SLOVAK UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY IN BRATISLAVAFaculty of Electrical Engineering and Information TechnologyInstitute of Nuclear and Physical Engineering

Stefan.cerba@stuba.sk

Štefan Čerba

Future perspectives of nuclear energy

ContentsIntroduction

Nuclear energy in global and in Slovakia

The role of nuclear energy in a future of Slovakia

Advantages of the fast neutron spectrum

GEN IV nuclear energy systems

Introduction

Nuclear Coal Hydro Wind Solar0

10

20

30

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50

60

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90

100 90.5

60

45

2015

88.3

27.121.5

15 15

WorldSlovakia

Pow

er lo

ad [%

]

Nuclear Coal Plynové Wind Solar Hydro0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

Prod

uctio

n co

st $

/ KW

h

Nuclear energy in global

37.50%

24.30%

25.50%

6.30%

6.50%

World

OilGasCoalHydroNuclear

45.20%

24.70%

15.30%

0.04%

14.40%

Europe

OilGasCoalHydroNuclear

Oil Natural gas Coal Uranium0

50

100

150

200

250

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4970

280 270

Year

s

Nuclear energy in global

Nuclear energy in Slovakia50.

67%

17.46%

19.10% 9.1

4%3.62%

Nuclear Thermal Hydro OtherImport

23.39%

33.21%

31.85%

11.54%

Nuclear ThermalHydro Other

Total production: 29.309 TWh[1]

Total consumption: 29.830 TWh

Import: 521 GWh

Installed capacity: 7780 MWe

Till 2030 -3850 MWe

Nuclear power plants in SlovakiaPower plant EBO V2

BohuniceEMO 1,2

MochovceEMO 3,4

MochovceEBO V1

BohuniceA1

BohuniceReactor type VVER 440/

v213VVER 440/

v213VVER 440/

v213VVER 440/

v230 KS 150

Thermal power [MWth]

1471 1471 1375 (1471) 1375 560

Gross electric power [MWe]

500 500 440 (500) 440 150

Reactor units 2 2 2 2 1Launch 1984/1985 1998/2000 2012/2013 1978/1980 1972Shutdown 2024/2025 2038/2040 2052/2053 2006/2008 1979Status operating operating Built shutdown shutdown

The future of nuclear energy

6,948,762,823 84,739

The future of nuclear energy

Classification of nuclear reactors

Generation four international forum

Goals:o Sustainability,o Economy,o Safety and reliability,o Proliferation resistance and physical protection.

SFR – Sodium-cooled fast reactor

LFR – Lead-cooled fast reactor,

GFR – Gas cooled fast reactor.

VHTR – Very high temperature reactor,

SCWR – Supercritical water-cooled reactor,

MSR – Molten salt reactor,

GIF2002

Fast neutron spectrum

Fast neutron spectrum

• Thermal spectrum:

• Fast spectrum:

Increasing n energy -->

Enrichment < 5 %

Enrichment = 20 - 30 %

SFR – Sodium-cooled fast reactor• Sodium coolant,• Fast neutron spectrum,• Closed fuel cycle,• Electricity production and actinide transmutation,• Operation: 550 °C - low pressure,• Oxide, carbide or metallic fuel with U, Pu and MA content,• Burnup up to 200 GWd/tHM,

• SF reprocessing via PUREX.• EBR–I, Phenix, BN-600.• ASTRID - demonstrator

LFR – Lead-cooled fast reactor

• Liquid lead coolant, • Fast neutron spectrum,• Operation in closed fuel cycle,• Actinide transmutation, • Electricity production,• Possibility of hydrogen production,• Operation conditions: 550 °C at low pressure,• technology base: Russian α type submarines (Pb-Bi).

2 concepts:- Reference design: 600 MWe (ELSY) – (U,Pu,MA)O2 fuel- Modular design: 20 MWe (SSTAR) – (U,Pu,MA)N fuel (t=650 °C).

GFR – gas cooled fast reactor

• He coolant,• Fast neutron spectrum,• Closed fuel cycle,• More effective natural U utilization,• Reduction of the long-lived RAV radiotoxicity,• Operation conditions: 750 °C and 7 MPa,• Efficient electricity generation,• Hydrogen production and process heat supply,• Innovative (U,Pu,MA)C –SiC fuel,• Unique DHR system,• ALLEGRO – demonstrator.

VHTR – very high temperature reactor• Helium coolant,• Graphite moderator,• Thermal neutron spectrum,• Once-through U fuel cycle,• Cogeneration of electricity and hydrogen,• Process heat applications,• Operation at high temperatures 900 - 1000 °C and high pressure 7 MPa,• UO2 – SiC fuel,

• Very high thermal efficiency.

SCWR – Supercritical water-cooled reactor

• Operation above the TD critical point of water(t=374 °C, p=22MPa, ρ=0.32 g/cm3),• Either thermal or fast neutron spectrum,• Possible once-though or closed fuel cycle,• Base-load electricity production,• Thermal efficiency η>50 %,• Investment and operation costs comparable with LWRs,• UO2 fuel,• target burnup - 45 GWd/tHM.

MSR – molten salt reactor• liquid fluoride salt coolant,• UF, PuF – ZrF, NaF, LiF,• Thermal and epithermal neutron spectrum,• Excellent neutron balance,• Actinide transmutation,• Electricity generation,• Hydrogen production,• Process heat supply,• Continuous refueling,• Possible addition of actinide feeds during operation,• Th-U Breeder fuel cycle.

ESNII - European Sustainable Nuclear Industrial Initiative

“The country which first develops a breeder reactor will have a great competitive advantage in atomic energy.”

E. Fermi

Backup slide 1

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1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 20600

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Without GFRWith GFR

Time [years]

Pu in

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[t]