Design of an Organic Simplified Nuclear Reactor
Name
1-s2.0-S1738573316300031-main.pdf
Size
1.14 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
1949d75d3ef7c73f6cad7028391bb498
Author(s)
Shirvan, Koroush
Forrest, Eric
Date Issued
March 2016
Journal
Nuclear Engineering and Technology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Citation
Shirvan, Koroush, and Eric Forrest. “Design of an Organic Simplified Nuclear Reactor.” Nuclear Engineering and Technology, vol. 48, no. 4, Aug. 2016, pp. 893–905. © 2016, Published by Elsevier Korea LLC on behalf of Korean Nuclear Society
Version
Final published version
Abstract
Numerous advanced reactor concepts have been proposed to replace light water reactors ever since their establishment as the dominant technology for nuclear energy production. While most designs seek to improve cost competitiveness and safety, the implausibility of doing so with affordable materials or existing nuclear fuel infrastructure reduces the possibility of near-term deployment, especially in developing countries. The organic nuclear concept, first explored in the 1950s, offers an attractive alternative to advanced reactor designs being considered. The advent of high temperature fluids, along with advances in hydrocracking and reforming technologies driven by the oil and gas industries, make the organic concept even more viable today. We present a simple, cost-effective, and safe small modular nuclear reactor for offshore underwater deployment. The core is moderated by graphite, zirconium hydride, and organic fluid while cooled by the organic fluid. The organic coolant enables operation near atmospheric pressure and use of plain carbon steel for the reactor tank and primary coolant piping system. The core is designed to mitigate the coolant degradation seen in early organic reactors. Overall, the design provides a power density of 40 kW/L, while reducing the reactor hull size by 40% compared with a pressurized water reactor while significantly reducing capital plant costs. Keywords: Advanced Concepts, Graphite Moderated, Nuclear Design, Organic Reactor, Santowax, SMR
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering
Terms of Use
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License
Persistent DSpace Link
DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1016/J.NET.2016.02.019
