Opportunities From Science And Technology 3

Opportunities from Science and Technology Nuclear Energy James A. Lake, Ph.D. Associate Laboratory Director Nuclear Programs National Council for Science and the Environment 6th National Conference on Science, Policy, and the Environment “Energy for a Sustainable and Secure Future”

January 26-27, 2006 Washington, DC

The Pressing Challenge for Nuclear Energy Today • Create a Technically Achievable, Economically Viable, Politically Palatable, and Environmentally Acceptable Nuclear Energy Option for the United States That Deserves and Earns Public Confidence and Trust.

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U.S. Nuclear Power Plant Fleet Is Operating More Safely and Productively Than Ever Before • • • • •

103 Operating Plants - 34 BWRs, 69 PWRs 99.6 GWe Installed Capacity - 789 Billion Kwh in 2004, 20% of electricity production Industry Capacity Factor 91%. Nuclear Electricity Production Increased by 23% Over Last Decade. Safety Performance Shows Continuous Improvement. In Past Decade, Forced Outage Rate Reduced by Factor of 5, and Frequency of “Significant Events” Reduced by Factor of 10. Most Plants Are Seeking Life Extensions/license Renewals – 39 License Extensions Granted – 10 License Extension Applications Pending – 29 Additional Applications Expected in Next Five Years

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Energy Policy Act of 2005 • Substantial Stimulus for Construction of New Nuclear Power Plants to Meet Growing Electricity Demands. • Funding Authorization for Nuclear Energy R&D • Authorization for Development and Demonstration of NextGeneration Nuclear Power Systems for Electricity and Hydrogen Production.

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Next Generation Nuclear Power Technology Goals

• Generation IV Program Goals Are Aimed at Developing Advanced Nuclear Systems That Are Deployable by 2030 or Earlier And:

2000-2003 GIF March 2003

- Have Adequate Fuel Resources and Reserves for Many Years and a Sustainable Fuel Cycle - Are Economically Competitive With Other Energy Alternatives - Are Even Safer and More Reliable Than Current Technology - Are Exceptionally Proliferation Resistant and Have Additional Protection Against External Threats

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Focus of Very High Temperature Reactor R&D • Fuels: Fuel Fabrication, Fuel Performance Modeling, Irradiation Testing, Fission Product Formation and Transport • Graphite and High Temperature Materials Qualification • Analytical Methods Development and Validation: Reactor Physics, Heat Transfer and Thermal Fluids, Structural Modeling and Simulation, Nuclear Data • Power Conversion Components: Intermediate Heat Exchanger, Turbine-compressor • Hydrogen Production

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High Temperature Reactor Fuel Development Research • Fabrication of Fuel Kernels for High Temperature and High Burnup Applications • Irradiation Testing, Post Irradiation Examination, and Safety Performance Testing of Fabricated Fuels • Fission Product “Source Term” under Accident Conditions • Fuel Performance Modeling UCO TRISO coated fuel irradiated to ~78% burnup Lake012606-7

High Temperature Materials Development and Qualification Research • Graphite Qualification • Alloy 617, and Other High Temperature Alloys, for the Intermediate Heat Exchanger • Composite (C/C and SiC/SiC) Development for Core Internals

Bi-axially Braided Tube

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Design and Safety Analysis Methods Development and Validation • Nuclear Data • Reactor Physics • Heat Transfer and Thermal Fluids • High Temperature Structural Analysis • System Simulation and Modeling

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High Temperature Hydrogen Production Research

High Temperature Electrolysis

Thermochemical Cycles Lake012606-10

Nuclear Energy Has an Opportunity to Contribute to a More Secure and Prosperous Tomorrow

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