Advances in Nuclear Power Technology
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ADVANCES IN NUCLEAR POWER TECHNOLOGY OCTOBER 2011 A REPORT BY THE CONNECTICUT ACADEMY OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FOR THE CONNECTICUT ENERGY ADVISORY BOARD ADVANCES IN NUCLEAR POWER TECHNOLOGY A REPORT BY THE CONNECTICUT ACADEMY OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING ORIGIN OF INQUIRY: THE CONNECTICUT ENERGY ADVISORY BOARD DATE INQUIRY ESTABLISHED: JUNE 17, 2010 DATE RESPONSE RELEASED: OCTOBER 26, 2011 © COPYRIGHT, 2011. CONNECTICUT ACADEMY OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ADVANCES IN NUCLEAR POWER TECHNOLOGY This study was initiated at the request of the Connecticut Energy Advisory Board on June 17, 2010. The project was conducted by an Academy Study Committee with the support of Study Managers David Pines, PhD, and Thomas Filburn, PhD. The content of this report lies within the province of the Academy’s Energy Production, Use, and Conservation, and Environment Technical Boards. The report has been reviewed by Academy Members Peter G. Cable, PhD, John Cagnetta, PhD, and Sten Caspersson. Martha Sherman, the Academy’s Managing Editor, edited the report. The report is hereby released with the approval of the Academy Council. Richard H. Strauss Executive Director ii CONNECTICUT ACADEMY OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING ADVANCES IN NUCLEAR POWER TECHNOLOGY MEMBERS OF THE STUDY COMMITTEE ON ADVANCES IN NUCLEAR POWER TECHNOLOGY Michael F. Ahern Harris Marcus, PhD (Academy Member) Vice President, Utility Services, Northeast Utilities Director, Institute of Materials Science University of Connecticut Donald W. Downes Chairman, DPUC (ret.) Regis A. Matzie, PhD (Academy Member) Executive Consultant A. George Foyt, ScD (Academy Member) Westinghouse Electric Company LLC Manager of Electronics Research United Technologies Research Center (ret.) Kevin McCarthy CT Dept. of Environmental Protection (ret.) Gale Hoffnagle, CCM, QEP (Academy Member) Senior Vice President and Technical Director Edward J. Mroczka TRC Environmental Corporation Former Northeast Utilities Senior Vice President, Nuclear Engineering and Hanchen Huang, PhD Operations (ret.) School of Engineering Named Professor in Sustainable Energy, Department of Mechanical Fred L. Robson, PhD Engineering Principal Engineer, kraftWork Systems, Inc. University of Connecticut Sara Rockwell, PhD (Academy Member) Charles L. Kling, PhD (Academy Member) Professor of Therapeutic Radiology and Consulting Engineer Pharmacology Associate Dean for Scientific Affairs Westinghouse Electric Company, LLC Yale University School of Medicine Lee S. Langston, PhD John (Jack) M. Tuohy Jr., PE Chairman (Academy Member) Executive Director, Nuclear Emeritus Professor of Mechanical Engineering Hitachi Power Systems America, Ltd. University of Connecticut Edward L. Wilds, Jr., PhD Ralph Lewis (Academy Member) Director, Division of Radiation, Bureau of Professor in Residence, Marine Sciences Air Management, Department of Long Island Sound Center, UCONN-Avery Point Environmental Protection RESEARCH TEAM STUDY MANAGEMENT TEAM David Pines, PhD, Associate Professor and Chair of Civil, Environmental, and Biomedical Engineering, University of Hartford Thomas Filburn, PhD, Professor of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering University of Hartford ACADEMY PROJECT STAFF Richard H. Strauss, Executive Director Ann G. Bertini, Assistant Director for Programs CONNECTICUT ACADEMY OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING iii ADVANCES IN NUCLEAR POWER TECHNOLOGY iv CONNECTICUT ACADEMY OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING ADVANCES IN NUCLEAR POWER TECHNOLOGY TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS .....................................................................................................v LIST OF ACRONYMS ..................................................................................................... vii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................ix 1.0. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................1 2.0 OVERVIEW OF NUCLEAR POWER .........................................................................3 3.0 EVOLUTION OF NUCLEAR POWER TECHNOLOGY ...........................................7 3.1 Commercial Nuclear Power Technology .............................................................8 3.2 Lessons Learned from Three Mile Island, the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attack, and Fukushima Daiichi .................................................11 3.2.1 Three Mile Island .................................................................................11 3.2.2 September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attack ..................................................14 3.2.3 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant ..........................................15 3.3. Advances in Nuclear Power Technology .........................................................17 3.4. Generation IV – Revolutionary Designs ..........................................................18 3.5. Small Modular Reactors .....................................................................................19 4.0 NUCLEAR POWER OPERATION ............................................................................23 4.1 US Licensing Process ..........................................................................................23 4.2 Nuclear Security and Safety ...............................................................................29 4.3 Fuel Supply Security ..........................................................................................32 4.4 Metal Clad Cylindrical Fuel Elements ..............................................................34 4.5 Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and Low-Level Radioactive Waste ..............36 4.6 Sustainability of Nuclear Fuel Cycle .................................................................38 4.7 Nuclear Proliferation ..........................................................................................42 5.0 COMPARISON OF NUCLEAR POWER TO ALTERNATIVE ENERGY .............. RESOURCES ...............................................................................................................45 5.1 Costs .....................................................................................................................45 5.2 Net Energy Analysis from Cradle to Grave ......................................................48 5.3 Comparison of Environmental Emissions from Nuclear Power and its Full Fuel Cycle ..................................................................................................................51 5.4 Utilization of Waste Heat ...................................................................................52 6.0 CONSIDERATIONS FOR NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN CONNECTICUT ......57 6.1 Connecticut and New England Electricity Market ..........................................57 6.1.1 Electric Rates ........................................................................................57 6.1.2 Need for Additional and/or Replacement Baseload Capacity .........59 6.2 Siting.....................................................................................................................66 6.3 Local Acceptance: Survey of 600 Residents ......................................................66 6.3.1 Energy Issues Identified by Connecticut Residents ...........................66 6.3.2 Knowledge of Electricity Generation in Connecticut ........................67 6.3.3 Acceptance of Nuclear, Fossil Fuel, and Alternative Forms of Power ..........................................................................69 6.3.4 Need for Education on Energy Issues ................................................70 CONNECTICUT ACADEMY OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING v ADVANCES IN NUCLEAR POWER TECHNOLOGY 6.4. Energy and Electricity Generation Educational Initiative .............................71 6.4.1 K-12 Education ......................................................................................71 6.4.2 Connecticut Resident Education ..........................................................76 7.0 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................77 APPENDICES: APPENDIX ES-1: COMPARISON OF LARGE-SCALE ELECTRICITY GENERATING FACILITIES - NUCLEAR POWER VERSUS NATURAL GAS (SUMMARY TABLE) ...............................................................................................93 APPENDIX A: GUEST SPEAKERS ................................................................................99 APPENDIX B: LIST OF RECORDINGS ....................................................................... 101 APPENDIX C: CONNECTICut’S CORE SCIENCE CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK ........................................................................................................ 102 APPENDIX D: VIRTUAL HIGH SCHOOL - NUCLEAR PHYSICS: SCIENCE, .............. TECHNOLOGY & SOCIETY COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES ......... 111 ATTACHMENT 1: ECONOMIC IMPACT ANALYSIS ............................................. 115 ATTACHMENT 2: ASSESSING CONNECTICUT RESIDENTS’ OPINIONS OF NUCLEAR POWER - PHONE SURVEY RESULTS, DECEMBER 2010* .... 191 *Raw data from phone survey are available at the CASE website at www.ctcase.org/reports/nuclear/surveydata vi CONNECTICUT ACADEMY OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING ADVANCES IN NUCLEAR POWER TECHNOLOGY LIST OF ACRONYMS B&W Babcock & Wilcox BWR Boiling Water Reactors CASE Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering CEAB Connecticut Energy Advisory Board CERC Connecticut Economic Resource Center CCGT Combined Cycle Gas Turbine CL&P Connecticut Light & Power COEX Co-Extraction