Alan Bullick
Dr. McGinley
EVHM 3305-H01

 History
 Current Technologies
 BWR
 PWR
 Limitations
 Resources
 Thermal Inefficiencies
 Maintenance
 New Fission Reactor Designs and Benefits
 (GFR) Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor
 (LFR) Lead-Cooled Fast Reactor
 (MSR) Molten Salt Reactor
 (SFR) Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor
 (SCWR) Supercritical-Water-Cooled Reactor
 (VHTR) Very-High-Temperature Reactor
 New Fusion Design Technology
 Tokamak
 Results

CHICAGO PILE 1 DECEMBER 2, 1942
 Created by Enrico Fermi
 Consisted of a Pile of
Uranium Contained
Within Graphite Bricks
 Control Rods Manually
Operated
 Built on a Racket Court
Underneath the Alonzo
Stagg Field Stadium of the
University of Chicago

EXPERIMENTAL BREEDER BEGIN OPERATING
REACTOR I DECEMBER 20, 1951
 World’s First Nuclear
Power Plant to Generate
Electricity
 Decommissioned in
1964
 Located in Arco Idaho
a.k.a (Atomic City)
 Nuclear Reactor Became
Site of Idaho National
Labs

(PWR) PRESSURIZED WATER (BWR) BOILING WATER
REACTOR REACTOR

CURRENT RESOURCE
PROJECTIONS
RESOURCE PROJECTIONS
USING BREEDER REACTORS
AND MOX FUEL

THERMAL
INEFFICIENCIES MAINTENANCE
 Current Efficiencies of PWR  Every 1 to 2 Years a
and BWR Designs are Limited Conventional Nuclear Plant
by the Operating
Needs to Refuel Portions of
Temperatures of Their
Rankine Cycles. the Fuel Core Assembly
 Average Efficiency is 33%  Every 5 Years the Turbine-
 1500 MWe Nuclear Power Generator Must be Inspected
Plant Actually Produces 4500  1-2 Months Spent Offline for
MW of Power and Wastes 3000
MW. Each Maintenance Process
 3000 MW of Power can Power
876,000 Homes
 Average Inlet/Outlet Temps:
275˚C/325˚C (525˚F/650˚F)
Efficiency = ( 1 – Cold temperature / Hot temperature ) * 100

Members:
Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, Japan, the Republic of Korea,
the Republic of South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United
States, Switzerland, Euratom, the People’s Republic of China,
and the Russian Federation
Designs:
(GFR) Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor
(LFR) Lead-Cooled Fast Reactor
(MSR) Molten Salt Reactor
(SFR) Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor
(SCWR) Supercritical-Water-Cooled Reactor
(VHTR) Very-High-Temperature Reactor

Reactor Power: 600MWth
Net Efficiency: 48%
Coolant/Outlet Temp:
490˚C/850˚C
(914˚F/1562˚F)
Thermodynamic Cycle:
Brayton Cycle Operating
on Helium Gas

 Small/Modular
 Able to be Used as a Conventional Nuclear
Power Plant Waste Conversion Facility
 Able to Utilize Pebble Bed Fuel Technology in
Some Designs
 Hydrogen and Electrical Capabilities

Reactor Power:
50-150 MWe
300-400 MWe
1200 MWe
Coolant/Outlet Temp:
1022˚F-1472˚F
Thermodynamic Cycle:
Brayton Cycle Operating on
CO2 Gas
Rankine Cycle Operating on
Super Critical H20

 Easily Scalable Design
 Long Refueling Intervals (10-30 Years)
 Nuclear Waste Management Capabilities
 Hydrogen and Electrical Capabilities

Reactor Power:
1000 MWe
Outlet Temp: 1300˚F
Thermodynamic Cycle:
Brayton Cycle Operating
on Helium Gas

 Large Size
 Highly Sustainable Closed Fuel Cycle
 Nuclear Waste Management Capabilities
 Hydrogen and Electrical Capabilities

Reactor Power:
150-500 MWe
500-1500 MWe
Outlet Temp: 550˚C
(1022˚F)
Thermodynamic Cycle:
Brayton Cycle Operating
on CO2 Gas

 Large/Medium Size
 Near Term Deployment
 Nuclear Waste Management Capabilities

Reactor Power:
1700 MWe
Net Efficiency: 44%
Outlet Temp: 550˚C
(1022˚F)
Thermodynamic Cycle:
Brayton Cycle Operating
on Helium Gas

 Nuclear Waste Management Capabilities

Reactor Power:
600 MWth
Outlet Temp: 1000˚C
(1832˚F)
Thermodynamic Cycle:
Brayton Cycle Operating
on Helium Gas

 Medium Size Design
 Design Appropriate for Hydrogen Production

 Fusion is the Process Powering the Sun
 Recreating Difficulties on Earth
 Material Limitations
 Gravitational Limitations
 Solutions
 Control Plasma Created From Ionized Atoms Using
Super-Cooled Super-Conducting Magnets Named
Tokamaks

 The Joint European Torus (JET) was Able to
Produce a 16 MW Pulse for 1 Second in 1997
 The Tora Supra was Able to Sustain Plasma
Confinement for 6.5 Minutes in 2003.
 Current Goal is to Achieve Power
Multiplication of 10x

 Radioactive Half-life of Tritium is 12.3 Years
Instead of the 700 Million Year Half-life of
Uranium
 The Fusion Process Has a Higher Energy/Mass
Fuel Ratio Than the Fission Process

 Nuclear Power Remains a Very Viable Option
Even Without Future Technological
Advancements
 Nuclear Advancements Will be Able to Aid
Developing Countries With Both Electrical and
Water Generation Capabilities
 Generation IV Nuclear
Plants Allow For the
Possibility of a Hydrogen
Fueled Future

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