High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors: Technology Overview · High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors: Technology Overview … and some thoughts on factors affecting its economics IAEA

High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors: Technology Overview

… and some thoughts on factors affecting its economics

IAEA I3-TM-50156 Economic Analysis: HTGRs and SMRs 1

Frederik ReitsmaGas-Cooled Reactors Technology

Nuclear Power Technology Development SectionDivision of Nuclear Power | Department of Nuclear Energy

Technical Meeting on the Economic Analysis of High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactors and Small and Medium Sized Reactors

25-28 August 2015

International Atomic Energy Agency

Contents• What is HTGRs

• Why HTGRs

• Salient Safety Features of HTGRs

• Some aspects that may be important for the economic studies of HTGRs

• IAEA activities (a glimpse – see extra slides)

• Concluding remarks

IAEA I3-TM-50156Economic Analysis: HTGRs and SMRs2


HTGR Family tree


Gas cooled reactors Graphite moderator

Thermal spectrum

Gas outlet temperature>~900oC

Helium coolantCoated particle fuel HTGR

Gas outlet temperature>~700oC

VHTR (Gen-IV) GFR (Gen-IV)

Fast spectrum + no graphite


The coated particle design

• The key safety feature: – Fission product retention capability of coated particle fuel

– It contains the vast majority of all fission products even under the most severe postulated accidents


Triso fuel triumphs at extreme temperatures up to >1800oC


Prismatic (block-type) HTGRs



Pebble type HTGRs

• Spherical graphite fuel element with coated particles fuel

• On-line / continuous fuel loading and circulation

• Fuel loaded in cavity formed by graphite to form a pebble bed


1 mm

International Atomic Energy AgencyIAEA I3-TM-50156Economic Analysis: HTGRs and SMRs 7

Multiple designs from member states


New deployment of HTGRs – a reality• HTR-PM construction of a commercial

demonstration plant

• Modular 2 x 250MWth


Shidao Bay, Shandong province, China



• Why HTGRs



• IAEA activities (a glimpse)




Higher (↑20-50%) efficiency in electricity generation than conventional nuclear plants Potential to participate in the complete energy market Market is growing for smaller reactors Position close to markets or heat users Savings in transmission costs Smaller capital cost

Can achieve higher fuel burnup (>80,000, up to 200,000 MWd/t proven)


HTGR technology addressing the energy challenge


Extended scope of application due to higher temperatures available Supply of process steam for petro-chemical industry and future hydrogen production

HTGR technology addressing the energy challenge



Process heat / co-generation

Allows flexibility of operation switching between electricity and process heat


* Survey of HTGR Process Energy Applications, NGNP Project, MPR-3181 Rev 0, May 2008

Near term market potentialNorth America / USA only:

250-500oC = 75,000MWt(or 150-300 reactors)Mostly Petroleum products:

500-700oC = 65,000MWt(or 130 – 260 reactors)(Petroleum + Ammonia)

Easily achievable today



• Why HTGRs







The safety features Significantly improved safety characteristics

No core meltdown or core damage

Can sustain full load rejection / station blackout conditions

No need for multiple layers / multiple trains of cooling capabilities

Simplified designs and few safety related systems

• Passive safety characteristics is achieved through:

– Low power density (~ 30 times lower than LWRs).

– Strong negative temperature coefficient means the reactor automatically shuts down without operator interaction.

• Most transients are slow (develop over hours and days)

– Very large heat capacity (>800 tons of graphite)

– Maximum fuel temperatures in DLOFC after 24-36 hours

• Coolant is decoupled from neutronics



Design Goal = 1600°C

Depressurized

Pressurized

To Ground

0 2 4 6 8

Time After Initiation (Days)

Fuel

Tem

pera

ture

(°C)

1800

1600

1400

1200

1000

800

600

Economic Analysis: HTGRs and SMRs IAEA I3-TM-50156

Inherent Safety Characteristics

15

Ceramic fuel retains radioactive materials up to and above 1800˚C

Coated particles stable to beyond maximum accident temperatures

Heat removed passively without primary coolant –all natural means

Fuel temperatures remain below design limits during loss-of-cooling events

Centre Reflector Pebble Bed Side Reflector Core Barrel RPV RCCS Citadel

RadiationConduction

Conduction

Conduction

Convection

Radiation

Convection

Conduction

Radiation

Convection

Conduction

Convection

Radiation

Convection

Conduction

Radiation



• Why HTGRs


• Some aspects that may be important for the economic studies of HTGRs– Some thoughts that may stimulate discussion


• Concluding remarksIAEA I3-TM-50156Economic Analysis: HTGRs and SMRs

16


1. Enhanced Safety and Economics• Can the improved safety characteristics lead to improve

economics?

• Safety achieved by:– Low power density = large vessel

– Coated particle fuel = higher manufacturing cost compared to LWR fuel

• Cost saving can be achieved by:– Simplicity and decreased number of safety systems

– Other quantifiable / indirect savings due to safety?

– Reduced insurance premiums?

– …. or public acceptance?



2. Modularity / Flexibility to Meet Different Power Needs


350 MW(t) 450 MW(t) 600 MW(t)

25 MW(t)

102 Columns1020 Elements





Benefits of Modularity• Less total capital funds at risk during construction

period

• Reduced interest during construction expense

• Capability to better match generation capacity to load growth– Potential to operate fewer modules should load growth not

materialize

– Potential to add more modules should load demand increase



3. Reactor footprints ?? Important to costs?

• The Vogtle 3 and 4 Nuclear power plant USA - 2 units = 2220 MWe



HTR-PM footprint …

• The HTR-PM - (Two-reactor unit) = 210MWe



Footprints compared …

• 2 units = 2220 MWe : 16 units = 3360 MWe

• Cost of land and infrastructure …IAEA I3-TM-50156Economic Analysis: HTGRs and SMRs

22


4. Cogeneration• The availability of high temperature heat

– Is competitiveness really significantly improved and why?

– How do we price heat

• Regulated vs unregulated markets– What is the case with the ‘heat market’

• Switching between electricity and heat users– A significant economic advantage?

– Improved load follow capability

• Owner / operator of NPP vs the heat user…– How does vendors solve this?




• Why HTGRs







Concluding Remarks• HTGRs has its own unique benefits.

– Improved efficiencies in electricity generation and high temperature heat

– Higher burnup achievable with coated particle fuel is proven

– Improved safety characteristics

• Some of the potential negatives economic factors (that needs to be overcome)

– Increase fuel cost of coated particle fuel

• (but can be balanced by higher burnup)?

– Large vessels (reactor and SG) due to low power density and gas as coolant

• (but percentage of total costs is quite small)?

– Saving due to few safety systems…



Concluding Remarks• The HTR-PM construction is providing new impetus on HTGR activities

– The technology is ready for near-term commercial deployment

• Renewed interest from other member states

– Indonesia planning the experimental power reactor

– Japan planning hydrogen demonstration and new detailed design of commercial reactor

– STL, NGNP, X-Energy and others

• Near term deployment opportunities

– cogeneration potential, small grids, safety characteristics

– but requires demonstrated technology in country of origin

• IAEA support member states to develop and share technology



Nuclear Power Technology Development

http://www.iaea.org/NuclearPower/Technology/

Gas Cooled Reactors

http://www.iaea.org/NuclearPower/GCR/

Thank You


Additional Slides

Information on IAEA activities

(not presented)IAEA I3-TM-50156 Economic Analysis: HTGRs and SMRs 28


IAEA activities in GCRs


Most recent publications• IAEA-TECDOC-1694 published: Benchmark analysis related to the PBMR-

400, PBMM, GT-MHR, HTR-10 and the ASTRA critical facility – Hard copy available on request / on web

• IAEA-TECDOC-CD-1674 published: Advances in High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor Fuel Technology – CD available on request

CRP: Cooperative Research Projects:• Irradiation Creep Behaviour of Nuclear Graphite (1st of two TECDOC available in draft)• Uncertainty Analysis (2nd RCM in December 2014)

Technical meetings topics in 2015: • Technical Meeting on Re-evaluation of Maximum Operating Temperatures and Accident

Conditions for High Temperature Reactor (HTR) Fuel and Structural Materials (12-15 Jan)• Technical Meeting on the Economic Analysis of High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactors and

Small and Medium Sized Reactors (20-23 Oct)• Technical Meeting on the Status of Deep-burn Concepts using High Temperature Gas Cooled

Reactor (07-09 Dec)


IAEA planned activities in HTGRs


Future Work focusNew CRP:• HTGR Safety, definition of safety design standards, design basis and

design extension events• HTGR for Energy Neutral Mineral Development and Phosphate Fertilizer

Production Processes

Future publications (excluding CRPs):• Re-evaluation of maximum operating temperatures and accident

conditions for HTGR fuel and high temperature material performance.

International Atomic Energy Agency31

New CRP : Modular High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor Safety Design

A unique safety design and safety criteria approach is needed for modular HTGR due to itsinherent safety characteristics, no core-melt possibility and limited safety systemrequirements

investigate and make proposals on design criteria

take lessons learned from Fukushima Daiichi accident into account

clarifying the safety approach and safety evaluation criteria

design and design extension conditions

multiple reactor modules and co-generation considerations

IAEA I3-TM-50156Economic Analysis: HTGRs and SMRs


New CRP… looking at sustainability


HTGRs applications for energy neutral sustainable comprehensive extraction and mineral products development

Phosphate rocks

Process Heat for

Uranium/ThoriumHigh Temperature Gas-

cooled Reactor

Nuclear Fuel Manufacturing

and U/Th recovery

Phosphate conversion


HTGR Education and Training: Training Course in HTGR Technology Aspects

• First Course hosted by INET 22 – 26 October 2012, Beijing, China

• The course was attended by 35 participants from 10 IAEA Member States

• Proved to be very useful for both HTGR experts and new-comers to the HTGR technology

• Consideration to host it at-least every other year, funds permitting.

• Next course from 19-23 October 2015 in Jakarta, Indonesia hosted by BATAN



Global developments and deployment


DRAGON

• Development of the coated particle fuel• first use of control in the reflector of a HTR core, an example followed by all modular

reactorsAVR• 21 year of operation demonstrating and testing many different fuel designs• Many experiments and safety demonstrations performed


Global developments and deployment


China:• HTR-10 completed many safety tests• HTR-10 upgrade on-going and further safety tests planned• Construction of HTR-PM started in December 2012 • Helium test loop construction completed for full size testing

of main equipment• Fuel production factory construction started• First criticality planned for late 2017

Japan• HTTR completed of continuous 50-day high temperature

(950oC) operation in March 2010 • Several safety demonstrations done and planned• Hydrogen production technology: First achievement of

continuous H2 production by IS process in the world• Design work on Naturally safe and Clean Burn HTGR

designs (propose GTHTR 300 series for Middle East)


Other activities in the worldUSA (NGNP project)• Fuel qualification program and heating tests show excellent results • Fission product retention at up to 1800oC for up to 300 hours • Graphite materials qualification• High Temperature Test Facility at Oregon State University about top start testing

– Depressurized Conduction Cooldown Tests.– Pressurized Conduction Cooldown Tests.– Normal Operations Tests.nearing completion

• Natural Circulation Shutdown Heat Removal Test Facility at ANL• Licensing Activities with NRC nears completion with responses to be finalised soon



Other activities in the world• Indonesia

– On-going studies on reactor design, coated particle fuel, safety studies and co-generation– Small HTGR deployment for the Experimental Power Reactor project announced by

government / BATAN

• Korea (Republic of)– Developing key technologies for HTGRs and focus on hydrogen production– Coated particle irradiation in HANARO


• Russia– GT-MHR project (joined project with

USA) – for weapons grade plutonium disposition – Detailed reactor physics analysis

– Special studies to investigate the potential of industrial nuclear power applications -> options for different industrial technologies

– ASTRA critical facility


Other activities in the world• South Africa

– PBMR completed several designs (PBMR-400 with direct cycle).– Test facilities constructed (HTF and HTTF)– Coated particle fuel successfully manufactured (irradiated as part of the

NGNP project)– PBMR project stopped in 2010 and is still in care and maintenance– Private company STL completed TH-100 concept design (small 100MWth

pebble bed reactor)



Other activities in the world

• Activities in EC (including Germany and Netherlands)


HTR-PL project in Poland

INNOGRAPH Flammability limits of gases produced during a water ingress accident

KüFA

Heat up to 1800°C for 100’s hours NACOK

IHX


Other activities in the world• Ukraine

– possible deployment of HTGRs in the future• research related to HTGRs has been revived• Ensure that related industrial equipment and technologies are conserved

– Investigations on graphite, simulated radiation tests using charged particle accelerators, and alternative basic technologies for fuel spheres and coated particles, are performed based on different manufacturing approaches.

• United Kingdom– has been running commercial gas cooled reactors for many years– only one Magnox reactor presently in operation and with 14 Advanced Gas-Cooled

Reactors still in operation and maintaining good efficiency of output over the last few years

– no plan for any further gas-cooled reactors in the UK– designers and contractors continue to play a leading role in international collaborations in

the high temperature gas cooled reactor (HTGR) area, along with providing continued support to the remaining operators along with numerous technical universities.


Documents

High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors: Technology Overview · High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors: Technology Overview … and some thoughts on factors affecting its economics IAEA