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HTGR technology status and gap analysis
Dominique HittnerAREVA
NC2I Conference, Brussels, 14-15/09/2015
Energy Union objectives• Energy Union objectives
– Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions– Security of supply– Re-industrialisation of Europe
• Agenda– Greenhouse gas cut by at least 40%
by 2030
NC2I Conference, Brussels, 14-15/09/2015 2
NC2I objectives• To contribute to the objectives of the
Energy Union by extending the use of nuclear energy to non-electric energy needs (electricity only ~ 22% of European energy consumption)
• To match with the agenda of the Energy Union
⇒To address a significant part of the non-electric energy sector→Industrial process heat applications
⇒To use mature technologiesNC2I Conference, Brussels, 14-15/09/2015 3
Industrial process heat market
Nuclear heat The temperatures indicated here are those accessible to applications, not those in the nuclear reactor (usually 50 to 100°C lower)
650°C 650°C
500°C
400°C
200°C
• T < 600°C ⇒ Steam networks• 87 GW in Europe
NC2I Conference, Brussels, 14-15/09/2015 4
The available technologies• LWR: significant industrial experience of
heat supply, but only the lower range of temperature (< 240°C)
• HTGR → 600°C– Mature nuclear technology
• Historical legacy of experimental and industrial projects
• Large effort since 2000 to recover the technology (FP5-7, ANTARES, participation to PBMR, NGNP…)
– The industrial prototypes were coupled to steam cycles for electricity generation
→The next step is to use steam cycle to provide heat to industrial processes
NC2I Conference, Brussels, 14-15/09/2015 5
The next step
• Coupling the steam cycle HTGR with existing steam distribution networks feeding industrial processes (“plug-in”)
• To operate the reactor in a heat and electricity cogeneration mode.
NC2I Conference, Brussels, 14-15/09/2015 6
Why cogeneration?Why not simple nuclear boilers?
• Large industrial sites require both electricity and process heat presently supplied by conventional cogeneration plants: if nuclear plants substitute them, they have to provide the same service.
• Cogeneration is the most efficient way to use the primary energy (efficiency ~ 80%)
• Flexibility– To adapt to different sites with different needs
of process heat– To increase the nuclear plant capacity to
adapt to quick variations in required heat loads
NC2I Conference, Brussels, 14-15/09/2015 7
ReboilerCirculator
Generator625MWtRx core
S.G.Steam turbine
Steam isolation valves
Condenser
Process Steam
ProcessWaterCleanupMakeup
He
Water/steam
Process water/steam
HTGR cogeneration: what is new?
The reactor and its steam power conversion system:
mature technologyThe steam network:
already operating
New: the coupling
NC2I Conference, Brussels, 14-15/09/2015 8
HTGR cogeneration: the challenges• The coupling
– Proving that• It works as well as conventional cogeneration
in industrial environment• It is economically attractive
– Licensing it
Licensing an industrial size modular HTGR with its specific intrinsic safety concept
⇒Demonstration required
NC2I Conference, Brussels, 14-15/09/2015 9
What is available for demonstration?The frame is the GEMINI partnership
⇒ Sharing technology advances, risks and funding effort
• In Europe– The legacy of the historical German programme– The FP5-7 R&D programmes– Participation of European organisations in international
projects (NGNP, PBMR, HTR-10…) and in GIF– The ANTARES project in AREVA
• In the US– The legacy of the historical US programme– The NGNP design and R&D programme– Participation in GIF
NC2I Conference, Brussels, 14-15/09/2015 10
• HTGR Technologies
What is available for demonstration?
– Components
– Fuel
– Modelling (reactor physics, thermo-fluid dynamics, mechanics)
– Helium technologies
– Materials(< 800°C) including new graphite grades
– Several industrial designs
– Some experience of coupling
NC2I Conference, Brussels, 14-15/09/2015 11
Technology achievements• Fuel
– In Europe• Lab. Scale fab.• Irradiation in US AGR test• Development of modern
quality control methods– In the US
• Optimisation of manufacturing process & industrial pilot plant
• Qualification of the industrialfuel: the AGR programme
UO2 kernel coating
Manufacturing of compacts
(CERCA / AREVA)
Steam coal gasification with nuclear simulated heat source
Lab scale testing, 1973-1980 with 5.0 kg/hSemi-technical scale testing, 1976-1984 with 0.5 t/hGasification at 750-850°C and 2-4 MPaTotal coal gasified: 2413 tOperation time of ~26,600 h with ~13,600h under gasification conditions
Conversion of coal intoliquid transport fuelwith nuclear heatsource demonstrated atthe level of industrialpilot plant
CEA Cadarache)
• Coupling with industrial process: legacy of PNP
Full height SG mock-up
• Graphite Selection, characterization & irradiation
• Europe: FP5-7• US: AGC
programme
• Components
X-Ray tomography of a TRISO particle UO2 kernel
fabrication
TOP TIERDESIGN
REQUIREMENTS
What is available for demonstration?
• Market knowledge
• Licensing requirements
EUROPAIRSNC2I-R
NC2I Conference, Brussels, 14-15/09/2015 13
What is still to be done for demonstration?• Design
– Using as much as possible proven solutions
– Converging as much as possible with the design selected by the NGNP Industry Alliance. Possible residual differences should be justified by differences in
• Licensing requirements• Market features
• Licensing– Need of a licensing frame
• Adapted to the specific safety approach of modular HTGR based on inherent properties of the system
• Addressing the coupling with industrial processes
To be addressed right from the beginning of the design (safety option report during the conceptual design)
Steam Generators
Reactor
Circulator
SC-HTGR
NC2I Conference, Brussels, 14-15/09/2015 14
What is still to be done for demonstration?• To rebuild a supply chain
• Some focused R&D– Modelling the source term and in particular
dust formation and transport– Graphite :
• Methods for internals design• Oxidation in accident conditions (complements)
• Qualification– Computer codes qualification– Component qualification
NC2I Conference, Brussels, 14-15/09/2015 15
Qualification needs
KVK loopPower:10 MW
• Large scale high temperature helium test facilities: – SG, valves, circulator with magnetic bearings, etc.
• Irradiation facilities – Composites, instrumentation, etc.
What is still to be done for demonstration?• Innovation
– Use of composites (control rod cladding …)– Reactor instrumentation (temperature, flux,
flow rate, velocity, stresses…): not only for current system control but to take maximum benefit of the demonstration
– Magnetic bearings (circulator)– Modern NDE techniques for
quality control of fuel manufacturing
– …
Not necessary but welcome as long as• There is a clear benefit for the project• They don’t increase significantly the
risks and jeopardize the schedule
Magnetic bearing testing, Zittau
University
NC2I Conference, Brussels, 14-15/09/2015 17
Longer term prospects
High temperature processes Very high temperature processes
Operation of the HTGR
demonstration plant
HTGR deployment
on the plug-in market
Extensionof the HTGR
market
Plug-in market Extended market
Pre-heating
Alternative processes
with lower t°
VHTR
600°C
Existing technologies Technologies to be developed
Heat transportProcess adaptation
NC2I Conference, Brussels, 14-15/09/2015 18
Long term developments: 1. extending HTGR process
steam market • Interface with the heat network for
extended steam supply and pre-heating
• Decreasing the temperature of very high temperature processes, e.g. for H2production:– Membrane process for decreasing the
temperature of steam-methane reforming from 850°C to 650°C
– Water splitting by steam electrolysis at 650°C Vs thermo-chemical processes at ~ 900°C
NC2I Conference, Brussels, 14-15/09/2015 19
Long term developments: 2. VHTR
• Materials (Ni base Alloys, ODS, ceramics, composites…)
• Fuel (e.g. ZrC coating instead of SiC)
• Development of heat carrying systems for very high temperature
• Interface with the heat carrying system
• Optimization of the process for heat supplied by convection
NC2I Conference, Brussels, 14-15/09/2015 20
Long term developments: 3. other topics• Fuel cycle and waste management
– Alternative fuel to U: Pu, Th-U233– Closed cycles: reprocessing– Waste management
• Separation between fuel material and graphite + other carbonaceous materials
• Behaviour of irradiated fuel in geological repository• Irradiated graphite management (recycling or disposal)
• Alternative power conversion system (supercritical CO2)
• Replacement of C by H2 as a reducing agent in industrial processes
NC2I Conference, Brussels, 14-15/09/2015 21
Conclusion (1)• HTGR id the most suitable nuclear system for
nuclear energy to address a significant part of the industrial process heat market in a time frame compatible with the Energy Union agenda,
• For initiating HTGR deployment for cogeneration of electricity and process heat an industrial scale demonstration of HTGR is necessary
• The technology is mature for a short term demonstration of HTGR cogeneration– R&D needs are limited and focused– Next step is design and licensing– Qualification effort not to be neglected
NC2I Conference, Brussels, 14-15/09/2015 22
Conclusion (2)• The transatlantic partnership promoted by
GEMINI initiative enhances the readiness for demonstration
• The initial market for cogeneration HTGR will be “plug-in” industrial steam networks
• There is a large potential for extending HTGR market
• The need for VHTR is still to be confirmed, depending on the evolution of industrial very high temperature processes. The development of lower temperature processes might be an alternative.
NC2I Conference, Brussels, 14-15/09/2015 23
The HTRs built and operated in the world
Fort Saint-Vrain, US (300 MWe, operated 1976-89)
THTR, Germany (300 MWe,operated 1986-89)
DRAGON, U.K. (20 MW, operated
1963-76)
AVR, Germany(15 MWe, operated 1967-88)
HTTR, Japan (30MWth, operated since 1998)
HTR-10, China(10 MWth, operated since 2000)
Peach Bottom, US (200 MWth,
operated 1967-74)
Test reactors
Industrial prototypes
HTR-PM, China (2 x 106 MWe)