The Energy SuperGrid (Executive Briefing) For: By:

2 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. The 21 st Century Energy Challenge Design a communal energy economy to meet the needs of a densely populated industrialized world that reaches all corners of Planet Earth. Accomplish this within the highest levels of environmental, esthetic, safe, reliable, efficient and secure engineering practice possible. …without requiring any new scientific discoveries or breakthroughs!

3 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. China “Factoid” Current Population: 1.3 Billion Souls All want to live like Americans Chinese Family Priorities: –(1) TV, (2) Washer, (3) Fridge… –Next an Air Conditioner (200 USD, 1 kW) Assume an average family size of three, then… An extra 500 GW of generation capacity must be added just to keep them cool!

4 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. “Boundary Conditions” Givens –Energy Efficiency –Recyclables Off-the-Table: Eco-invasive Generation –Fossils Carbon Sequestration –Baseline Renewables “Farms” – Wind, Solar, Biomass On-the-Table –Nuclear (undergrounding) –Solar Roofs –Urban/Agro Biomass

5 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. A Symbiosis of Nuclear/Hydrogen/Superconductivity Technologies supplying Carbon-free, Non-Intrusive Energy for all Inhabitants of Planet Earth The Solution SuperGrids & SuperCities

6 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. Nuclear Power Diablo Canyon & Wind Power “Equivalent”

7 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. Nuclear Power California Coast Power Wind Farm Equivalent HTGCR Reprocessing Breeders IMRSS 5 Miles Diablo Canyon 2200 MW Power Plant

8 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. Hydrogen The Hydrogen Economy You have to make it, just like electricity Electricity can make H 2, and H 2 can make electricity (2H 2 O  2H 2 + O 2 ) You have to make a lot of it You can make it cold, F (21 K) P.M. Grant, “Hydrogen lifts off…with a heavy load,” Nature 424, 129 (2003)

9 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. US Oil Imports (2003)

10 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. Hydrogen for US Surface Transportation “You have to make a lot of it” The "25% GW" Scenario Daily consumption of gasoline and diesel by US cars & Trucks 8.6 Billion barrels/day Effective Otto Cycle Efficiency (Useful conversion to drive chain) 25 % Water Electrolysis Efficiency (Source Electricity-to-Hydrogen) 80 % (aggressive) Fuel Cell Efficiency (Onboard Hydrogen-to-Electricity) 80 % (very aggressive) Conversion/drive chain Efficiency 80 % (nominal) Additional Electric Generation Plant Capacity for Hydrogen Vehicles 400 GW Factoids & Assumptions

11 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. Hydrogen per Day TonnesShuttlesHindenburgs 230,0002,22512,787 Water per Day TonnesMeters of Lake Tahoe 2,055, The "25% GW" Scenario Hydrogen for US Surface Transportation: Water Requirements

12 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. Hydrogen for US Surface Transportation: Generation by Renewable Electricity The "25% GW" Scenario Renewable Land Area Requirements TechnologyArea (km 2 )Equivalent Wind130,000New York State Solar20,00050% Denmark Death Valley + Mojave Biomass271,9153% USA State of Nevada

13 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. “Hydricity” SuperCables: “Proton/Electron Power (PEP) to the People” +v I -v I H2H2 H2H2 Circuit #1 +v I -v I H2H2 H2H2 Circuit #2 Multiple circuits can be laid in single trench

14 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. SuperCable Monopole HV Insulation “Super- Insulation” Superconductor Hydrogen DODO DH2DH2 t sc

15 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. SuperCable Monopole (Alternative)

16 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. Power Flows P SC = 2|V|JA SC, where P SC = Electric power flow V = Voltage to neutral (ground) J = Supercurrent density A SC = Cross-sectional area of superconducting annulus Electricity P H2 = 2(QρvA) H2, where P H2 = Chemical power flow Q = Gibbs H 2 oxidation energy (2.46 eV per mol H 2 ) ρ = H 2 Density v = H 2 Flow Rate A = Cross-sectional area of H 2 cryotube Hydrogen

17 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. Hydricity Scaling Factor Dimensionless, geometry-independent scaling factor defines relative amounts of electricity/hydrogen power flow in the SuperCable: “Energy Density” “Pressure”

18 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. Electric & H 2 Power ,000100,000+/ Annular Wall Thickness (cm) Critical Current Density (A/cm 2 ) Current (A)Voltage (V)Power (MW) Electricity “Equivalent” Current Density (A/cm 2 ) H 2 Flow Rate (m/sec) Inner Pipe Diameter, D H2 (cm) Power (MW) Hydrogen (LH 2, 20 K)

19 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. Power Flows: 5 GW e /10 GW th

20 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. SuperCable H 2 Storage Some Storage FactoidsPower (GW)Storage (hrs)Energy (GWh) TVA Raccoon Mountain Scaled ETM SMES188 One Raccoon Mountain = 13,800 cubic meters of LH2 LH 2 in 45 cm diameter, 20 km bipolar SuperCable = Raccoon Mountain

21 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. H 2 Gas at 77 K and 1850 psia has 50% of the energy content of liquid H 2 and 100% at 6800 psia Hydrogen Energy Content

22 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. “Hybrid” SuperCable

23 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. US Natural Gas Imports (BCF, 2003) 22,000

24 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. Al-Can Gas Pipeline Proposals SuperCable Prototype

25 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. Mackenzie Valley Pipeline 1300 km 18 GW-thermal

26 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. Gas Pipelines Under Construction

27 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. Electrical Insulation “Super- Insulation” Superconductor 105 K 1 atm (14.7 psia) Liquid 77 K Thermal Barrier to LNG LNG SuperCable

28 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. Technology Challenges Nuclear Hydrogen SuperCable

29 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. Nuclear HTGCR Design Downselect “Waste” –Proliferation –Re-processing –FBR Underground Construction

30 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. Hydrogen Generation –Electrolysis (new methods, e.g. high-pressure –Thermochemical (EPRI Entergy Report) Distribution –SuperCable ? Storage –SuperCable ? End Use –Hydricity and/or Electricity

31 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. SuperCable (Electrical) Voltage – current tradeoffs –“Cold” vs. “Warm” Dielectric AC interface (phases) –Generate dc? Multi- pole, low rpm units (aka hydro) Ripple suppression –Filters Cryogenics –Pulse Tubes –“Cryobreaks” Magnetic Field Forces Splices (R = 0?) Charge/Discharge cycles (Faults!) Power Electronics –GTOs vs IGBTs –12” wafer platforms –Cryo-Bipolars

32 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. SuperCable (Construction) Pipe Lengths & Diameters (Transportation) Coax vs RTD Rigid vs Flexible? On-Site Manufacturing –Conductor winding (3-4 pipe lengths) –Vacuum: permanently sealed or actively pumped? Joints –Superconducting –Welds –Thermal Expansion (bellows)

33 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. EPRI Opportunities Re-define and “re-package” SuperGrid in a larger context, with emphasis on the vision Solicitation of funding organizations (letters, personal visits, brochures, etc.) Identify & document opportunities for deployment of dc superconducting cables as SuperCable entry technology –Canvas EPRI membership, focusing on inter-RTO links

34 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. EPRI Funding – $1 M/yr 1.Co-fund Ongoing DOE and NSF Programs That Support the Vision a)DOE: Offices of Nuclear, Hydrogen, OEEA b)NSF: Engineering Directorate PE Programs 2.Deployment Studies for DC Superconducting Cables a)Of high interest in DOE, identified in Omnibus Energy Bill b)Canvas membership interest, focusing on inter-RTO links 3.Bi-Directional Control of Power Flow on a Point-to-Point Superconducting LVDC Cable Inter-Tie (ORNL) a)I/C designs to manage power flow through voltage control b)Energize/de-energize and fault management 4.Expand Studies for Underground Nuclear Construction (LANL, INEEL)

35 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. Appendix Material Nuclear Hydrogen Superconductivity

36 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. Nuclear HTGCR Reprocessing Breeders IMRSS

37 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. Particle/Pebble Nuclear Fuel Back

38 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor Back

39 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. Eskom Pebble Bed Modular Reactor Helium gas cooled (Brayton Cycle) –Won’t melt down –Direct turbine drive “Baseball” packaged fuel –Continuous fuel replenishment and removal –Theoretical 100% availability Modular Design –Scalable: 100 – 500 MW units –High safety and security factor Economical –1.2 cents/kWh … cheaper than coal Back

40 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. Co-Production of Hydrogen and Electricity Source: INEL & General Atomics Reactor Vessel O2O2 Back

41 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. Source: General Atomics Nuclear “Hydricity” Production Farm Back

42 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. Reprocessing “Spent” Fuel Back

43 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. JNFL Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant $20 B, 5 Year Project 800 mt U/yr 1 mt U -> 50 kg HLW Back

44 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. Fast Breeder Technologies Back

45 Copyright © 2005 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. IMRSS Internationally Monitored Retrievable Storage System (a proposal by Chauncey Starr) –Take control of all material exiting cooling ponds –Provide transportation to (a few) storage locations –Use “banking” paradigm –Title remains with nation of origin –Withdrawal allowed for recycling or burial –All activity monitored by IAEA Financed by nuclear per MWh charge on participating nations Back