A Concise Guide to Advanced Nuclear Reactors and SMR

In A Concise Guide to Advanced Nuclear Reactors and SMR, you'll learn ...

• The issues leading to the discontinuation of installing new conventional / legacy nuclear power plants
• The salient features and progress of “new generation” nuclear reactors
• The different type of nuclear fuels – the generic fuel, HALEU, Ceramic coated particle fuel (TRISO) etc.
• Passive safety systems adopted in advanced nuclear reactors.

Overview

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Credit: 4 PDH

Length: 48 pages

After decades, Nuclear Power Plants have again become the topic of discussion in the electric power generation scenario in the United States. For quite some time, there was a general apathy towards setting up new nuclear power plants for various reasons, mainly the high cost, delayed installation time, severe cost overrun, growing public aversion resulting from some major accidents, lingering problem of disposal of nuclear wastes etc.

The renewed interest on nuclear power plant in recent times is primarily driven by its green energy credential, coupled with the ever increasing energy demand and growing concerns about global warming. Other contributing factors are high capacity factor of nuclear power plants and the ability to be used as a base load dispatchable power source as opposed to renewable source of power. However, the renewed interest on nuclear power plants is focused on a new generation of reactor technologies, which eliminates or mitigates the major adverse aspects of conventional nuclear reactors. The focus of this course is on these “new generation” nuclear reactors.

The course material discusses various innovative ideas associated with the design of advanced new generation nuclear reactors like nonlight water cooling, ceramic coated particle fuel, the concepts of passive safety systems, functional containment, modular construction etc. to overcome the drawbacks and concerns of conventional nuclear power plants.

Some of these new generation reactor technologies were prevalent in the U.S. primarily for demonstration purposes and limited commercial application, which have been briefly discussed. Not all of these advanced reactor technologies have achieved sufficient technical maturity so far. Four of the more matured advanced technologies – Advanced modular light water reactor, High Temperature Gas cooled reactor, Liquid Sodium cooled fast reactor and Fluoride Salt cooled high temperature reactor are covered in this course. For each type, the course covers the historical background, general description, the fundamental safety systems, proposed power plants in the U.S., and expected availability.

Specific Knowledge or Skill Obtained

This course teaches the following specific knowledge and skills:

• The basic theory of nuclear fission
• Present day (conventional / legacy) nuclear power plants in the USA.
• Nuclear Waste management.
• Functional containment adopted for radionuclide retention in advanced nuclear reactors.
• The Industrial use (process heat) of Nuclear energy
• Introduction to the Fast reactor
• The essential characteristics of advanced reactors and small modular reactor (SMR)
• The salient features and progress of Advanced Light Water Modular Reactor
• The salient features and progress of High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor (HTGR)
• The salient features and progress of Liquid Sodium Cooled Fast Reactor (SFR)
• The salient features and progress of Fluoride Salt Cooled High Temperature Reactor (FHR)

Certificate of Completion

You will be able to immediately print a certificate of completion after passing a multiple-choice quiz consisting of 26 questions. PDH credits are not awarded until the course is completed and quiz is passed.