Transformational Challenge Reactor preconceptual core design studies

B. R. Betzler, B. J. Ade, A. J. Wysocki, P. K. Jain, P. C. Chesser, M. S. Greenwood, K. A. Terrani

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

48 Scopus citations

Abstract

In the nuclear industry, a manufacturing-informed design approach has the potential to yield the most benefit from advanced manufacturing. By leveraging advanced materials, data science, and rapid testing and deployment, manufacturing-informed design can drive down costs and development times, ultimately improving future commercial viability. This approach is being demonstrated in the US Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) Transformational Challenge Reactor (TCR) program. Preconceptual design activities for TCR have been focused on analyzing and maturing four reactor core design concepts: two fast-spectrum and two thermal-spectrum systems. The designs were iteratively modified and analyzed, and subcomponents were manufactured in parallel over weeks instead of months or years. To meet key program initiatives (e.g., timeline and material use), several constraints—including fissile material availability, component availability, materials compatibility, and additive manufacturing capabilities—were factored into the design effort, yielding small cores less than one cubic meter in volume with near-term viability. The TCR program has made significant progress on development of advanced moderator materials such as yttrium hydride, advancing the feasibility of gas-cooled thermal spectrum systems using less than 250 kg of high-assay low enriched uranium (HALEU) and occupying less than 1 m3. Each of the two resulting thermal designs uses a different fuel form: traditional UO2 ceramic fuel and tristructural isotropic (advanced TRISO) fuel particles embedded inside a SiC matrix. Core neutronics and thermal performance for these systems were assessed and summarized. Evaluation of the performance metrics for these two moderated designs has yielded the downselected TCR design: a TRISO-fueled and yttrium hydride moderated gas-cooled reactor.

Original languageEnglish
Article number110781
JournalNuclear Engineering and Design
Volume367
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2020

Funding

This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC, under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the US Department of Energy (DOE). The US government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the US government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for US government purposes. DOE will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan ( http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan ) This research was sponsored by the Transformational Challenge Reactor program of the US Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy. The authors are grateful to the contributions from an entire host of TCR team spanning areas well-beyond design and analysis. In particular Peter L. Wang, Nate D. See, Xunxiang Hu, Jordan D. Rader, Jesse J. W. Heineman, Joseph R. Burns, Briana D. Hiscox, Chase B. Joslin, Ryan K. Duncan, Michael. P. Trammell, Brian C. Jolly, Florent Heidet, Aurelien Bergeron,? James W. Sterbentz, Robert F. Kile, and Nicholas R. Brown** are acknowledged. Ms. Sherri Buchanan provided critical project management support and expertise. Daniel P. Schappel and Nicholas R. Brown performed a thorough review of the manuscript. This research was sponsored by the Transformational Challenge Reactor program of the US Department of Energy , Office of Nuclear Energy . The authors are grateful to the contributions from an entire host of TCR team spanning areas well-beyond design and analysis. In particular Peter L. Wang, Nate D. See, Xunxiang Hu, Jordan D. Rader, Jesse J. W. Heineman, Joseph R. Burns, Briana D. Hiscox, Chase B. Joslin, Ryan K. Duncan, Michael. P. Trammell, Brian C. Jolly, Florent Heidet, Aurelien Bergeron, ‡ James W. Sterbentz, Robert F. Kile, and Nicholas R. Brown ** are acknowledged. Ms. Sherri Buchanan provided critical project management support and expertise. Daniel P. Schappel and Nicholas R. Brown performed a thorough review of the manuscript.

Keywords

  • Additive manufacturing
  • Microreactor
  • TCR
  • UN TRISO
  • Yttrium hydride

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