerably more data

• For sustaining long-term commercial fast reactor operations, a test reactor is needed for continuous technology improvements.• We are still conducting tests for LWR fuels and materials in test reactors.

• It took decades to go from 60% to 90+% availability in LWRs partly because of continuous improvements in fuels and materials.

• Globally, access to fast spectrum irradiation capabilities for general purposes is very limited (only exists in Russian Federation today). 12

1. Approach to Design: Conducting a 3 year research & development effort on core design.

2. Reach fast flux of approximately 4.E15 n/cm2-s, with prototypical spectrum

3. Load factor: as large as possible (maximize dpa/year to > 30 dpa/year)

4. Provide flexibility for novel experimental techniques

5. Be capable of running loops representative of typical fast reactors (Candidate Coolants: Na, Lead, LBE, Gas, Molten Salt) – May be a single location with replaceable loops.

6. Effective testing height ≤ 1 m

7. Ability to perform large number of experiments simultaneously

8. Metallic driver fuel (possible options: LEU, Pu, LEU+Pu) 13

DRAFT REQUIREMENTS/ASSUMPTIONS

4

OF VERSATILE TEST REACTOR (VTR)

PRELIMINARY VTR SIZING STUDIES

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3

FUEL OPTIONS FOR VTR

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Fuel

Composition

Peak Fast Neutron

Flux n/cm2-s

300 MW VTR*

Fuel

Current TRL

Annual HM

Requirement

U-20Pu-10Zr

with 5% 235U

(BASELINE)

~ 4.5×1015 High 330 kg/y Pu and

1170 kg/y U

with 5% 235U

U-27Pu-10Zr

with depleted or

natural U

~ 5.0×1015 Low 450 kg/y Pu and

1050 kg/y U

U-10Zr with

~20% 235U

~ 2.5×1015 High 1500 kg/yr of U

with ~20% 235U

*Calculations are based assuming typical isotopic composition for reactor grade Pu

TREAT UPDATE

• Achieved criticality on November 14, 2017.

• Calibration and start-up testing continues

• Test vehicles are being developed for transient testing of multiple fuel types in the next few years.

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• Over 20 GW Peak Transient Power (120 kW Steady-state power)

• Core: Height (4 feet); Diameter (about 6 feet); surrounded by 2 feet graphite reflector

• Fuel: 19 x 19 array (approximately 360 fuel elements) of 4 inch X 4 inch fuel and reflector assemblies

POOL vs. LOOP DESIGNS FOR SODIUM-COOLED FAST REACTORS

LOOP DESIGN POOL DESIGN

Primary pumps and intermediate

heat exchanges are outside the

vessel

Primary pumps and intermediate

heat exchanges are inside the vessel

More compact design – with

potential cost savings

Larger vessel

Potential Safety Benefits:

• Higher sodium thermal inertia –

smoother response to transients

• No vessel penetrations

• No LOCA as a result of a leak

• Radioactive materials

confinement

• Decay heat removal reliability

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Based on previous experience, U.S. prefers the the pool design. However, either

design can be made to work with equivalent safety by proper engineering design.

OXIDE vs. METALLIC FUELS FOR SODIUM-COOLED FAST REACTORS

• U.S. has considerable experience with both metallic alloy and mixed oxide fuels for SFRs

• Both fuel types can meet the safety and performance requirements

• U.S. prefers metallic alloy fuels for additional operational and safety margins based on:

• Extensive data collected in EBR-II, FFTF and TREAT

• Preferred behavior during clad breach and fuel dispersal experiments conducted in TREAT

• Metallic fuel behavior and negative reactivity feedback during unprotected accidents

• Loss-of-flow• Loss-of heat sink

• Metallic fuel + electro-chemical processing for closing the fuel cycle.

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Fast Reactor Fuel Type

Fresh Fuel Properties

Metal

U-20Pu-10Zr

Oxide

UO2-20PuO2

Heavy Metal Density, g/cm3 14.1 9.3

Melting Temperature, ºK 1350 3000

Thermal Conductivity, W/cm-ºK 0.16 0.023

Operating Centerline

Temperature

at 40 kW/m, ºK, and (T/Tmelt)

1060

(0.8)

2360

(0.8)

Fuel-Cladding Solidus, ºK 1000 1675

Thermal Expansion, 1/ºK 17E-6 12E-6

Heat Capacity, J/gºK 0.17 0.34

Reactor Experience, Country US, UKRUS, FR, JAP

US, UK

Research & Testing, CountryUS, JAP, ROK,

CHI

RUS, FR, JAP,

US, CHI

CONCLUSIONS

• Through private-public partnerships, the U.S. is exploring the possibility of rapidly deploying demonstration/prototype advanced reactors• The pace depends on availability of private and public investments,

customers (utilities) interest, and overcoming the financial and licensing risks

• The decision on the type of demonstration/prototype reactor must be based on commercial viability and guided by private sector and customers. Commercial viability depends on• Capital, operational and fuel cycle cost

• Passive safety features and ease of operations

• Supply-chain and human capital availability

• DOE-NE programs are supporting multiple design options through the ongoing R&D programs.

• In parallel, DOE-NE is also investing in the R&D infrastructures (with emphasis on the test reactor) to assure a sustainable fast-reactor industry in the long-run.• TREAT already restarted

• Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) targeted for availability by 2026

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Back Up Slide

Nuclear Energy Advisory

Committee

Deputy Assistant

Secretary for Nuclear

Infrastructure Programs

Deputy Assistant

Secretary for Nuclear

Technology Research and

Development

Manager, Idaho Operation

Office

Deputy Assistant

Secretary for International

Nuclear Energy Policy

and Cooperation

Deputy Assistant

Secretary for Spent Fuel

& Waste Disposition

Deputy Assistant

Secretary for Nuclear

Energy Innovation and

Application

Chief Operating Officer

Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy

Acting Assistant Secretary

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary

Associate Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary

Central Technical Authority/Chief of Nuclear Safety

Senior Advisors

Chief of StaffChief Technology Officer

Office of Nuclear

Facilities Management

Office of Nuclear

Materials Production,

Management &

Protection

Office of Advanced

Fuels Technologies

Office of Advanced

Reactor Technologies

Office of Materials and

Chemical Technologies

Office of Accelerated

Innovation in Nuclear

Energy

Office of Nuclear

Energy Application

Office of Bilateral,

Multilateral and

Commercial Cooperation

Office of International

Nuclear Safety

Office of Spent Fuel and

Waste Science and

Technology

Office of Integrated

Waste Management

Office of Program

Operations

Office of Budget &

Planning

Office of Human

Capital & Business

Services

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NE-1/2

NE ORGANIZATION