Liquid-Fluoride Thorium Reactor Development Strategy
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Liquid-Fluoride Thorium Reactor Development Strategy Kirk Sorensen Flibe Energy Thorium Energy Conference 2013 October 28, 2013 Impending Coal-Fired Plant Retirements Large numbers of coal-fired power plants are also facing retirement, particularly in the Ohio River Valley and in the Carolinas. EPA regulations are helping drive coal retirement The implementation of these regulations makes smaller, older coal plants inefficient and uneconomical, resulting in the loss of over 27GW. The loss of power places an urgency on utilities to plan for new, clean power solutions ahead of 2017. The window to plan for new clean generation sources fi ts perfectly with SMR development and offers a market opportunity of over $30bn for coal replacement alone. “Renewable” options are limited in these regions New reactors are under construction in the US and across the world. The US Nuclear Retirement “Cliff” Beginning in 2028, nuclear power plant retirements will increase dramatically. DOE sees Industry Leading Future Nuclear “In the United States, it is the responsibility of industry to design, construct, and operate commercial nuclear power plants.” (pg 22) “It is ultimately industry’s decision which commercial technologies will be deployed. The federal role falls more squarely in the realm of R&D.” (pg 16) “The decision to deploy nuclear energy systems is made by industry and the private sector in market-based economies.” (pg 45) Modular construction of nuclear reactors in a factory environment has become increasingly desirable to reduce uncertainties about costs and quality. Liquid-fluoride reactors, with their low- pressure reactor vessels, are particularly suitable to modular construction in a factory and delivery to a power generation site. One-Fluid 1000-MWe MSBR Image source: ORNL-4832: MSRP-SaPR-08/72, pg 6 The Single Fluid Salt Processing Has Several Separation Steps Gaseous Fission Products/Nobel Metals Rare Earth Thorium Sep From Rare Earth Protactinium/Uranium Separation Pa Decay/U Separation Uranium Separation Two-Fluid 250-MWe MSBR: August 1967 ORNL-4191, sec 5 ORNL-4528, sec 5 Two-Fluid 250-MWe MSBR: August 1967 ORNL-4191, sec 5 ORNL-4528, sec 5 How does a fluoride reactor use thorium? Uranium Absorption UF4 and Reduction UF6 UF6 Fluoride Fluoride Vacuum Volatility Volatility Distillation Fertile Fuel Salt Salt Fission Product Waste Recycle Recycle Fertile Salt Fuel Salt Core Blanket Two-Fluid Reactor ORNL 1967 Two-Fluid 250-MWe Modular Reactors ORNL-4528, pg 20 1967 ORNL Modular MSBR, Modern Renderings Two-Fluid MSBR Dual Module Isometric View Two-Fluid MSBR Dual Module Front View Two-Fluid MSBR Reactor Module and Core Cutaway Flibe Energy was formed in order to further develop liquid- fluoride reactor technology and to supply the world with affordable and sustainable energy, water and fuel. We believe in the vision of a sustainable, prosperous future enabled by liquid-fluoride reactors producing electricity and desalinated water. Located in Huntsville, Alabama Water, Rail, and Air Freight Access to the World International Air Freight Extensive Rail Network Waterways to Gulf of Mexico and US Interior Oak Ridge—birthplace of thorium/fluoride tech Graphite Reactor—first thorium/U233 property measurements Aircraft Reactor Experiment—first molten-salt reactor Molten-Salt Reactor Experiment—20,000+ hours operation Proximity to Oak Ridge National Laboratory Accessible by the Tennessee River 340km by road Some MSRP retirees still live in area Combustion Gas Turbine Technology established technology low-risk modular Liquid-fluoride reactor produce high-temperature thermal power, enabling the use of new power conversion system technologies that reduce size and cost. Nuclear-Heated Gas Turbine Propulsion Liquid-Fluoride Reactor How does a fluoride reactor make electricity? The turbine drives a Hot fuel salt generator creating electricity Hot coolant salt Hot gas Salt / Gas Heat Salt / Salt Heat Exchanger Exchanger Turbine gas Warm Warm gas Compressor The gas is Warm coolant cooled and the salt waste heat is Warm fuel salt used to desalinate seawater Reactor containment boundary How does a fluoride reactor use thorium? 238U Thorium tetrafluoride Fertile Salt Uranium Reduction Uranium Fluoride Volatility Fluoride Recycle Fuel Salt External “batch” processing of core salt, Core done on a schedule Uranium Absorption- UF6 Reduction Blanket UF Fuel Salt 6 Hexafluoride Recycled Recycle Fertile Salt Distillation 7LiF-BeF2 F2 H2 xF6 “Bare” Salt HF Fluoride Vacuum Volatility Distillation HF Electrolyzer MoF6, TcF6, SeF6, Fission RuF5, TeF6, IF7, Product Other F6 Waste Liquid fuels enable enhanced safety The reactor is equipped with a “freeze plug”—an open line where a frozen plug of salt is blocking the flow. The plug is kept frozen by an external cooling fan. Freeze Plug In the event of TOTAL loss of power, the freeze plug melts and the core salt drains into a passively cooled Drain Tank configuration where nuclear fission and meltdown are not possible. Today’s Nuclear Approach Plutonium/TRU Uranium Thorium 0.3% (depleted) 0.7% (natural) 3-5% (LEU) 93% (HEU) Depleted HEU Highly-Enriched Weapons-Grade Thorium Uranium Downblending Uranium Plutonium Stockpiles Stockpiles Facility Stockpiles Uranium LEUO2 Fuel Existing U233 Enrichment Fabrication Inventory Facility Facility NUO2 to NUF6 LEUO2-Fueled Conversion Light-Water Facility Reactor Reactor-Grade Plutonium Uranium Mill Yucca Uranium Mountain NUO2 = Natural Uranium Dioxide Mine NUF6 = Natural Uranium Hexafluoride Facility LEUO2 = Low-Enrichment Uranium Dioxide Conventionally-Proposed Nuclear Approach Plutonium/TRU Uranium Thorium 0.3% (depleted) 0.7% (natural) 3-5% (LEU) 93% (HEU) Depleted HEU Highly-Enriched Weapons-Grade Thorium Uranium Downblending Uranium Plutonium Stockpiles Stockpiles Facility Stockpiles MOX Fuel Uranium LEUO2 Fuel Fabrication Enrichment Fabrication Facility Facility Facility MOX-Fueled NUO2 to NUF6 LEUO2-Fueled Light-Water Conversion Light-Water Reactor Facility Reactor Existing U233 Inventory Aqueous Uranium Mill Reprocessing Plant NUO2 = Natural Uranium Dioxide Yucca Uranium Dispose in Mountain NUF6 = Natural Uranium Hexafluoride Mine WIPP LEUO2 = Low-Enrichment Uranium Dioxide Facility MOX = Mixed Oxide Fuel (contain plutonium) Transition to Thorium Proposed Nuclear Approach Plutonium/TRU Uranium Thorium 0.3% (depleted) 0.7% (natural) 3-5% (LEU) 93% (HEU) Thorium Weapons-Grade Depleted Uranium LEUO2-Fueled Highly-Enriched Stockpiles & Plutonium Uranium Reserves and Light-Water Uranium Rare Earth Stockpiles Stockpiles Imports Reactors Stockpiles Mining Liquid-Fluoride XUO2 Reactor-Grade Thorium TRU Fluorination Plutonium Reactors U233 Facility DUF6 (HEU start) TRU-Fueled U233 Liquid-Chloride U233 Inventory Reactors Liquid-Fluoride DUF6 to DUO2 F2 F2 Thorium Conversion F2 Reactors Facility (U233 start) LEUO2 = Low-Enrichment Uranium Dioxide DUO2 XUO2 = Exposed Uranium Dioxide Fuel TRU = Transuranics (Pu, Am, Cm, Np) Underground DUF6 = Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride Burial DUO2 = Depleted Uranium Dioxide F2 = Gaseous Fluorine “During my life I have witnessed extraordinary feats of human ingenuity. I believe that this struggling ingenuity will be equal to the task of creating the Second Nuclear Era.” “My only regret is that I will not be here to witness its success.” —Alvin Weinberg (1915-2006) .