1 The Future of Nuclear Energy Hydrogen and Electricity Production Charles W. Forsberg Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge, Tennessee Tel: (865) WIN Region II Conference Oak Ridge, Tenn. February 2-3, 2005 The submitted manuscript has been authored by a contractor of the U.S. Government under contract DE-AC05- 00OR Accordingly, the U.S. Government retains a nonexclusive, royalty-free license to publish or reproduce the published form of this contribution, or allow others to do so, for U.S. Government purposes. File name: WIN.Feb3-05

Limited Energy Alternatives Are Pushing Nuclear Energy Forward Demand Growth Greenhouse Gas Constraints

3 World Energy Demand Is Increasing Source: EIA IEO quad is a mile- long coal train (11,000 tons) every 2 hours 365 days / year

4 Temperature and Atmospheric CO 2 Correlate: Limits Likely on CO 2

Economics of Nuclear Power Are Improving Evolution Over Time Can Dramatically Improve A Technology Westinghouse AP-1000 GE ESBWR

6 Evolution of the GE Boiling Water Reactors Has Reduced Complexity and Materials ABWR (Existing) ESBWR: >50% reduction in building volume and number of components (~30% reduction in capital cost) The ESBWR is now in pre-certification review at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission

7 Quantities of Materials For Different Reactors Over Time

Back to the Future High-Temperature Reactors New Technologies and New Needs Are Bringing Back High-Temperature Reactors

9 Brayton Power Cycles May Enable Economic High-Temperature Reactors  Utility steam turbines are limited to 550ºC.  Historically, there was a limited incentive for higher-temperature reactors because there no way to efficiently convert heat to electricity  High-temperature high- efficiency utility Brayton cycle systems developed in the last decade  Efficient energy conversion technology supports the use of high- temperature reactors GE Power Systems MS7001FB General Atomics GT-MHR Power Conversion Unit (Russian Design)

10 Decreasing Oil Discoveries Worldwide Are Driving Hydrogen Demand (Source: Nature 17 June 2004, p.694) We are going to a hydrogen transport economy, the questions are: (1)the form of hydrogen in the vehicle (gasoline, methanol, hydrogen, etc.) (2)where hydrogen is used (refinery, tar sands plant, vehicle)

11 The Initial Replacements For Crude Oil Will Be Heavy Oils And Tar Sands  Tar sands and heavy oils are located in Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, and the United States  Hydrogen is required to convert these feeds to liquid fuels Syncrude Canada Ltd. Tar Sands Operations

High-Temperature Reactor Options High Temperatures for Efficient Electricity Production and Hydrogen Production

13 A Worldview of Nuclear Reactors

14 The Choice of Coolant Impacts The Size of Reactor Water (PWR) Sodium (LMR)HeliumLiquid Salt Pressure (MPa) Outlet Temp (ºC) Coolant Velocity (m/s)66756 Number of 1-m-diam. Pipes Needed to Transport 1000 MW(t) with 100ºC Rise in Coolant Temperature

15 One Type of High-Temperature Reactor Fuel Has Been Demonstrated Coated Particle Graphite-Matrix Fuel 1250ºC Operation 1600ºC Accident

16 Two Coolants are Compatible with Graphite Materials and High- Temperature Operations Helium (High Pressure/Transparent) Molten Fluoride Salts (Low Pressure/Transparent)

17 GT-MHR Plant Layout A 600 MW(t) Helium-Cooled Near-Term Option: 50 years of Helium- Coolant Experience Sketch Courtesy of General Atomics

18 Passively Safe Pool-Type Reactor Designs High-Temperature Coated-Particle Fuel The Advanced High-Temperature Reactor The 2400 MW(t) Liquid-Salt-Cooled Longer-Term Option General Electric S-PRISM High-Temperature, Low-Pressure Transparent Molten- Salt Coolant Brayton Power Cycles GE Power Systems MS7001FB

19 Advanced High-Temperature Reactor (Newest Reactor Concept) Reactor Heat Exchanger Compartment Passive Decay Heat Removal Hydrogen/Electricity Production

20 High-Temperature Reactors Have Common R&D Needs (Fuel, Brayton Cycles, etc.) ( Existing Technology Makes Helium-Cooling the Near-Term Option; Potential Economics Makes Salt-Cooling the Long-Term Option) GT-MHR (287 MW(e)) Near-Term (Helium) 81m 70m AHTR (1235 MW(e)) Longer-Term (Liquid Salt) Per Peterson (Berkeley): American Nuclear Society 2004 Winter Meeting Both Reactors Same Scale

21 Conclusions and Observations  Energy needs and environment are driving the reconsideration of nuclear energy  LWR evolution over decades is favorably changing LWR economics  High-temperature reactors are likely to follow LWRs  Efficient Brayton cycles for electricity  Hydrogen generation

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