ML24366A022
| ML24366A022 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 12/23/2024 |
| From: | Gascot-Lozada R NRC/RES/DE/RGDB |
| To: | |
| References | |
| Download: ML24366A022 (1) | |
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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.
LWRS Status Highlights December 2024 Plant Modernization Pathway Program Mission Main Goal: enable plant efficiency improvements through a strategy for long-term modernization Latest Reports: Demonstration and Evaluation of Explainable and Trustworthy Predictive Technology for Condition-based Maintenance-This research focuses specifically on addressing the explainability and trustworthiness of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to advance the human, technical, and organization (HTO) readiness levels in adopting a risk-informed predictive maintenance (PdM) strategy at commercial NPPs. In addition, this approach can be adapted to enhance the acceptability of AI in other nuclear applications with a few application-specific modifications.
The technical approach ensuring wider adoption of AI technologies was developed by Idaho National Laboratory (INL)in collabora-tion with Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG), Nuclear, LLCby utilizing the circulating water system (CWS) at two PSEG-owned plant sites for demonstration.
HTO readiness for AI-enable VIPER deployment in nuclear power industry
Main Goal: develop safety analysis methods and tools to optimize the safety, reliability, and economics of nuclear power plants Latest Report : A Full-scale Demonstration of Pressurized Water Reactor Core Design Optimization using Multi-Cycle Optimization Methodology-This report assesses the potential for resolving multi-cycle plant reload challenges through real-world scenarios utilizing the Plant ReLoad Optimization (PRLO) framework.
This framework offers reactor core design developers analytic tools of reactor safety and fuel performance with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance core design solutions. Multi-objective genetic algorithm alongside acceleration techniques is considered as an enabling technology for improving fuel efficiency while upholding safety thresholds. The demonstration of multi-cycle core design optimization is performed, then results are compared to bench-marks. This report investigates the practical application of the PRLO platform in addressing real-world core design challenges and contrasting outcomes with those derived from heuristic or conventional algorithms.
Flexible Plant Operation &
Generation (FPOG) Pathway Page 2 Main Goal: enable diversification and increase revenue of light water reactors to produce non-electrical products Latest Reports: Nuclear Energy Prospector for Identifying U.S.
LWR Non-Grid Opportunities-The objective of this report is to showcase a graphical user interface and database, the Nuclear Energy Prospector (NEP), developed to visualize and provide data regarding the distance and volume information for hydrogen demands, carbon dioxide sources and industrial heat demand in proximity to U.S. Light Water Reactors (LWRs). The Nuclear Energy Prospector offers insights into the strategic opportunities and challenges to using LWR heat and power to produce hydrogen, heat for industry, and utilizing carbon dioxide together with hydrogen to produce valuable non-grid products. The primary purpose of the NEP is to show regional demand for hydrogen, heat and power from U.S. LWRs to produce hydrogen and to use CO2 and hydrogen to potentially produce synfuels and chemicals, leveraging datasets specifically processed for these facilities.
Risk Informed Safety Analysis (RISA) Pathway Factors influencing fuel utilization
Page 3 LWRS January Calendar Past Issues Prepared by: Ramón L. Gascot (RES/DE/RGPMB)
Main Goal: understand and predict long-term behavior of materials in nuclear power plants Physical Security Pathway Main Goal: develop technologies and technical bases to optimize physical security Latest Report: No report for this issue Materials Research Pathway Latest Report: Initial Steps Toward Mitigation of Irradiation Assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking in Stainless Steels-With a solid understanding of Irradiation Assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking (IASCC) mechanisms in place, current efforts have turned to mitigation. Three stainless steels with engineered microstructures hypothesized to resist IASCC were chosen for testing: Oxide Dispersion-Strengthened (ODS) 304L, ultrafine-grained (UFG) 304L, and Additively Manufactured and Hot Isostatic Pressed (AM-HIP) 316L. Each material is believed to resist dislocation channeling, a key driver of IASCC. To facilitate the testing of these new materials, a new testing paradigm is being designed and qualified in which samples are irradiated with protons and subjected to 4-point-bend IASCC testing in Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) conditions. Within this work, the ODS and AM-HIP steels were irradiated to 5 dpa along with wrought 304L stainless steel, while the UFG material is planned for future irradiation. The samples are being prepared for IASCC testing and are currently undergoing post-irradiation examination. New methods for determining the samples mechanical properties to inform a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) model are discussed, along with the initial results of the characterization.
Monthly Calls (link on the dates)
- RISA Call-RAVEN-Capabilities update - January 7, 2025 1:00-2:00 PM
- FPOG Call-January 27, 2025-10:00-11:00 AM
- LWRS Management Meeting-Date-TBD