List of small modular reactor designs

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Small modular reactors are approximately one-third the size of the current nuclear plants (about 350 MWe or less) and have compact and scalable designs which propose to offer a host of safety, construction and economic benefits by offering great potential for lower initial capital investment and scalability.

Summary table[edit]

List of small nuclear reactor designs[1]
Name Gross power (MWe) Type Producer Status
4S 10–50 SFR Toshiba, Japan Detailed Design
ABV-6 6–9 PWR OKBM Afrikantov, Russia Detailed Design
ANGSTREM[2] 6 LFR OKB Gidropress, Russia Conceptual Design
mPower 195 PWR Babcock & Wilcox, USA Basic Design. Cancelled March 2017
BREST-OD-300[3] 300 LFR Atomenergoprom, Russia Detailed Design
CAREM 27–30 PWR CNEA & INVAP, Argentina Under Construction
CUBE-100 100 MSR Seaborg Technologies, Denmark Conceptual Design
EGP-6 11 RBMK IPPE & Teploelektroproekt Design, Russia Operating
(not actively marketed due to legacy design, will be taken out of operation permanently in 2019)
ELENA[a] 0.068 PWR Kurchatov Institute, Russia Conceptual Design
Flexblue 160 PWR Areva TA / DCNS group, France Conceptual Design
Fuji MSR 200 MSR International Thorium Molten Salt Forum (ITMSF), Japan Conceptual Design(?)
GT-MHR 285 HTGR OKBM Afrikantov, Russia Conceptual Design Completed
G4M 25 LFR Gen4 Energy, USA Conceptual Design
IMSR400 185–192 MSR Terrestrial Energy, Inc.,[6] Canada Conceptual Design
IRIS 335 PWR Westinghouse-led, international Basic Design
KLT-40S 35 PWR OKBM Afrikantov, Russia Under Construction
MHR-100 25–87 HTGR OKBM Afrikantov, Russia Conceptual Design
MHR-T[b] 4х205.5 HTGR OKBM Afrikantov, Russia Conceptual Design
MRX 30–100 PWR JAERI, Japan Conceptual Design
NP-300 100–300 PWR Areva TA, France Conceptual Design
NuScale 45–50 LWR NuScale Power LLC, USA Licensing Stage
PBMR-400 165 HTGR Eskom, South Africa, et al. Detailed Design
RITM-200 50 PWR OKBM Afrikantov, Russia Under Construction
SMART 100 PWR KAERI, S. Korea Licensed
SMR-160 160 PWR Holtec International, USA Conceptual Design
SVBR-100[7][8] 100 LFR OKB Gidropress, Russia Detailed Design
SSR-W 300-1000 MSR Moltex Energy,[9] UK Conceptual Design
S-PRISM 311 FBR GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy Detailed Design
TerraPower 10 TWR Intellectual Ventures - Bellevue, WA USA Conceptual Design
U-Battery 4 HTGR U-Battery consortium,[c] UK Conceptual Design[10]
VBER-300 325 PWR OKBM Afrikantov, Russia Licensing Stage
VK-300 250 BWR Atomstroyexport, Russia Detailed Design
VVER-300 300 BWR OKB Gidropress, Russia Conceptual Design
Westinghouse SMR 225 PWR Westinghouse Electric Company, USA Preliminary Design Completed
Xe-100 35 HTGR X-energy,[11] USA Conceptual design development
Updated as of 2014. Some reactors are not included in IAEA Report. Not all IAEA reactors are listed yet.
  1. ^ If completed, ELENA would be the smallest commercial nuclear reactor ever built.[4][5]
  2. ^ Multi-unit complex based on the GT-MHR reactor design, designed primarily for hydrogen production.
  3. ^ Urenco Group, Atkins, Amec Foster Wheeler, Laing O'Rourke, Cammell Laird, Nuclear AMRC

Reactor designs[edit]

CAREM: Argentina[edit]

CAREM reactor logo

Developed by the Argentine National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) & INVAP, CAREM is a simplified pressurized water reactor (PWR) designed to have electrical output of 100MW or 25MW. It is an integral reactor – the primary system coolant circuit is fully contained within the reactor vessel.

The fuel is uranium oxide with a 235
U enrichment of 3.4%. The primary coolant system uses natural circulation, so there are no pumps required, which provides inherent safety against core meltdown, even in accident situations. The integral design also minimizes the risk of loss-of-coolant accidents (LOCA). Annual refueling is required.[12] Currently, the first reactor of the type is being built near the city of Zárate, in the northern part of Buenos Aires province.

Encapsulated Nuclear Heat Source (ENHS): United States[edit]

ENHS is a liquid metal reactor (LMR) that uses lead (Pb) or lead-bismuth (Pb-Bi) coolant. Pb has a higher boiling point than the other commonly used coolant metal, sodium, and is chemically inert with air and water. The difficulty is finding structural materials that will be compatible with the Pb or Pb-Bi coolant, especially at high temperatures. The ENHS uses natural circulation for the coolant and the turbine steam, eliminating the need for pumps. It is also designed with autonomous control, with a load-following power generation design, and a thermal-to-electrical efficiency of more than 42%. The fuel is either U-Zr or U-Pu-Zr, and can keep the reactor at full power for 15 years before needing to be refueled, with either 239
Pu at 11% or 235
U at 13%

It requires on-site storage, at least until it cools enough that the coolant solidifies, making it very resistant to proliferation. However, the reactor vessel weighs 300 tons with the coolant inside, and that can pose some transportation difficulties.[13]

Flibe Energy: United States[edit]

Flibe Energy is a US-based company established to design, construct and operate small modular reactors based on liquid fluoride thorium reactor (LFTR) technology (a type of molten salt reactor). The name "Flibe" comes from FLiBe, a Fluoride salt of Lithium and Beryllium, used in LFTRs. Initially 20-50 MW (electric) version will be developed, to be followed by 100 MWe "utility-class reactors" at a later time.[14] Assembly line construction is planned, producing "mobile units that can be dispersed throughout the country where they need to go to generate the power." Initially the company is focusing on producing SMRs to power remote military bases.[15]

Hyperion Power Module (HPM): United States[edit]

A commercial version of a Los Alamos National Laboratory project, the HPM is a LMR that uses a Pb-Bi coolant. It has an output of 25 MWe, and less than 20% 235
U enrichment. The reactor is a sealed vessel, which is brought to the site intact and removed intact for refueling at the factory, reducing proliferation dangers. Each module weighs less than 50 tons. It has both active and passive safety features.[16][17]

Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR): Canada[edit]

Main article: IMSR

The IMSR is a 33-291 MWe SMR design being developed by Terrestrial Energy Inc. (TEI)[18] based in Mississauga, Canada. The reactor core includes components from two existing designs; the Denatured Molten Salt Reactor (DMSR) and Small Modular Advanced High Temperature Reactor (smAHRT). Both designs are from Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Main design features include neutron moderation from graphite (thermal spectrum) and fuelling by low-enriched uranium dissolved in molten fluoride-based salt. TEI’s goal is to have the IMSR licensed and ready for commercial roll-out by early next decade.[19] It is currently progressing through the Vendor Design Review (VDR) with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC)[20].

International Reactor Innovative & Secure (IRIS): United States[edit]

Main article: International Reactor Innovative and Secure

Developed by an international consortium led by Westinghouse and the nuclear energy research initiative (NERI), IRIS-50 is a modular PWR with a generation capacity of 50MWe. It uses natural circulation for the coolant. The fuel is a uranium oxide with 5% enrichment of 235
U that can run for five years between refueling. Higher enrichment might lengthen the refueling period, but could pose some licensing problems. Iris is an integral reactor, with a high-pressure containment design.[16][21]

Modified KLT-40: Russia[edit]

Based on the design of nuclear power supplies for Russian icebreakers, the modified KLT-40 uses a proven, commercially available PWR system. The coolant system relies on forced circulation of pressurized water during regular operation, although natural convection is usable in emergencies. The fuel may be enriched to above 20%, the limit for low-enriched uranium, which may pose non-proliferation problems. The reactor has an active (requires action) safety system with an emergency feedwater system. Refueling is required every two to three years.[22] The first example is a 21,500 tonne ship, the Akademik Lomonosov launched July 2010.

mPower: United States[edit]

The mPower from Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) is an integrated PWR SMR. The nuclear steam supply systems (NSSS) for the reactor arrive at the site already assembled, and so require very little construction. Each reactor module would produce around 180MWe, and could be linked together to form the equivalent of one large nuclear power plant. B&W has submitted a letter of intent for design approval to the NRC.[23] Babcock & Wilcox announced on February 20, 2013 that they had contracted with the Tennessee Valley Authority to apply for permits to build an mPower small modular reactor at TVA's Clinch River site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.[24][25]

In March 2017 the development project was terminated, with Bechtel citing the inability to find a utility company that would provide a site for a first reactor and an investor.[26][27]

NuScale: United States[edit]

Originally a Department of Energy and Oregon State University project, the NuScale module reactors have been taken over by NuScale Power, Inc. The NuScale is a light water reactor (LWR), with 235
U fuel enrichment of less than 4.95% of Areva.[28] It has a 2-year refueling period. The modules, however, are exceptionally heavy, each weighing approximately 500 tons. Each module has an electrical output of 45 MW, and a single NuScale power plant can be scaled from one to 12 modules. The company originally hoped to have a plant up and running by 2018.[16][29] More recently it is seeking approval for plans for a plant to start operating in 2026.[30]

Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR): South Africa[edit]

The PBMR is a modernized version of a design first proposed in the 1950s and deployed in the 1960s in Germany. It uses spherical fuel elements coated with graphite and silicon carbide filled with up to 10,000 TRISO particles, which contain uranium dioxide (UO
2) and appropriate passivation and safety layers. The pebbles are then placed into a reactor core, comprising around 450,000 "pebbles". The core's output is 165 MWe. It runs at very high temperatures (900 °C) and uses helium, a noble gas as the primary coolant; helium is used as it does not interact with structural or nuclear materials. Heat can be transferred to steam generators or gas turbines, which can use either Rankine (steam) or Brayton (gas turbine) cycles.[16][31] South Africa terminated funding for the development of the PBMR in 2010; most scientists working on the project have moved abroad to nations such as the United States, Australia, and Canada.[32]

Purdue Novel Modular Reactor (NMR): United States[edit]

Based on the boiling water reactor (BWR) designs by General Electric (GE), the NMR is a natural circulation SMR with an electric output of 50 MWe.The NMR has a much shorter Reactor Pressure Vessel compared to conventional BWRs. The coolant steam drives the turbines directly, eliminating the need for a steam generator. It uses natural circulation, so there are no coolant pumps.The reactor has both negative void and negative temperature coefficients . It uses a uranium oxide fuel with 235
U enrichment of 5%, which doesn’t need to be refueled for 10 years. The double passive safety systems include gravity-driven water injection and containment cavity cooling system to withstand prolonged station blackout in case of severe accidents. The NMR would require temporary on-site storage of spent fuel, and even with the modular design would need significant assembly.[33][34]

Remote Site-Modular Helium Reactor (RS-MHR): United States[edit]

Basic schematic of a Gas-Cooled Reactor

The RS-MHR is a General Atomics project. It is a helium gas cooled reactor. The reactor is contained in one vessel, with all of the coolant and heat transfer equipment enclosed in a second vessel, attached to the reactor by a single coaxial line for coolant flow. The plant is a four-story, entirely above-ground building with a 10–25 MW electrical output. The helium coolant doesn’t interact with the structural metals or the reaction, and simply removes the heat, even at extremely high temperatures, which allow around 50% efficiency, whereas water-cooled and fossil fuel plants average 30–35%. The fuel is a uranium oxide coated particle fuel with 19.9% enrichment. The particles are pressed into cylindrical fuel elements and inserted into graphite blocks. For a 10MWe plant, there are 57 of these graphite blocks in the reactor. The refueling period is six to eight years. Temporary on-site storage of spent fuel is required. Proliferation risks are fairly low, since there are few graphite blocks and it would be very noticeable if some went missing.[35]

Super Safe, Small & Simple (4S): Japan[edit]

Main article: Toshiba 4S
Toshiba 4S reactor design

Designed by the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI), the 4S is an extremely modular design, fabricated in a factory and requiring very little construction on-site. It is a sodium (Na) cooled reactor, using a U-Zr or U-Pu-Zr fuel. The design relies on a moveable neutron reflector to maintain a steady state power level for anywhere from 10 to 30 years. The liquid metal coolant allows the use of electro-magnetic (EM) pumps, with natural circulation used in emergencies.[16][36]

Stable Salt Reactor (SSR): United Kingdom[edit]

The SSR is a nuclear reactor design proposed by Moltex Energy[37]. It represents a breakthrough in molten salt reactor technology, with the potential to make nuclear power safer, cheaper and cleaner. The modular nature of the design, including reactor core and non-nuclear buildings, allows rapid deployment on a large scale. The design uses static fuel salt in conventional fuel assemblies thus avoiding many of the challenges associated with pumping a highly radioactive fluid and simultaneously complies with many pre-existing international standards. Materials challenges are also greatly reduced through the use of standard nuclear certified steel, with minimal risk of corrosion.

The SSR wasteburning variant SSR-W, rated at 300MWe, is currently progressing through the Vendor Design Review (VDR) with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC)[38].

Traveling Wave Reactor (TWR): United States[edit]

The TWR from Intellectual Ventures' TerraPower team is another innovative reactor design. It is based on the idea of a fission chain reaction moving through a core in a "wave". The idea is that the slow breeding and burning of fuel would move through the core for 50 to 100 years without needing to be stopped, so long as plenty of fertile 238
U is supplied. The only enriched 235
U required would be a thin layer to start the chain reaction. So far, the reactor only exists in theory, the only testing done with computer simulations. A large reactor concept has been designed, but the small modular design is still being conceptualized.[39]

Westinghouse SMR[edit]

The Westinghouse SMR design is a scaled down version of the AP1000 reactor, designed to generate 225 MWe.

After losing a second time in December 2013 for funding through the U.S. Department of Energy's SMR commercialization program, and citing "no customers" for SMR technology, Westinghouse announced in January 2014 that it is backing off from further development of the company's SMR. Westinghouse staff devoted to SMR development was "reprioritized" to the company's AP1000.[40]

Rolls-Royce SMR[edit]

Rolls-Royce is preparing a design called the UK SMR, a close-coupled four-loop PWR design. The power output is planned to be 440 MWe, which is above the usual range considered to be a SMR.[41][42] The consortium developing the design is seeking UK government finance to support further development.[43] In 2017 The UK government provided funding of up to £56 million over three years to support SMR research and development.[44]

Nimble Dragon: China[edit]

China National Nuclear Corporation plans to build an SMR named the Nimble Dragon in the province of Hainan.[45]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ IAEA Report
  2. ^ "THE ANGSTREM PROJECT: PRESENT STATUS AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES" (PDF). Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  3. ^ https://smr.inl.gov/Document.ashx?path=DOCS%2FSMR+technologies%2FBREST%2FDesign_features_of+BREST+Reactors.pdf
  4. ^ http://www.iaea.org/nuclearenergy/nuclearpower/Downloadable/SMR/files/4_UPDATED_STATUS_ON_GLOBAL_SMR_DEVELOPMENT__as_of_September_2014.pdf
  5. ^ http://www.iaea.org/nuclearenergy/nuclearpower/Downloadable/SMR/files/IAEA_SMR_Booklet_2014.pdf
  6. ^ "Terrestrial Energy | Integral Molten Salt Reactor Technology". Terrestrial Energy. Retrieved 2016-11-12.
  7. ^ http://www.gidropress.podolsk.ru/files/booklets/en/svbr75_100_en.pdf
  8. ^ http://www.iaea.org/NuclearPower/Downloadable/Meetings/2011/2011-07-04-07-08-WS-NPTD/2_RUSSIA_SVBR_AKME-eng_Antysheva.pdf
  9. ^ "Moltex Energy | Safer Cheaper Cleaner Nuclear | Stable Salt Reactors | SSR". moltexenergy.com. Retrieved 2018-04-10.
  10. ^ Onstad, Eric (8 Feb 2013). "Nuclear fuel firm champions "plug-and-play" micro reactors". Reuters. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  11. ^ "Energy Department Announces New Investments in Advanced Nuclear Power Reactors..." US Department of Energy. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  12. ^ Report to Congress 2001, pp. 20–22
  13. ^ Report to Congress 2001, pp. 22–24
  14. ^ Sorensen, Kirk (4 October 2011). "Flibe Energy in the UK, Part 4: DECC — The Energy From Thorium Foundation". Energyfromthorium.com. Retrieved 2012-12-18.
  15. ^ Big Picture05/28/2011 (2012-12-14). "Kirk Sorensen: Thorium Could Be Our Energy "Silver Bullet" Safer, cleaner and cheaper thorium reactors could change the world | James J Puplava CFP". Financial Sense. Retrieved 2012-12-18.
  16. ^ a b c d e Advanced Reactors, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
  17. ^ "A New Paradigm for Power Generation", Hyperion Power Generation
  18. ^ "Terrestrial Energy Inc". http://www.terrestrialenergy.com. External link in |website= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help)
  19. ^ http://www.the-weinberg-foundation.org/2013/04/12/a-simple-and-smahtr-way-to-build-a-molten-salt-reactor-from-canada/
  20. ^ "CNSC Vendor Design Review".
  21. ^ Report to Congress 2001, pp. 24–25
  22. ^ Report to Congress 2001, pp. 25–27
  23. ^ "Modern Nuclear Reactors", The Babcock & Wilcox Company
  24. ^ "B&W, TVA Sign Contract for Clinch River mPower Construction Permit". Charlotte, NC: Babcock & Wilcox. February 20, 2013. Archived from the original (press release) on March 30, 2013. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
  25. ^ Matthew L. Wald (February 20, 2013). "Deal Advances Development of a Smaller Nuclear Reactor". The New York Times. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
  26. ^ Adams, Rod (13 March 2017). "Bechtel And BWXT Quietly Terminate mPower Reactor Project". Forbes. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
  27. ^ Carmel, Margaret (15 March 2017). "BWXT, Bechtel shelve mPower program". Roanoke Times. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
  28. ^ États-Unis : AREVA Inc. remporte un contrat auprès de NuScale pour la fabrication de combustible de réacteur nucléaire SMR
  29. ^ "Overview of NuScale Technology", NuScale Power
  30. ^ Geoff Brumfiel (13 January 2017). "Miniaturized Nuclear Power Plant? U.S. Reviewing Proposed Design".
  31. ^ "PBMR Technology", Pebble Bed Modular Reactor Ltd.
  32. ^ Campbell, K. (21 June 2010). "Solidarity union reports last rites for the PBMR". Engineering News Online. External link in |publisher= (help)
  33. ^ Report to Congress 2001, pp. 29–30
  34. ^ "Global Energy Crisis and Renaissance of Nuclear Engineering", pg. 30. 2009 Hawkins Memorial Lecture, Mamoru Ishii, School of Nuclear Engineering, Purdue University
  35. ^ Report to Congress 2001, pp. 30–33
  36. ^ Report to Congress 2001, pp. 36–37
  37. ^ "An Introduction to the Moltex Energy Portfolio" (PDF).
  38. ^ "CNSC Vendor Design Review".
  39. ^ "Introducing Traveling-Wave Reactors", Intellectual Ventures
  40. ^ "Westinghouse backs off small nuclear plants." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2/1/2014.
  41. ^ "Rolls-Royce elaborates on its SMR plans". World Nuclear News. 13 June 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
  42. ^ UK SMR: A National Endeavour (PDF) (Report). Rolls-Royce. 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  43. ^ "UK SMR consortium calls for government support". World Nuclear News. 12 September 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  44. ^ "UK government announces support for nuclear innovation". Nuclear Engineering International. 11 December 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  45. ^ Stanway, David. "Enter the Nimble Dragon: China looks to small reactors for nuclear edge". Reuters. Reuters. Retrieved 4 August 2017.

External links[edit]

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