Current Status of Small & Modular Reactor R&D in Republic of … · 2019. 7. 3. · Current Status of Small & Modular Reactor R&D in Republic of Korea The 17th IAEA INPRO Dialogue

Current Status of Small & Modular Reactor R&D

in Republic of Korea

The 17th IAEA INPRO Dialogue Forum on Opportunities and Challenges in Small Modular Reactors

Ulsan, Republic of Korea

July 3, 2019

Ji Hyun Kim, Il Soon Hwang, In Cheol Bang, Jeonghyeon Lee, Taeyong Kim,

Junghwan Lee

Department of Nuclear EngineeringSchool of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering

Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, Republic of Korea

Outlook

1

2

3

Introduction

Current status of SMR R&D in ROK

Current status of SMR R&D in UNIST

4 Summary

1. Introduction

4201906-©UNIST-SMANE J. Vujic et al., Energy 45 (2012) 288

Introduction (1/2)

▪ There are increasing interests in small modular reactors (SMRs) and micro modular reactors (MMRs) development and their various applications. MMRs are newer generation reactors designed to generate electric power up to 50-100 MW, whose components and systems can be shop-fabricated and then transported as modules to the sites for installation as demand arises.

▪ The key driving forces of SMRs development are fulfilling the need for flexible power generation for a wider range of users and applications, replacing ageing fossil fired units, enhancing safety performance, and offering better economic affordability.

NuScaleCAREM SMART

5201906-©UNIST-SMANE

▪ A major aim of the design is to improve the economics through system simplification, component modularization, reduction of construction time and high plant availability brought about by continuous fueling.

Introduction (2/2)

Previous electricity infra application available

Flexible output conversion Seawater desalination

Low cost Dispersed generation Creating employment

SMRs advantages

2. Current status of SMR R&D in ROK

7201906-©UNIST-SMANE K. K. Kim et al., Nuclear Engineering and Design 277 (2014) 138-145

▪ KAERI has been developing the SMART (System-integrated Modular Advanced Reactor) – 365 MW(t) pressurized water reactor with integral steam generators and advanced passive safety features.

▪ SMART basically adopted proven technologies of existing PWR such as 17x17 UO2 fuel technology, large dry containment building, control rod drive mechanism, and reactivity control concept using BP (burnable poison) and soluble boron.

Key data data

Reactor Type Integral PWR

Thermal capacity 365MW(t)

Electrical capacity 110MW(e)

Fuel Type 17*17 Square FA

Active Core Height 2 m

Refueling Cycle 30~36 months

Residual Heat Removal System Passive

Current status of SMR R&D in ROK (1/4)

8“SMART Key Data and Attractions” retrieved from http://www.smart-nuclear.com/tech/key_data.php

▪ KHNP is the largest electric power generation company, producing approximately 31% of the total electric power generated in ROK. KHNP invested a portion of budget for SMART Standard Design Approval Project from 2009 to 2012.

▪ KHNP and KAERI signed an SMART cooperation agreement for joint standard design change approval and technology development in December last year. KHNP are currently discussing with Saudi Arabia’s partner for the commercialization of SMART technology.


9

▪ Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction supplied 32 reactors and 114 steam generators at home and in foreign countries such as China, the United Sates and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) including main units for Vogtle Nuclear Power Plant in the United States.

▪ US small modular reactor developer NuScale Power has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction (DHIC).


“Interview with NuScale” retrieved from https://www.energycentral.com/c/ec/interview-nuscale%E2%80%99s-jose-reyes

10Y.H. Kim et al., Center for Autonomous Small Modular Reactor Research (2018)

▪ R&D in the academic institutes

• Innovative concepts

• in reactor design

✓MSR

✓ VHTR

✓ LFR

• in fuel

✓No refueling

✓Nitride fuel

✓ Liquid fuel

• in power generation system

✓ Integrated or single module

✓ Supercritical carbon dioxide


Y.H. Kim et al., 2018

I.S. Hwang et al., 2019

3. Current status of SMR R&D in UNIST

▪ Micro Modular Reactor Development for Marine Application

• Micro Nuclear Energy Research and Verification Arena (MINERVA)

• Consortium of five universities and one industry led by Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)

• Awarded with a four year project by the National Research Foundation (NRF) in support of the Ministry of Science and ICT, and Ulsan Metropolitan City.

• Conceptual design of ‘MicroUranus’ power reactor

✓ 40-year fuel life with fast neutron spectrum

✓ Low-enriched uranium oxide or nitride fuel

✓ Lead-bismuth eutectic coolant

✓ Thermal capacity of 60 MWth

✓ Can be inserted into a spent nuclear fuel transport

container and safely transported and installed in

marine systems

✓ Unprecedented safety and security

✓ Application for icebreakers and floating power plants

12


Introduction



Introduction

Target MicroURANUS

Cask-shippable Micro Reactor

Warm Re-start &Fast Load-followUniversal

anti-earthquake Rugged

EPZ< compartment

Grace Period = infinite

Passive Safety

Leak-Before-Break

Fuel & SG Leak-tolerant

Accident-forgiving

low enrichment fuel

Hermetic Seal Surveillance

Protection from terrorist

Non-proliferating

40 Year (30 EFPY) Fuel Life

10 yearly PSR

LBE coolant clearance

Un exhausting

20MWe Modules expand Scalable



MicroUranus: 6 sigma technology

300 350 400 450 500 550 600 650 700

0.1

1

10

100

300 350 400 450 500 550 600 650 700

0.1

1

10

100

F/M steels

Austenitic SS

Time to oxide growth before instability

(~44m for FMS, ~25m for ASS) T

ime [

ye

ars

]

Temperature [oC]

2σ range

2σ range

6s range

Alfa K-373

Alfa K-123

ElectromagneticOxygen Pumping

Uranus

Lead-Bismuth cooled Alfa Subs



Best Gen-IV SMR: Lead Fast Reactor

Chemically StableAbsorb Radioactivity

Boiling at 1,670 C

Coolant LeakRadiation Leak

HydrogenSteam Explosion

SolidificationSource-term

Risk

Melt-downRecriticalityEmergency Freezing

@Meltdown & Spread

CORE

SGSG

CORE

SGSG

CORE

SGSG

Fusible Valve Melting & Water Inflow Water Cooling Boiling & Air Cooling

Decay heat

removal by SG

and DHX

Decay heat

removal by

containment

Transition to long-term air cooling

De

cay

Po

we

r (M

Wt)

Time

Decay Heat PowerMicroUranus(UNIST-SMANE)



Accident Tolerance

Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ)



EPZ on board the ship

Reactor SMART RITM-200 NuScale SVBR-100 MicroUranus

Power (MWth/e) 330/100 88/30 160/45 280/106 60/18

Primary Circulation Forced Forced Natural Forced Natural &Pony pump

System P (MPa) 15 15.7 8.7 0.7 0.2

Core Outlet T (oC) 323 313 329 490 350

Capacity Factor(%) 65 75

Fuel Material UO2 UO2 UO2 UO2 UO2 (U-10Zr)

Fuel Enrichment <5.0% 19.9 <5.0% <16.5% 12~14% U

Fuel Cycle Length 3 years 7 years 2 years 8 years 40 years

Safety Systems Act. & Pas. Passive Passive Passive

Core Damage Freq 1E-6/RY 1E-8/RY 1E-8/RY <1E-9/RY Est.

EPZ (km) ~3 Est. ~0.3 (Goal) <~0.1 (Goal)

Est. Grace Period* 1.5/20 days 3/ days 3 days 4/ days

* Under accident/decay heat removal• Table originally from Prof. K. Shirvan (MIT) and added by Prof. I.S. Hwang (UNIST)



Analytical & experimental verification▪ The safety of the design in various accident scenarios was verified by a system

analysis code, MARS-LBE, and 3-D seismic isolation was shown to increase the safe shutdown earthquake acceleration drastically.

HELIOS, Loop-type LBE Natural Circulation Test Facility, UNIST

PILLAR, Pool Type LBE Integral Test Facility, SNU



Non-refueling Full-life Micro Reactor

Manufacturing

Operation &

Maintenance

(40/10 years)Land Transportation

Land

Transportation

Fuel cycle center

MicroUranus

Startup

Inspection & Test

Cask Loading

Marine Installation

Order

Closure

Fuel Fab

EVEMP, Cooler

& Heater Loading

Test

Cooling &

SolidificationCooling &

LBE drain MicroUranus

Life Cycle

Fuel Loading

Cask

Decommission

Cask Loading

Cask


Summary

▪ SMR can provide flexible solutions to energy, water & environmental issues.

▪ Current activities of R&D in ROK are actively on-going in research institutes, industries, and academic institutes under the government support.

▪ The conceptual design of LFR-based micro modular reactor with full-life and non-refueling features for marine applications is under development at UNIST.

Thank you !

This work was supported by the National Nuclear R&D program (NRF-2019M2D1A1067204, NRF-2019M2D1A1067205) organized by the National Research Foundation (NRF) in support of the Ministry of Science and ICT, Republic of Korea.

Acknowledgement

Documents

Current Status of Small & Modular Reactor R&D in Republic of … · 2019. 7. 3. · Current Status of Small & Modular Reactor R&D in Republic of Korea The 17th IAEA INPRO Dialogue