Terrestrial Energy innovates on molten salt reactor design for faster development and easier regulatory approvals

http://ift.tt/2aB80ot

Here is information from an October 2016 Terrestrial Energy presentation on their Integral Molten Salt Reactor Introduction to Terrestrial Energy

• Terrestrial Energy

• Commercializing a SMR for 2020s deployment

- Cost-competitive with fossil fuel combustion

- Ideal for industrial heat and SMR markets

• Technology – next generation Molten Salt Reactor (“MSR”)

• Proprietary MSR design – the Integral Molten Salt Reactor (“IMSR™”)

• High technology readiness

• Conducting basic/preliminary engineering work

- Concludes with construction and licensing of the first commercial IMSR power plant (400 MWth reactor)

• IMSR development and deployment

• Supported by power utility industry and senior executives, industrial companies, environmentalists and the Canadian Government and DOE

• Commenced VDR with Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (“CNSC”)

- First MSR vendor to commence regulatory process

• Terrestrial Energy is a leading advanced reactor developer in a fast developing cleantech sector

Advantages of Molten Salt Reactors

• Safety

• Enhanced ability for passive decay heat removal

• Inherent Stability from strong negative reactivity coefficients

• Low pressure and no chemical driving force

• Caesium and Iodine stable within the fuel salt

• Reduced Capital Cost

• Inherent safety can simplify entire facility

• Low pressure, high thermal efficiency, superior coolants (smaller pumps, heat exchangers). No complex refuelling mechanisms

• Long Lived Waste Issues

• Ideal system for consuming existing transuranic wastes

• Even MSR-Burners can close fuel cycle and see almost no transuranics going to waste

• Resource Sustainability and Low Fuel Cycle Cost

• Thorium breeders obvious but MSR-Burners also very efficient on uranium use

Terrestrial Energy Integral Molten Salt Reactor

• LEU fueled MSR-Burner design like the 1980 DMSR

• Integrates all primary systems into a sealed reactor Core unit

• 7 year Core unit “Seal and Swap” approach to graphite lifetime

• Shorter lifetime for vessel and HX simplify qualification

• Planned as 400 MWth (~ 192 MWe)

• Alternate salt and new off gas system

• New passive decay heat removal in situ without dump tanks

• Safety at forefront which leads to cost innovation

In-situ Decay heat removal - New Innovation

• Freeze Valve and Dump Tank the “traditional” approach

• Results in unwanted lower penetrations and regulator likely to

assume failure to drain is possible

• IMSR approach has long been in-situ decay heat removal

• Convection and natural circulation brings decay heat to vessel wall

• Radiant transfer to Guard Vessel (Guard=Containment)

• 700 C surface 9x radiant heat compared to 300 C

• From there, water jacket options or PRISM type RVACS

• Reactor Vessel Auxiliary Cooling System

Terrestrial Energy's new “IRVACS”

• IMSR utilizes a new innovative concept, proving extremely robust

• Basic concept is a closed cycle innovation of RVACS that retains a further barrier to the outside world

• New “Internal” RVACS or IRVACS moves heat by a closed cycle flow of nitrogen to a false roof acting as a large heat exchanger above the structural roof

• “Fails Better” If roof penetrated, outside air improves performance

• Modeling (including 140 million mesh CFD) showing excellent behavior for even most severe accident scenarios of losing all secondary heat transfer

Challenges solves with IMSR

• “Sealed for life” offers enormous regulatory advantages to accelerate development

• Airborne release risk during graphite swap eliminated

• Long cool down time before moving unit

• Material lifetime and corrosion issues greatly eased

• Good fuel economy on Once Through

• Future recycling to “close” fuel cycle and improve fuel economy commercially attractive

• Offers obvious “razor blade” analogy of continuous sales to attract industrial partners

Reposted via Next Big Future