ML24047A012
| ML24047A012 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 02/22/2024 |
| From: | Towell R NRC/OCM |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML24011A053 | List: |
| References | |
| M240222A | |
| Download: ML24047A012 (1) | |
Text
Role of RTRs in the development of advanced reactor technologies by Dr. Rusty Towell, NEXT Lab Director February 22, 2024 1
© 2024 Abilene Christian University
2 Nuclear Energy eXperimental Testing Lab The mission of ACUs NEXT Lab is to provide global solutions to the worlds need for energy, water, and medical isotopes by advancing the technology of molten salt reactors while educating future leaders in nuclear science and engineering.© 2024 Abilene Christian University
3 2016 - NEXT Lab established at ACU 2020 - First-of-a-kind research alliance established to design, license and build Molten Salt Research Reactor 2022 - Construction Permit application submitted to the NRC and accepted for review Goal: 2026 - MSRR begins operations Natura Resources Research Alliance
© 2024 Abilene Christian University
© 2024 Abilene Christian University Molten Salt Research Reactor safety RTMS Reactor Enclosure Layered enclosures:
- Salt
- Primary fueled salt loop
- Reactor Thermal Management System (RTMS)
- Reactor Enclosure
- Reactor Cell
- Low pressure system
- Shutdown via drain of salt from core
- Passive heat removal during shutdown
MSRR comparison to Molten Salt Reactor Experiment
© 2024 Abilene Christian University Shared concepts
- Same Salt and Fuel Form: UF4, LiF-BeF2
- Loop design
- Graphite moderator
- Drain tank
- Trench-based radiation protection
- Short expected lifetime
- Low pressure Simplified concepts
- 19.75% instead of 33% 235U
- 1 MWth instead of 8-10 MWth
- SS-316 instead of Hastelloy-N
- No freeze valve, shut down via simple drain
- Control rods not safety related
- No water
Gayle and Max Dillard Science and Engineering Research Center
- 28,000 ft2 facility
- 6, 000 ft2 Research Bay
- Specialty Research Labs
- Offices
- Designed as advanced reactor test bed.
- Completed:
2023 6
© 2024 Abilene Christian University
7 Role of RTR in development of Advanced Reactor Technologies
- Decrease risks for advanced reactor deployment
- Regulatory Risk
- Demonstrate NRCs ability to license a non-LWR
- Collect data needed to support the licensing of commercial non-LWR
- Provide learning opportunities for the NRC to review new technologies
- Collect data on fuel behavior
- Collect data on materials performance in nuclear environment
- Supply Chain Risks
- Demonstrate supply chain capabilities
- Increase the Technical Readiness Level of supporting technologies
- Improve cost certainty for new deployments
- Train a nuclear qualified work force
- Operators, regulators, designers,
- Demonstrate the ability of Advanced Reactors to be multi-functional
- Efficiently produce electricity, but also high process heat, isotope generation,
ØAccomplish all these with lower risks (source term)
© 2024 Abilene Christian University Needed to move beyond minimum amount of regulation of research reactors.
Accelerating advanced reactor demonstration & deployment 8
ACU SERC
THANK YOU acu.edu/NEXT 9
May 24, 2021 NEXT Summer Orientation 2021