ML24002A421
| ML24002A421 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 12/31/2023 |
| From: | Gascot-Lozada R NRC/RES/DE/RGDB |
| To: | |
| References | |
| Download: ML24002A421 (1) | |
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December 2023 LWRS Status Highlights Program Mission Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) is a Department of Energy (DOE) program conducting research to develop technologies and other solutions to improve the economics and reliability, sustain the safety, and extend the operation of our nation's fleet of nuclear power plants (NPP). The NRC and the DOE has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Nuclear Innovation that allow the entities to share expertise and knowledge on advanced nuclear reactor technologies and nuclear energy innovation which extend to the area of light water reactor long-term operation and proposed modification for light water reactor sustainability.
Plant Modernization Pathway Main Goal: enable plant efficiency improvements through a strategy for long-term modernization Latest Report :
Development of a Technical, Economic, and Risk Assessment (TERA)
Framework for the Evaluation of Work Reduction Opportunities (WROs)- This report presents the TERA as a key methodology for the screening and evaluation of potential WROs. The TERA framework begins with a screening phase where the process is examined through a hybrid combination of Lean Six Sigma and Integrated Operations for Nuclear (ION) guiding principles. This framework examines the current processes using the Lean Six Sigma SIPOC (Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs, Consumers) methodol-ogy but retains the ION key ele-ments of People, Technology, Process, and Governance as important factors to the nuclear decision-making process.
A depiction of the TERA framework showing process model
Page 2 Materials Research Pathway Main Goal: understand and predict long-term behavior of materi-als in nuclear power plants Latest Report:
Complete the first phase of the comprehensive characterization of repair welding performed on irradiated Ni alloy 182- This report describes the research activities on post-weld evaluation and characterization of the quality and properties of welds made on the first phase of repair welding campaign on irradiated Ni alloy 182. The equipment and capabilities of the campaign were developed jointly by the U.S. DOE Office of Nuclear Energys LWRS Program, the Electric Power Research Institutes (EPRI) Long Term Operations Program and the Welding and Repair Technology Center, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Irradiated nickel alloy Forecast of helium generation of a 182 with doped boron ranging from 5 weight parts per typical Combustion Engineering (CE) pressurized water reactor.
million (wppm) to 15 wppm, were laser welded in the hot cell.
Risk Informed System Analysis (RISA) Pathway Main Goal: develop safety analysis methods and tools to optimize the safety, reliability, and economics of nuclear power plants Latest Report:
Assessing the Impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on Nuclear Plant Power Uprate and Hydrogen Cogeneration -
This report identifies a potential significant amount of untapped power available by uprating existing NPPs and provides reference data for which systems, Financial model flow chart.
structures, and components (SSCs) are likely to be impacted by power uprate. It also includes a financial assessment of the decision to uprate given impacts such as IRA tax credits. Specifically, a financial modeling tool was developed to supplement plant-specific models, and a case study was documented that highlights the impact of tax credits on the profitability of uprating a hypothetical plant.
Page 3 Physical Security Pathway Main Goal: develop technologies and technical bases to optimize physical security Latest Report:
No report for this issue Flexible Plant Operation & Generation (FPOG) Pathway Main Goal: enable diversification and increase revenue of light water reactors to produce non-electrical products Latest Report:
Technical Economic Assessment of LWR-Supported Hydrogen Markets in Gulf Coast Regions- This report is a preliminary progress re-port which specifically addresses hydrogen generation opportunities from NPPs in the U.S. Gulf Coast Region including Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, beginning with Entergy operated NPPs. Entergy is an operator of various NPPs in this region. Future work will include the potential opportunities for direct coupling of nuclear heat with industry in the same region. This study will include both NPP capabilities to generate hydrogen as well as identification of practical nearby industrial and pipe-line operator off-takers for nuclear heat and integrated hydrogen genera-tion by HTE.
LWRS January Calendar LWRS Stakeholder Meetings Physical Security (registration link)
- Day 1- January 22, 202- 9:00-11:00 AM (EST)
- Day 2- January 24, 2024- 9:00-11:00 AM (EST)
LWRS Technical Sessions Past
- Management Briefing- January 30, 2024; 8:00-11:00 AM Issues
- Plant Modernization- January 30, 2024; 1:00-3:00 PM
- Physical Security-January 30, 2024; 1:00-3:00 PM
- RISA- January 30, 2024; 3:00-5:00 PM
- Materials-January 30, 2024; 3:00-5:00 PM
- FPOG- January 31, 2024; 8:30- 2:00 PM Prepared by: Ramón L. Gascot (RES/DE/RGPMB)