Small Modular Reactors: Nuclear Power Fad or Future?

✍ Scribed by Ingersoll, Daniel T

• Publisher: Woodhead Publishing
• Year: 2015
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 210
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

There is currently significant interest in the development of small modular reactors (SMRs) for the generation of both electricity and process heat. SMRs offer potential benefits in terms of better affordability and enhanced safety, and can also be sited more flexibly than traditional nuclear plants.Small Modular Reactors: Nuclear Power Fad or Future?reviews SMR features, promises, and problems, also discussing what lies ahead for reactors of this type.

The book is organized into three major parts with the first part focused on the role of energy, especially nuclear energy, for global development. It also provides a brief history of SMRs. The second major part presents basic nuclear power plant terminology and then discusses in depth the attributes of SMRs that distinguish them from traditional nuclear plants. The third and final major section discusses the current interest in SMRs from a customer's perspective and delineates several remaining hurdles that must be addressed to achieve wide-spread SMR deployment.

✦ Table of Contents

Front Cover......Page 1
Related titles......Page 3
Small Modular Reactors......Page 4
Copyright......Page 5
Dedication......Page 6
Contents......Page 8
Woodhead Publishing Series in Energy......Page 12
Foreword......Page 18
Preface......Page 20
Acknowledgments......Page 24
One - Setting the stage......Page 26
1.1 Fad or future?......Page 28
1.2 The importance of energy......Page 30
1.3 New growth of nuclear power: the nuclear renaissance......Page 35
1.4 Challenges for expanding nuclear power......Page 39
1.5 New interest in small nuclear power......Page 42
References......Page 43
2.1 Military propulsion and power......Page 46
2.2 Commercialization of nuclear energy......Page 50
2.3 Exuberance to exasperation......Page 53
2.4 Redirecting the nuclear industry......Page 55
2.5 Early international SMR activities......Page 57
References......Page 62
3.1 Precursors to the nuclear renaissance......Page 64
3.2 Restarting the nuclear industry......Page 66
3.3 Restarting the nuclear R&D community......Page 67
3.3.1 The nuclear energy research initiative......Page 68
3.3.2 The Generation IV program......Page 70
3.3.3 The Global Nuclear Energy Partnership program......Page 71
3.4 Renewed interest by the military......Page 72
3.5 Emergence of contemporary SMR designs in the US......Page 73
3.6 Slowing of the nuclear renaissance......Page 77
3.7 International SMR activities......Page 78
References......Page 82
Two - Fundamentals and features......Page 84
4.1 Basic power plant features and functions......Page 86
4.2 Reactor generations......Page 88
4.3 Reactor technology classes......Page 89
4.3.1 Water-cooled reactors......Page 90
4.3.3 Metal-cooled reactors......Page 92
4.3.4 Salt-cooled reactors......Page 93
4.4 Big versus small......Page 94
References......Page 95
5.1 SMR terminology and basics......Page 96
5.2 Safety and the nuclear power industry......Page 97
5.3 Designing beyond safety......Page 100
5.4 Designing for robustness......Page 101
5.4.1 Passive safety systems......Page 102
5.4.2 Arrangement of primary system components......Page 103
5.4.3 Decay heat removal......Page 106
5.4.4 Other design features and options......Page 108
5.5 Resilience to Fukushima-type events......Page 111
References......Page 113
6 - Improving nuclear affordability......Page 116
6.1 The business of nuclear power......Page 117
6.2 Rethinking economic metrics......Page 118
6.3 Affordability......Page 119
6.4.1 Mitigating economies of scale......Page 123
6.4.2 Enhancing economies of small......Page 126
6.4.3 Diseconomies of scale......Page 128
6.4.4 Other economic considerations......Page 130
6.5 Reducing economic risk......Page 131
References......Page 133
7.1 Size matters......Page 136
7.1.1 Remote customers......Page 138
7.1.2 Grid management......Page 139
7.1.3 Nonelectrical customers......Page 141
7.2 Benefits of modularity......Page 142
7.3 Siting benefits......Page 143
7.4 Adaptability to heat applications......Page 145
7.4.1 District heating......Page 146
7.4.2 Water desalination......Page 147
7.4.3 Oil recovery and refining......Page 149
7.4.4 Hybrid energy system applications......Page 151
References......Page 153
Three - Promise to reality......Page 156
8.1 Emerging countries......Page 158
8.2 Domestic utilities......Page 164
8.3 Process heat users......Page 166
8.4 The US government......Page 167
8.4.1 Non-DOD federal facilities......Page 168
8.4.2 DOD facilities......Page 170
References......Page 172
9.1 Technical challenges and opportunities......Page 174
9.1.1 Technical challenges......Page 175
9.1.2 Technical opportunities......Page 177
9.2.1 US regulatory challenges......Page 179
9.2.2 International licensing......Page 184
9.2.4 Business challenges......Page 185
9.3 Social challenges and opportunities......Page 186
9.3.1 Nuclear waste and proliferation......Page 187
9.3.2 Surviving opponents and supporters......Page 188
9.3.3 Public acceptance......Page 189
9.4 Government roles......Page 191
References......Page 195
10.1 The fad......Page 198
10.2 The future......Page 200
10.3 Looking beyond the future......Page 202
References......Page 203
D......Page 204
H......Page 205
M......Page 206
O......Page 207
S......Page 208
W......Page 209
Back Cover......Page 210