NUCLEAR POWER_

NUCLEAR POWER: SECURE ENERGY for the 21st CENTURY Mike Corradini Nuclear Engineering & Engineering Physics Nuclear Power:Villain or Victim; M.Carbon, Pebble Beach Publishers (2002) Decision-Makers’ Forum: A Unified Strategy for Nuclear Energy (2004) February 19th, 2005 Non-CO2-emitting Energy Sources for the Need for a Unified Energy Strategy Internationally:  Population continues to increase worldwide  Energy usage growing at similar rates (1-2%/yr*)  Electrical energy usage increasing faster (>3%/yr*) Nationally:  Abundant & secure energy is critical to our future  Continued & growing concern of fossil fuel emission  Alternative energy technologies must be considered Need to ensure energy security with bipartisan initiatives and executive priority for nuclear energy *EIA (2002) February 19th, 2005 Non-CO2-emitting Energy Sources for the SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES Conditions for Sustainability: area usage  Minimal by-product streams  Economically feasible technology  Large supply of the energy resource  Neither the power source itself nor the technology to exploit it can be controlled by a few nations/regions (people/countries/regions)  Acceptable February 19th, 2005 Non-CO2-emitting Energy Sources for the Power Plant Land Use Required (km2 / MW) Source: J. Davidson (2000) Coal 0.01/0.04 Nuclear 0.001/0.01 1000 MW POWER PLANTS RUNNING AT 100 % CAPACITY (8766 GWh/year) Biomass 5.2 PV 0.12 Wind 0.79 Solar Thermal 0.08 February 19th, 2005 Geothermal 0.003 Hydro 0.07-0.37 Non-CO2-emitting Energy Sources for the 1000 MWe-yr Power Plant Emission* Coal Gas Nuclear Sulfur-oxide ~ 1000 mt Nitrous-oxide ~ 5000 mt 400 mt Particulates ~ 1400 mt Trace elements ~ 50 mt** <1 mt Ash ~ 1million mt CO2 > 7million mt 3.5mill. mt ** TRACE: e.g., Mercury, Lead, Cadmium, Arsenic Spent Fuel 20-30 mt Fission Products ~1-2 mt *Source: EIA (2002) February 19th, 2005 Non-CO2-emitting Energy Sources for the CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS Construction/Operation/Fuel Preparation (kg CO 2 / kWh)* Source: J. Davidson (2000) 1.4 CO2 Emissions (kg CO 2 /kWh) 1.2 1 Geothermal 0.8 Nuclear 0.6 Hydro Wind 0.4 0.2 0 February 19th, 2005 Non-CO2-emitting Energy Sources for the Natural Gas Solar-PV 0.58 0.47 1.04 0.79 0.38 0.004 0.022 0.025 0.025 0.06 0.1 Coal Cost of Electricity 35 (Global Average) (¢/kWh) * Source: J. Davidson (2000) Cost of Electricity (cents/kWh) Solar Thermal 50-75 30 Biomass 25 20 Gas Hydro Nuclear Wind 17 Geothermal 15 10 5 0 14 Coal 10 8 5 2 February 19th, 2005 12 7 5 6 4 2 4 3 2 Non-CO2-emitting Energy Sources for the Solar-PV 19 Top 10 Nuclear Countries (1999) 800 700 727.9 U.S. nuclear electricity generation is:  billion kilowatt-hours 600 500 as large as France and Japan (#2 and #3) combined; and larger than the other 7 nations in the top 10 combined Source: IAEA 375 400 300 200 100 0 US France Japan  306.9 160.4 110.9 97.8 91.2 70.4 70.1 67.4 Germany Russia Korea RP UK Canada Sweden Ukraine February 19th, 2005 Non-CO2-emitting Energy Sources for the Record U.S.Nuclear Electricity Production Source: EIA Non-CO2-emitting Energy Sources for the February 19th, 2005 (Billions of Kilowatt-hours) Industry Capacity Factor Continues at Record Level 86.8% in 1999 89.6% in 2000 90.7% in 2001 91.7% in 2002 February 19th, 2005 Non-CO2-emitting Energy Sources for the License Renewal:Extends Value 2003 Arkansas Nuclear One Unit 2 Browns Ferry 2,3 Farley 1,2 Dresden 2,3 Quad Cities 1,2 Cook 1,2 Nine Mile Point 1 ,2 2004 Brunswick 1, 2 Beaver Valley 1,2 Pilgrim Davis-Besse Millstone 2,3 Approved Calvert Cliffs 1,2 Oconee 1,2,3 Arkansas Nuclear One Unit 1 Hatch 1,2 Turkey Point 3,4 2005 Susquehanna 1,2 Already filed North Anna 1,2 Surry 1,2 Catawba 1,2 McGuire 1,2 Peach Bottom 2,3 St. Lucie 1,2 Fort Calhoun Robinson 2 Summer Ginna Safety of Current Nuclear Plants  There has not been a loss of life in the US due to commercial nuclear plants (TMI released a small amount of radiation) Chernobyl accident - a terrible accident with a bad design    These plants are now closed or redesigned for operation Russian nuclear plant operations are being assisted by IAEA  Regional deregulation of the electricity industry introduces challenges to continue & enhance the safety of nuclear plants. - Upgrades of power plant equipment and reliable replacement schedule - Risk-informed decision making by the industry should be cost-effective   US nuclear plants are now self-insured via Price-Anderson Act and we should renew Price-Anderson legislation for long-term February 19th, 2005 Non-CO2-emitting Energy Sources for the Nuclear Power High Level Waste (HLW)     All nuclear fuel cycle waste (except HLW) has been safely and reliably disposed through DoE and NRC regulations; milling, enrichment, fabrication by-products as LLW Since 1982, US law ‘defines’ spent nuclear fuel as a HLW, since reprocessing has not occurred since 1976 (Japan & Europe currently reprocess spent nuclear fuel for recycle) Spent fuel is currently stored at ~105 nuclear power plant sites (~ 2000 mt/yr; total ~50,000 mt) & is planned to be stored/buried at one site in the US (Yucca Mtn) All nuclear electricity is taxed at 1mill/kwhre for a HLW fund (~$0.8 billion/yr; total fund ~ $20 billion) Reassert criteria, achieve licensing & begin operation of Yucca February 19th, 2005 Non-CO2-emitting Energy Sources for the Evolution of Nuclear Power Systems Generation I Early Prototype Reactors Generation II Commercial Power Generation III Reactors Advanced LWRs Generation IV   Enhanced Safety Improved Economics Minimized Wastes Proliferation Resistance Gen IV •Shippingport •Dresden,Fermi-I •Magnox Gen I  •LWR: PWR/BWR •CANDU •VVER/RBMK Gen II •System 80+ •AP1000 •EPR •ABWR Gen III  1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 February 19th, 2005 Non-CO2-emitting Energy Sources for the Nuclear Energy: Defense-in-Depth Reliable Operation - Safety is foremost - ‘Doing it right’ Improving Engr. System Designs -Instrumentation - Materials Credible Regulation - Risk-based stds. - Public access - New plants (GenIII) require predictable plant licensing processes - Enhance and reestablish a vibrant human infrastructure February 19th, 2005 Non-CO2-emitting Energy Sources for the Nuclear Safety Enhanced Current nuclear power plants have high levels of safety: i.e., reliable operation, low occupational radioactivity dose to workers and with minimal risk and health effects from severe accidents.  Future nuclear reactor systems will meet and exceed safety performance of current reactors.  Decay heat removal, minimize transients and allow time for operator actions are the keys to successful safety performance.  Advanced LWR’s will be simplified, thus more economic and continue to minimize emissions Deploy advanced light-water reactor systems (GenIII)  February 19th, 2005 Non-CO2-emitting Energy Sources for the Advanced LWR: AP-1000 February 19th, 2005 Non-CO2-emitting Energy Sources for the Advanced LWR: ESBWR February 19th, 2005 Non-CO2-emitting Energy Sources for the Generation IV Reactor Systems     Safety: must meet and exceed current nuclear power plant reliability, occupational radiation exposure and risk of accident consequences Sustainability: minimize waste streams during spent fuel disposal or reprocessing and recycle Proliferation and Physical Protection of facilities Economics: continue to reduce the total cost of electricity ($/Mwhr-e) to remain competitive with leading technologies (e.g., gas, coal and wind) Develop and demo advanced reactors & fuel cycles (GenerationIV) February 19th, 2005 Non-CO2-emitting Energy Sources for the Very-High-Temperature Reactor (VHTR) o Characteristics o High temperature coolant o 900 - 1000°C outlet temp. o 600 MWth o Water-cracking cycle Key Benefit o High thermal efficiency o Hydrogen production by water-cracking by HighTemp Electrolysis or Thermo-chemical decomposition o February 19th, 2005 Non-CO2-emitting Energy Sources for the Process Heat for Hydrogen Production 200 C Aqueous-phase Carbohydrate Reforming (ACR) H2, CO2 Hydrogen 1000 C Carbon Recycle Hydrogen Hydrogen H2 Thermochemical Processes Oxygen Oxygen 1O 2 2 1 2 O2 + SO 2+ H 2O Nuclear Heat Nuclear Heat 400 C 900 C CATALYST L H2 + 2HI I2 Rejected Rejected Heat 100 CC Heat 100 2H I + H 2SO 4 AQUEOUS CARBOHYDRATE Liquid Metal I (Iodine) Circulation H 2SO 4 I2 + H 2O + SO 2+ H 2O H 2O S (Sulfur) Circulation + H 2O CxHy I2 SO 2 LM Condensed Phase Reforming (pyrolysis) Water Water February 19th, 2005 Non-CO2-emitting Energy Sources for the Hi-Temp. Electrolysis Process 90 v/o H2 O + 10 v/o H2 4 e- 10 v/o H2O + 90 v/o H2 Porous Cathode, Nickel -Zirconia cermet H2O  2 H20 + 4 e -  2 H2 + 2 O = 2 O=   H2 Gastight Electrolyte, Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia 2 O =  O2 + 4 e - O2  Porous Anode, Strontium -doped Lanthanum Manganite   Interconnection H2O + H2  H2O  Next Nickel-Zirconia Cermet Cathode  H2 February 19th, 2005 Non-CO2-emitting Energy Sources for the GAS-COOLED REACTOR February 19th, 2005 Non-CO2-emitting Energy Sources for the [1000 MWe-yr – (A) Once Thru (B) U-Pu recycle] IAEA-1997 Mining/Milling (A) 205mt (B)120mt U3O8 &daughters (A)10 mt (B) 6mt UF6 &daughters (A) 167mt(B) 0.5mt UO2 & daughters (A) 0.2mt (B) 0.16mt Nuclear Power Fuel Cycle Milling waste stream Convert/Enrichment (A) 37mt (B)11.5mt Conv/Enrich Waste Tails Fuel Fabrication Fuel Fabrication Waste (A) 36.8mt (B) 36.4mt (U-Pu) Reactor (1000MWe) (B) 36mt U, 0.5mt Pu (A) 35.7 mt U, 0.32mt Pu (B) 1.1 mt U, 5kg Pu Spent Fuel as Waste Reprocessing Plant Reprocessing Waste (FP) February 19th, 2005 Non-CO2-emitting Energy Sources for the Liquid-Metal Cooled Fast Reactor (LFR) Characteristics • Na, Pb or Pb/Bi coolant • 550°C to 800°C outlet temperature • 120–400 MWe Key Benefit • Waste minimization and efficient use of uranium resources February 19th, 2005 Non-CO2-emitting Energy Sources for the To Advance the Use of Nuclear Energy: Ensure energy security with bipartisan initiatives and an executive branch priority on nuclear energy  Enact long-term Price-Anderson legislation  Demonstrate predictable nuclear plant licensing processes  Reassert criteria, achieve licensing & begin operation of Yucca Mountain Repository  Deploy current light-water reactors in the U.S. (Gen-III)  Develop/demonstrate advanced reactors & fuel cycles (GenIV)  Reestablish a vibrant educational infrastructure =>Build public confidence and support for nuclear energy  February 19th, 2005 Non-CO2-emitting Energy Sources for the