Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program
Encyclopedia
The Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program is a U.S. government research and development
program. It is directed by the United States Department of Energy
and is aimed at performing research and compiling data necessary to qualify for licenses to extend the life of America
's current 104 electricity generating nuclear power plant
s beyond 60 years of life. Practically all of the commercial electric-generating nuclear power plants currently in the United States are light water reactor
(LWR) plants, meaning they use light water as a moderator
and coolant
simultaneously.
The basis for the project is founded on the facts that in the near future:
During his presidential campaign, Barack Obama
stated, "Nuclear power
represents more than 70 percent of our noncarbon generated electricity. It is unlikely that we can meet our aggressive climate goals if we eliminate nuclear power as an option."
The program operates on the premise that electricity from nuclear generating stations, as a zero-carbon
source, can and must play a critical role as part of an overall solution to both of these needs. The program focuses on four main areas: Nuclear Materials Aging and Degradation, Advanced Nuclear Fuel, Advanced Instrumentation and Control Systems, and finally, Safety Margin Characterization.
demand will increase by 30-40 percent by the year 2030. Other studies suggest an even higher increase in the world in general: above 80% by 2035.
s."
(INL) near Idaho Falls, Idaho
is the primary research facility involved.
Other labs and universities across the country are involved in specific parts of the research (see below).
s currently used in nuclear plants. INL scientists will help perform intensive studies to evaluate the structures and materials that nuclear plants are built out of and how they age. Everything from the concrete containment structures, steel vessels, cables, and piping will be analyzed.
The most immediate focus will be on irradiation-assisted stress-corrosion cracking in plant components such as the reactor pressure vessel.
Research of advanced nuclear fuel
s has the goal of increasing the amount of energy that can be extracted from the same amount of fuel by bettering the material that "clads" or coats the fuel pellets, and by creating innovative new designs for the fuel rods themselves. For example, one idea that is being considered is fuel rods that are actually not rods, but rather small tubes. The idea would increase the surface area
of the fuel element that would conduct heat (energy) to the surrounding water, which is light water used to carry away heat generated by nuclear fission
in the fuel elements. This type of research is supported by other groups internal to INL, such as the Multiphysics Methods Group
.
Developments like this and researching more resilient cladding materials would allow current plants to "uprate" to higher electricity outputs and/or increase their safety levels. Essentially, researching advanced nuclear fuels will provide important options to utilities
and individual plants.
and Control Systems would centralize and digitize nuclear power plant control room
s. Use of this technology would allow for operators
and control room staff to know even better what is happening at all times in the plant as well as respond to situation changes.
Attention will also be given to the human side of plant management.
probabilistic failure of different components of a nuclear plant to analyze what effects one or multiple failures would have on plant operations. Utilizing this knowledge, decision makers will be able to better design maintenance programs and better train operators. This knowledge will also be useful in designing future plants.
Research and development
The phrase research and development , according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, refers to "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of...
program. It is directed by the United States Department of Energy
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
and is aimed at performing research and compiling data necessary to qualify for licenses to extend the life of America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
's current 104 electricity generating nuclear power plant
Nuclear power plant
A nuclear power plant is a thermal power station in which the heat source is one or more nuclear reactors. As in a conventional thermal power station the heat is used to generate steam which drives a steam turbine connected to a generator which produces electricity.Nuclear power plants are usually...
s beyond 60 years of life. Practically all of the commercial electric-generating nuclear power plants currently in the United States are light water reactor
Light water reactor
The light water reactor is a type of thermal reactor that uses normal water as its coolant and neutron moderator. Thermal reactors are the most common type of nuclear reactor, and light water reactors are the most common type of thermal reactor...
(LWR) plants, meaning they use light water as a moderator
Neutron moderator
In nuclear engineering, a neutron moderator is a medium that reduces the speed of fast neutrons, thereby turning them into thermal neutrons capable of sustaining a nuclear chain reaction involving uranium-235....
and coolant
Coolant
A coolant is a fluid which flows through a device to prevent its overheating, transferring the heat produced by the device to other devices that use or dissipate it. An ideal coolant has high thermal capacity, low viscosity, is low-cost, non-toxic, and chemically inert, neither causing nor...
simultaneously.
The basis for the project is founded on the facts that in the near future:
- demand for electricityElectricityElectricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
is projected to increase significantly - The U.S. has goals to significantly lower carbon dioxide emissions
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
stated, "Nuclear power
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
represents more than 70 percent of our noncarbon generated electricity. It is unlikely that we can meet our aggressive climate goals if we eliminate nuclear power as an option."
The program operates on the premise that electricity from nuclear generating stations, as a zero-carbon
Carbon
Carbon is the chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalent—making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds...
source, can and must play a critical role as part of an overall solution to both of these needs. The program focuses on four main areas: Nuclear Materials Aging and Degradation, Advanced Nuclear Fuel, Advanced Instrumentation and Control Systems, and finally, Safety Margin Characterization.
Projected Increase in Demand
According to several studies, demand for electricity in the U.S. will grow in coming years. According to one study,demand will increase by 30-40 percent by the year 2030. Other studies suggest an even higher increase in the world in general: above 80% by 2035.
Goals to lower carbon dioxide emissions
President Obama made clear the U.S.'s national stance on carbon dioxide emissions on the White House's website which stated, "We must take immediate action to reduce the carbon pollution that threatens our climate and sustains our dependence on fossil fuelFossil fuel
Fossil fuels are fuels formed by natural processes such as anaerobic decomposition of buried dead organisms. The age of the organisms and their resulting fossil fuels is typically millions of years, and sometimes exceeds 650 million years...
s."
Where it is happening
Idaho National LaboratoryIdaho National Laboratory
Idaho National Laboratory is an complex located in the high desert of eastern Idaho, between the town of Arco to the west and the cities of Idaho Falls and Blackfoot to the east. It lies within Butte, Bingham, Bonneville and Jefferson counties...
(INL) near Idaho Falls, Idaho
Idaho Falls, Idaho
Idaho Falls is a city in and the county seat of Bonneville County, Idaho, United States, and the largest city in Eastern Idaho. As of the 2010 census, the population of Idaho Falls was 56,813, with a metro population of 130,374....
is the primary research facility involved.
Other labs and universities across the country are involved in specific parts of the research (see below).
Who is involved
- Ronaldo Szilard, Director of the LWR Sustainability Program Technical Integration Office at INL.
- EPRI (Electric Power Research InstituteElectric Power Research InstituteThe Electric Power Research Institute conducts research on issues related to the electric power industry in USA. EPRI is a nonprofit organization funded by the electric utility industry. EPRI is primarily a US based organization, receives international participation...
) - NRC (Nuclear Regulatory CommissionNuclear Regulatory CommissionThe Nuclear Regulatory Commission is an independent agency of the United States government that was established by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 from the United States Atomic Energy Commission, and was first opened January 19, 1975...
) - ORNL (Oak Ridge National LaboratoryOak Ridge National LaboratoryOak Ridge National Laboratory is a multiprogram science and technology national laboratory managed for the United States Department of Energy by UT-Battelle. ORNL is the DOE's largest science and energy laboratory. ORNL is located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, near Knoxville...
) - University of MichiganUniversity of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
- California State University, San BernardinoCalifornia State University, San BernardinoCalifornia State University, San Bernardino, also known as Cal State San Bernardino or CSUSB is a public research university and one of the twenty three general campuses of the California State University system. The main campus sits on in the suburban University District of , United States, with...
- Oregon State UniversityOregon State UniversityOregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
- Pacific Northwest National LaboratoryPacific Northwest National LaboratoryPacific Northwest National Laboratory is one of the United States Department of Energy National Laboratories, managed by the Department of Energy's Office of Science. The main campus of the laboratory is in Richland, Washington....
- CAES (Center for Advanced Energy Studies)
- Ohio State UniversityOhio State UniversityThe Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
- University of California at Berkeley
- Missouri State UniversityMissouri State UniversityMissouri State University is a public university located in Springfield, Missouri, United States and founded in 1905. It is the state's second largest university, with an official enrollment of 20,802 in fall 2011...
- Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyThe Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
- University of Wisconsin, Madison
Nuclear Materials Aging and Degradation
In simpler terms, this means that scientists will research materialMaterial
Material is anything made of matter, constituted of one or more substances. Wood, cement, hydrogen, air and water are all examples of materials. Sometimes the term "material" is used more narrowly to refer to substances or components with certain physical properties that are used as inputs to...
s currently used in nuclear plants. INL scientists will help perform intensive studies to evaluate the structures and materials that nuclear plants are built out of and how they age. Everything from the concrete containment structures, steel vessels, cables, and piping will be analyzed.
The most immediate focus will be on irradiation-assisted stress-corrosion cracking in plant components such as the reactor pressure vessel.
Advanced Nuclear Fuels
Nuclear fuel
Nuclear fuel is a material that can be 'consumed' by fission or fusion to derive nuclear energy. Nuclear fuels are the most dense sources of energy available...
s has the goal of increasing the amount of energy that can be extracted from the same amount of fuel by bettering the material that "clads" or coats the fuel pellets, and by creating innovative new designs for the fuel rods themselves. For example, one idea that is being considered is fuel rods that are actually not rods, but rather small tubes. The idea would increase the surface area
Surface area
Surface area is the measure of how much exposed area a solid object has, expressed in square units. Mathematical description of the surface area is considerably more involved than the definition of arc length of a curve. For polyhedra the surface area is the sum of the areas of its faces...
of the fuel element that would conduct heat (energy) to the surrounding water, which is light water used to carry away heat generated by nuclear fission
Nuclear fission
In nuclear physics and nuclear chemistry, nuclear fission is a nuclear reaction in which the nucleus of an atom splits into smaller parts , often producing free neutrons and photons , and releasing a tremendous amount of energy...
in the fuel elements. This type of research is supported by other groups internal to INL, such as the Multiphysics Methods Group
Multiphysics Methods Group
The Multiphysics Methods Group is a program at Idaho National Laboratory begun in 2004. It uses modeling software to simulate complex physical and chemical reactions inside nuclear reactors...
.
Developments like this and researching more resilient cladding materials would allow current plants to "uprate" to higher electricity outputs and/or increase their safety levels. Essentially, researching advanced nuclear fuels will provide important options to utilities
Electric utility
An electric utility is a company that engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity for sale generally in a regulated market. The electrical utility industry is a major provider of energy in most countries. It is indispensable to factories, commercial establishments,...
and individual plants.
Advanced Instrumentation and Control Systems
Advanced InstrumentationInstrumentation
Instrumentation is defined as the art and science of measurement and control of process variables within a production, or manufacturing area....
and Control Systems would centralize and digitize nuclear power plant control room
Control room
A control room is a room serving as an operations centre where a facility or service can be monitored and controlled. Examples include:*in television production, the master control is the technical hub of a broadcast operation common among most over-the-air television stations, television networks...
s. Use of this technology would allow for operators
Plant operator
A plant operator is a person who supervises the operation of an industrial plant. The term is usually applied to power plants or chemical plants such as gas extraction, petrochemical or oil refinery or other chemical processes....
and control room staff to know even better what is happening at all times in the plant as well as respond to situation changes.
Attention will also be given to the human side of plant management.
Safety Margin Characterization
Researchers will use computer models to analyze plant safety using a "risk-informed safety margin characterization" techniques. This will involve using computer programs that can simulateComputer simulation
A computer simulation, a computer model, or a computational model is a computer program, or network of computers, that attempts to simulate an abstract model of a particular system...
probabilistic failure of different components of a nuclear plant to analyze what effects one or multiple failures would have on plant operations. Utilizing this knowledge, decision makers will be able to better design maintenance programs and better train operators. This knowledge will also be useful in designing future plants.
See also
- Economics of new nuclear power plantsEconomics of new nuclear power plantsThe economics of new nuclear power plants is a controversial subject, since there are diverging views on this topic, and multi-billion dollar investments ride on the choice of an energy source...
- Idaho National LaboratoryIdaho National LaboratoryIdaho National Laboratory is an complex located in the high desert of eastern Idaho, between the town of Arco to the west and the cities of Idaho Falls and Blackfoot to the east. It lies within Butte, Bingham, Bonneville and Jefferson counties...
- Light water reactorLight water reactorThe light water reactor is a type of thermal reactor that uses normal water as its coolant and neutron moderator. Thermal reactors are the most common type of nuclear reactor, and light water reactors are the most common type of thermal reactor...