Slide 1

James MetcalfeSystem Design Engineer

Nuclear Industry in the 21st Century

Slide 2

Contents

▪ Challenges of the 21st Century

▪ Nuclear’s Perception

▪ Energy Mix

▪ New Technologies and their challenges

▪ Nuclear Chemical Engineers

Slide 3

Challenges of the 21st Century

▪ CO2 emissions

▪ Mass extinctions

▪ Ocean acidification

▪ Sea level rise

▪ Wealth inequality

Slide 4

Energy Mix

▪ Increased energy

demand

▪ Heavier reliance on

renewables

▪ Renewable

intermittency▪ https://www.electricitymap.org/map

Slide 5

Nuclear’s Perception

▪ Climate support

▪ Reliability

▪ Affordability

▪ Energy Security

▪ Safety

Slide 6

How Nuclear Works

▪ Reactor main parts:

▪ Fuel

▪ Moderator

▪ Reaction Control

▪ Coolant

▪ LWR = 359/440

worldwide operation

▪ BWR single loop

▪ PWR double loop

Slide 7

New Technologies and their Challenges

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Gen IV Reactors: VHTRVery-High-Temperature Reactor

▪ Thermal reactor

▪ Somewhat similar to AGR but

can be single-loop

▪ Graphite moderator

▪ Helium Cooled

▪ Prismatic block or pebble-bed

▪ Outlet T of 1000 Celsius

▪ Challenges:

▪ Ceramic cracking

▪ Helium impurities

▪ Metal creep

Slide 9

Gen IV Reactors: GFRGas-Cooled Fast Reactor

▪ Fast reactor

▪ Very similar to VHTR but no

graphite

▪ Helium Cooled

▪ Secondary circuit of He/N2 mix

▪ Combined cycle (waste heat to

steam)

▪ Outlet T of 850 Celsius

▪ Challenges:

▪ Helium impurities

▪ Metal creep

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Gen IV Reactors: SCWRSupercritical-Water-Cooled Reactor

▪ Thermal or fast reactor

▪ Similar to BWR (single loop)

▪ Light or heavy water moderator

▪ Compared to LWRs:

▪ High core enthalpy rise

▪ High thermal efficiency

▪ Small turbines required

▪ Small supporting systems

▪ Cheaper

▪ Challenges

▪ Demonstrate passive safety

▪ Heat transfer models

Slide 11

Gen IV Reactors: LFRLead-Cooled Fast Reactor

▪ Fast reactor

▪ Two-loop (like PWR but low pressure)

▪ Molten lead or lead-bismuth eutectic: weak

neutron absorber/moderator

▪ High boiling point

▪ Natural circulation

▪ Unreactive with air and water

▪ Challenges

▪ High temperature metal corrosion

▪ High mass (seismic)

▪ High melting point and opacity

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Gen IV Reactors: SFRSodium-Cooled Fast Reactor

▪ Fast reactor

▪ Similar to LFR

▪ Sodium is a weak neutron

absorber/moderator

Challenges

▪ Very reactive with air and water

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Gen IV Reactors: MSRMolten Salt Reactor

▪ Thermal or Fast reactor

▪ Three-loop (can vary)

▪ No Reactor Pressure Vessel

▪ Thermal inertia

▪ Challenges:

▪ Material/corrosion

▪ Fuel processing

▪ Radioactive waste

Slide 14

Nuclear Fusion

ITER (France)

▪ Countries: France, China,

EU, India, Japan, Korea,

Russia, USA

▪ First:

▪ Net energy

▪ Long fusion duration

▪ Technology integration

▪ Not yet commercial

STEP (UK)

▪ Spherical Tokamak for

Energy Production

▪ Commercial prototype by

2040s

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Alternate Uses▪ Process heat for:

▪ Refineries

▪ Petrochemistry

▪ Metallurgy

▪ Hydrogen production

▪ Sulfur-iodine (S-I) process or the hybrid sulfur process

▪ High temperature steam electrolysis

▪ Desalination

▪ Energy storage/load following

▪ DAC

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Nuclear Chemical Engineers

▪ Research (unis or institutes)

▪ Design (in-house or contracted)

▪ Supply chain (fuel or material synthesis)

▪ Construction/commissioning (planning/tests)

Operations/maintenance (process fluid chemistry,

corrosion, optimisation)

▪ Decommissioning/rad waste (process, permitting)

▪ Regulation (ONR, EA, regulatory interface)

▪ Much, much, more…

Slide 17

Thank you for listening