Spent Nuclear Fuel Recycling using PRISM

Transcription

1 Spent Nuclear Fuel Recycling using PRISM David Powell Nomage 4 Seminar, Halden Norway 31 October 1 November

2 GE Hitachi Nuclear Alliance Wilmington, NC USA Tokyo, Japan Wilmington, NC USA Wilmington, NC Yokosuka, Japan Peterborough, ON Canada Nuclear Power Plants, ABWR, ESBWR, and PRISM Nuclear Services Advanced Programs Recycling, Isotopes Uranium Enrichment Third Generation Technology Nuclear Fuel Fabrication.BWR and CANDU CANDU Services Fuel Engineering and Support Services

3 Innovation throughout the fuel cycle Global Laser Enrichment Advanced Safety -ABWR Passive Safety - ESBWR Full nuclear recycling - PRISM Copyright 2011 GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy - All rights reserved 3

4 Advanced Recycling Center closes the nuclear fuel cycle with two technologies... NFRC - Electrometallurgical Advanced Recycle Reactor - PRISM

5 The Nuclear Fuel Recycling Center UNF Storage Short-lived Waste UNF NFRC PRISM fuel Electrometallurgical Separations Recycled uranium The NFRC produces PRISM fuel from the recycled uranium and longlived isotopes. The short-lived isotopes are isolated into stable waste forms.

6 Used nuclear fuel solution Advanced Recycling Center Uses up spent fuel Non-proliferation Alternatives Recycling Reprocessing Storage req s 500 yrs 10,000+ yrs Electricity What it is What is delivered Electrometallurgical separations small Non-proliferation no plutonium separation electric current in a salt bath Environmentally responsible dry process 3 streams: ~4% fission ~1% actinides Clean energy 400MM tons of carbon ~95% uranium emissions avoided per year (per ARC) Liquid sodium cooled reactor (PRISM) Spent fuel recycles 90%+ of nuclear scalable modular 311 MWe blocks materials reduces storage needs

7 Electrometallurgical development GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy 48 NAS Committee Findings No technical barriers for electrometallurgical processing of EBR-II fuel DOE should seriously consider continued development as an alternative to aqueous treatment of uranium oxide spent nuclear fuel Prudent GNEP starting point Domestic solution available today Melt Refining AEC Funded Innovative design approaches 1984 ~ IFR Program Japan IFR Ends EBR-II Fuel GNEP DOE funded Prove metal fuel Japanese Support Contributed $40M Committed $60M Contributed $6M for LWR oxide reduction Program Terminated EBR-II shut down EBR-II 30 years of successful operation EBR-II Fuel Treatment Requires treatment Enrichment Na bond Pyrophoric RCRA DOE ROD NAS review EIS completed Processing EBR- II fuel currently 3T processed Best practices

8 Reactors: sodium and water cooled PRISM BWR Consume waste Consume U w/cm w/cm vs. Produce waste Consume U w/cm w/cm Should not be an either/or Two reactor system affords better resource utilization: uranium reuse and waste-to-watts

9 Recycling Reactor: PRISM Advanced Conceptual Design Already paid for by USG Available today NRC no obvious impediments to licensing Prudent starting point GE Program PRISM 1988 PRDA ALMR S-PRISM GNE P GE funded Innovative design approaches DOE funded $30M Competitive LMR concepts DOE funded $5M Continuing trade studies DOE funded $42M Preliminary design Regulatory review Economics Utility advisory board Commercialization Tech development ($107M additional) GE Funded Improved economics Actinide burning scenarios Demo reactor Actinide burning Commercial Best practices Advanced power conversion cycle

10 Sodium reactor historical evolution Similar to sodium reactors built in France and Russia Copyright 2011 GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas LLC All rights reserved

11 Pool versus loop Pool plant better.

12 PRISM power block is... Two reactors Drives one turbine 622 MWe output

13 Basic design features of reactor Simple Conservative Design Passive decay heat removal Automated safety grade actions Simplified O&M Safety grade envelope small Compact primary system Low temperature Reduced Capital and Investment Risk Factory fabrication of certified design Modular construction and seismic isolation Small and simple system configuration

14 PRISM power extraction cycle

15 PRISM modular construction

16 Transuranic disposal issues The 1% transuranic (TRU) content of nuclear fuel is responsible for 99.9% of the disposal time and policy issues Year Removal of uranium, plutonium, and transuranics makes a 300,000 year problem a year problem Copyright 2011 GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy International - All rights reserved 16

17 Benefits to a repository Reduction of waste package heat load and volume increases repository capacity Dramatic reduction in long-lived constituents in waste packages simplifies repository design Dramatic reduction in long-term radiotoxicity of waste makes licensing repository easier and may allow elimination of costly drip shield Cost of disposal is a function of: fixed cost, volume, and heat load. Policy determines the relative value.

18 An alternative solution for UK Plutonium Sellafield 82 tonnes UK plutonium stored at Sellafield Expected to grow to 100 tones The UK Government s preliminary policy view is that proceeding on the basis that reusing plutonium either in the UK or overseas in the form of MOX fuel offers the best prospect [Information] is not yet sufficient to make a commitment to proceed with a new MOX plant. DECC Consultation, Feb 2011

19 PRISM: The better reuse option Operate as Pu burner Uses any plutonium as fuel Simple fuel fabrication process 622 MWe output directly Minimises Pu transport Proliferation resistant Features advanced safety systems Metallic fuel is the key!

20 Fissions per Absorption Why a fast spectrum? (a catalyst to Pu destruction) Thermal Fast Actinide

21 Advanced Recycling Center closes the nuclear fuel cycle PRISM PRISM ready for deployment Most advanced GEN IV reactor Removes the TRU heat load GEN IV reactor with NRC review (NUREG-1368) Safe and Clean Nuclear Power ARC Can use UNF or U235 Avoids greenhouse gas emissions Revenue from electricity sales makes commercially viable

22 The Advanced Recycling Center