Day 1 -Tuesday, November 1, 2016

 Afternoon session

2:00 - 3:00p Registration Foyer

3:00-3:30p Welcome Jacopo Buongiorno (CANES, Director) and Robert Armstrong (MITEI, Director)

Hunsaker

3:30-5:00p Session I Chair:  Michael Golay (MIT)

Must-Dos for Advanced NPPs •  Results of the Secretary of Energy Task Force Report on the Future of Nuclear

Power – John Deutch (MIT) •  Confronting the Economic Challenge – John Parsons (MIT) •  Personal Perspectives on design, safety, and regulatory options for advanced

nuclear power plants – Pete Lyons (ret. NRC and DOE)

6:00-7:00p Reception Taylor Room

7:00-8:30p Dinner MC Dennis Whyte (MIT) Luscomb Ballroom

Speakers: John Kelly (DOE), Mike Corradini (U. Wisconsin),  Neil Todreas (MIT)

Nuclear beyond LWRs - A Celebration of Neil Todreas’ ���Career and Passion for Advanced Reactors

Agenda

MIT Center for Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems (CANES)– A MITEI Low-Carbon Energy Center –

Le Meridien Hotel 20 Sidney Street , Cambridge, MA 02139

November 1- 2, 2016

Day 2 - Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Morning Session

7:30 - 8:30a Registration Foyer

8:30-10:00a Session II Chair: John Parsons (MIT) 

Focus on Economics •  How to Make Advanced Nuclear Power Plants Cheap – Jessica

Lovering (Breakthrough Institute) •  Designing Advanced  Nuclear Power Plants to Fit Future Energy Market

(Boosting Revenue, Full Reactor Core Operation with Variable Plant output, Energy, Storage, Liquid Fuels) – Charles Forsberg (MIT)  

•  Leveraging Advanced Sensors, Analytics, Robotics, and Automation to Reduce Operating Costs and make Future NPPs Competitive – Jake Jurewicz (Exelon)

Hunsaker

Break – 15 minutes

10:15-12:30p Session III Chair:  Everett Redmond (NEI)

Advanced Reactor Technologies •  Can GFRs Meet the Challenge to Nuclear Power Economic Viability?  – Bob Schleicher (GA) •  HTGRs:  Near-Term High Temperature Heat with Enhanced Safety for Broad

Energy Markets – Lewis Lommers (Areva) •  Lead-cooled Fast Reactor: Westinghouse’s Next Generation Technology  – Paolo Ferroni (Westinghouse) •  Traveling Wave Reactor: A Once-Through SFR for Sustainable Globally

Scalable Energy Solution and Overview of Development Status  – Pavel Hejzlar (Terrapower) •  Southern Company's advanced nuclear R&D program overview and

perspective on MSRs – Joe Kowalczyk (Southern Company)

12:30-1:30p Working Lunch, Richard Lester (MIT, Chair) •  How Fear of Nuclear Ends – Michael Shellenberger

(Environmental Progress)

Luscomb Ballroom

Break – 15 minutes

1:45-3:15p  Session IV Chair: John Kelly (DOE)

Game-Changing Design Features for Advanced NPPs •  Accident Tolerant Fuel for Advanced Reactors – David Petti (INL) •  Towards inexpensive, durable, easy-to-pour-and-cure, functionalized, nuclear-grade concrete – 

Oral Buyukozturk (MIT) •  Nano-engineered surfaces to change the rules of heat transfer in advanced nuclear reactors – 

Matteo Bucci (MIT) 

3:15-3:30 Conclusions - Jacopo Buongiorno (MIT)

3:30 – Adjourn

Name   Affilia*on  Armstrong, Robert Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Baglietto, Emilio Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Ball, John GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy

Bartzis, John DEMOKRITOS

Benque, Jean-Pierre EDF (Retired)

Bley, Dennis Buttonwood Consulting

Brown, Gilbert University of Massachusetts Lowell

Brown, Meta Meta S. Brown

Bucci, Matteo Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Buongiorno, Jacopo Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Buyukozturk, Oral Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Carranza, Louis Massachusetts Institute of Technology

CARRE, Franck Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique

Corradini, Michael UW-Madison

Denman, Matthew Sandia National Laboratories

Deutch, John Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Diaz, Eleazar Headwaters Resources, Inc.

Dinh, Nam North Carolina State University

Downar, Thomas University of Michigan

Driscoll, Michael Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Edsinger, Kurt Electric Power Research Institute

Elebua, Sunny Exelon Corporate

Ferroni, Paolo Westinghouse Ford, Michael Carnegie Mellon University

Forget, Ben Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Forsberg, Charles Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Gehin, Jess Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Golay, Michael Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Goldner, Frank U.S. Department of Energy

HASSAN, Yassin Texas A&M University

Hejzlar, Pavel TerraPower

Hu, Lin-wen Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Huber, Dennis Booz Allen Hamilton

Participants  

Name   Affilia*on  Ingersoll, Eric Lucid /Eon

Isaacs, Tom

Joshi, Anupam Greengenes – LBNL

Jumel, Stephanie Électricité de France

Jurewicz, Jake Exelon Corporate

Kadak, Andrew Kadak Associates, Inc

Kauffman, Storm MPR Associates Inc.

Kelly, John U.S. Department of Energy

Kirchner, Walter Retired, Argonne National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory

Kohse, Gordon Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Kowalczyk, Joe Southern Company Services Kupwade-Patil, Kunal Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Lassiter, Joseph Harvard Business School

Lefkowitz, Sheldon Pentek, Inc.

Lester, Richard Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Levin, Alan U.S. Department of Energy

Li, Feng Summit View Capital

Li, Ju Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Loewen, Eric GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy

Lommers, Lewis AREVA

Lostan, Lydia Shell

Lovering, Jessica The Breakthrough Institute

Luangdilok, Wison Fauske & Associates, LLC

Lyons, Peter Retired, DOE

Mattingly, Brett

McMahon, Michael Energy Strategies, LLC

Namekawa, Fumihiko Toshiba

Nguyen, Tat Nghia

Participants  

Name   Affilia*on  Nielsen, Robert ExxonMobil

Ninokata, Hisashi Dipartimento di Energia, Politecnico di Milano

O’Sullivan, Frank Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Parlatan, Yuksel Ontario Power Generation

Parsons, John Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Passerini, Stefano Argonne National Laboratory

Pate, Zack

Petti, David Idaho National Laboratory

Plant, Jonathan Taylor & Francis / CRC Press

Plys, Martin Fauske & Associates

Redmond, Everett Nuclear Energy Institute

Rempe, Joy Rempe and Associates, LLC

Schleicher, Bob General Atomics

Shellenberger, Michael Founder and President, Environmental Progress

Shirvan, Koroush Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Short, Michael Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Slaybaugh, Rachel University of California, Berkeley

Smit, Dirk Shell Global

Symolon, Paul

Todreas, Neil Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Tuohy, Jack

Van der Lee, Jan Électricité de France

Varrin, Robert Dominion Engineering

Villanueva-Moreno, Carlos

Whyte, Dennis Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Witter, Jonathan

Yildiz, Bilge Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Yip, Sidney Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Participants  

Staff    

Banquet  

Name   Affilia*on  

Bowen, Leslie Buttonwood Consulting

Chen, Sow-Hsin Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Chen, Ching-chih Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Huber, Elizabeth Booz Allen Hamilton

Devries Gwinn, Jennifer Devries Gwinn, Jennifer

Kazimi, Nazik Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Morton, Rachel Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Ninokata, Kimiko Dipartimento di Energia, Politecnico di Milano

Rodewald, Russ

Todreas, Carol Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Todreas, Ian

Name   Affilia*on  

Carrington, Carolyn Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MIT  Students    

Name   Affilia*on  

Acton, Michael Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Alvarez, Andres Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cai, Yinan Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Champlin, Patrick Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Conway, Jared Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Curtis, Daniel Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Dawson, Karen Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Ducru, Pablo Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Guion, Alexandre Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Haratyk, Geoffrey Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Jagoe, Randall Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Macdonald, Ruaridh Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Minelli, Paolo Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Otgonbaatar, Uuganbayar Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Rush, Lucas Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Su, Guanyu Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Verma, Aditi Massachusetts Institute of Technology

White, Patrick Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Yau, Kayen Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Yu, Lun Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Zhao, Xingang Massachusetts Institute of Technology

This  page  is  inten,onally  le0    blank.  

Results of the Secretary of Energy Task Force Report on the Future of Nuclear Power

John Deutch

Institute Professor and Professor of Chemistry, MIT former Director of Energy Research, MIT; Undersecretary U.S. Dept. of Energy

77 Massachusetts Avenue, 24-215, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA

Biography John Deutch is an Institute Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Mr. Deutch has been a member of the MIT faculty since 1970, and has served as Chairman of the Department of Chemistry, Dean of Science, and Provost. Mr. Deutch has published over 160 technical publications in physical chemistry, as well as numerous publications on technology, energy, international security, and public policy issues. John Deutch served as Director of Central Intelligence from May 1995-December 1996. From 1994-1995, he served as Deputy Secretary of Defense and served as Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology from 1993-1994. John Deutch has also served as Director of Energy Research (1977-1979), Acting Assistant Secretary for Energy Technology (1979), and Undersecretary (1979-80) in the United States Department of Energy. In addition, John Deutch has served on the President’s Nuclear Safety Oversight Committee (1980-81); the President’s Commission on Strategic Forces (1983); the White House Science Council (1985-89); the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board (1990-93); the President’s Commission on Aviation Safety and Security (1996); the President’s Commission on Reducing and Protecting Government Secrecy (1996-1997); and as Chairman of the Commission to Assess the Organization of the Federal Government to Combat the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (1998-99). He was a member of the President’s Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology (1997-2001). He received the Aspen Strategy Group Leadership Award in 2004 and was the Phi Beta Kappa “Orator” at Harvard University, 2005. He is a member of the National Petroleum Council. In 2009 John Deutch received the MIT Gordon Y Billard award: “… for special service of outstanding merit performed for the Institute.” He is chair of the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board. B.A. - History and Economics, Amherst College B.S. - Chemical Engineering, MIT Ph.D. - Physical Chemistry, MIT

Confronting the Economic Challenge

John Parsons

Massachusetts Institute of Technology 77 Massachusetts Avenue, 24-215, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA

Abstract The twin challenges of climate change and economic development demand low cost zero carbon energy. Can nuclear technology provide one solution? If the past is a guide, strong doubts are in order. Recent experience in the west has been poor. Nuclear looks to be costly, even if necessary. However, there are major innovations in play that could dramatically change the terrain and make nuclear competitive. For that to happen, the players need to confront forthrightly what it means to be low cost and competitive.

Biography Dr. Parsons is a member of the Finance Group at MIT’s Sloan School of Management. His research focuses on the valuation and financing of investments in energy and environmental markets. He participated in three of MIT’s “Future of…” studies: Solar, Natural Gas, and the Nuclear Fuel Cycle. He is the co-Director of the MIT Energy Initiative’s Low Carbon Energy Center focused on advanced nuclear generation. He was formerly Executive Director of MIT’s Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research (CEEPR) and also of MIT’s Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change, and was recently a Visiting Scholar at the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. He holds a BA in Economics from Princeton University and a PhD in Economics from Northwestern University. For ten years Dr. Parsons worked in the Finance Practice at CRA working with major international oil companies, electric

utilities and public agencies.

PERSONAL PERSPECTIVES on DESIGN, SAFETY AND REGULATORY OPTIONS FOR

ADVANCED NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS

Peter Lyons

Former Commissioner, NRC; Former Director, DOE - Nuclear Energy Office

Abstract

Design, safety and regulatory options for advanced reactors represent a tightly coupled set of considerations and individual views on these options may differ significantly depending on each viewers’ emphasis. In this talk, I’ll present my own perspectives, with the anticipation that my comments will encourage discussion of alternative points of view. In general, I believe that construction of ANY new plants will depend on support from both industry and the public, and those two audiences may also have very different emphases. For example, industry will focus on the economic performance of any generator option as viewed within the framework of the current and/or anticipated national regulatory environment and other generation options. That environment will certainly include a safety focus from the NRC, which in turn impacts the economic outlook for any technology, but may in the future include a Congressionally-mandated focus on carbon reduction for all energy sectors. The public probably will focus first on safety issues and second on low carbon emissions, with some attention paid to economics and the management of used fuel in the country. While these two points of view will share many commonalities, in my view, they represent two alternative and essential modes for evaluating opportunities for new construction. In this talk, I’ll review a wide range of design outcomes, from passive safety, to high temperature operation, to fast vs thermal spectra, and many others. I’ll present my perspectives on how each of these design outcomes influences views from the two main constituents, as well as my thoughts on pros and cons of each design outcome in terms of the necessity for future designs to encompass that outcome.

Biography Dr. Peter B. Lyons retired from the Department of Energy on June 30, 2015. He now consults on several corporate and laboratory boards, as well as assisting several international groups. He was confirmed as Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy on April 14, 2011 after serving as Acting Assistant Secretary since November 2010. Dr. Lyons was appointed to his previous role as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) in September 2009. Under Dr. Lyons’ leadership, the Office made great strides in incorporating modeling and simulation into all programs through the Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation program and the Energy Innovation Hub. He focused on management of used fuel by contributing to the development of the Administration’s Strategy for the Management and Disposal of Used Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste. In addition, NE established the Small Modular Reactor Licensing Technical Support program for a new generation of safe, reliable, low-carbon nuclear energy technology. And he championed the Nuclear Energy University Program, which has successfully supported U.S. universities in preparing the next generation of nuclear engineering leaders. Prior to joining DOE, Dr. Lyons was sworn in as a Commissioner of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on January 25, 2005 and served until his term ended on June 30, 2009. At the NRC, Dr. Lyons focused on the safety of operating reactors, even as new reactor licensing and possible construction emerged. He was a consistent voice for improving partnerships with international regulatory agencies. He emphasized active and forward-looking research programs to support sound regulatory decisions, address current issues and anticipate future ones. He was also a strong proponent of science and technology education. Before becoming a Commissioner, Dr. Lyons served as Science Advisor on the staff of U.S. Senator Pete Domenici and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources where he focused on military and civilian uses of nuclear technology from 1997 to 2005. From 1969 to 2003, Dr. Lyons worked at the Los Alamos National Laboratory where he served as Director for Industrial Partnerships, Deputy Associate Director for Energy and Environment, and Deputy Associate Director-Defense Research and Applications. While at Los Alamos, he spent over a decade supporting nuclear test diagnostics. Dr. Lyons has presented more than 400 papers or talks on a wide range of technical and policy topics in addition to testifying before the U.S. Congress on many occasions. He holds four patents related to fiber optics and plasma diagnostics and served as chairman of the NATO Nuclear Effects Task Group for five years. He received his doctorate in nuclear astrophysics from the California Institute of Technology in 1969 and earned his undergraduate degree in physics and mathematics from the University of Arizona in 1964. Dr. Lyons is a Fellow of both the American Nuclear Society and of the American Physical Society; received the Henry DeWolf Smyth Award from the American Nuclear Society and the Nuclear Energy Institute, the Alvin M. Weinberg Medal from the American Nuclear Society, and the James Landis Medal from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers; was recognized by the Nuclear Infrastructure Council for a Lifetime Achievement Award; and was elected to 16 years on the Los Alamos School Board. Dr. Lyons grew up in Nevada and is now a resident of Golden, Colorado.

How to Make Advanced Nuclear Power Plants Cheap

Jessica Lovering

The Breakthrough Institute 436 14TH Street, Suite E 820 Oakland, CA 94612

Abstract From our published dataset of nuclear construction costs for 250 reactors in seven countries, I will draw several conclusions about how these economics can be improved through state industrial and energy policy. I will also highlight lessons learned from case studies in aircraft manufacturing and commercial spaceflight to suggest ways that the nuclear industry can accelerate innovation to reduce costs, construction time, and improve performance.

Biography Jessica Lovering is the director of the energy program at the Breakthrough Institute, a pioneering research institute changing how people think about energy and the environment, where she explores how policies can jumpstart innovation to create the disruptive technologies needed to mitigate climate change and increase modern energy access. Jessica has a BA and MS in Astrophysics and an MS in Environmental Policy with a focus on energy issues.

Designing Advanced Nuclear Power Plants to Fit Future Energy Markets Boosting Revenue, Full Reactor Core Operation with Variable Plant output,

Energy Storage, Liquid Fuels

Charles Forsberg

Massachusetts Institute of Technology 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA

Abstract The transition to a low-carbon economy is a transition from low-capital-cost high-operating-cost fossil fuels to high-capital-cost low-operating-cost nuclear, wind and solar facilities. Affordable electricity requires that nuclear, wind and solar plants operate near full capacity while meeting our variable energy demands. However wind and solar are not dispatchable. Nuclear power must provide the variable energy our society needs but operating nuclear plants at part load is expensive. Advanced reactors and power cycles may provide the enabling technologies to enable the nuclear reactor to operate at full capacity while delivering variable energy to customers—meeting the needs of a changing electricity market. Two examples provide a perspective on future options. The first set of options is the use of thermal heat storage coupled to light-water reactors where the thermal storage provides variable heat to industry and peak electricity to the grid. Thermal energy storage is cheaper than storing work (pumped hydro, batteries, etc.). The second set of options is a Nuclear Air-Brayton Combined Cycle (NACC) that couples with Fluoride-salt-cooled High-Temperature Reactors, Molten Salt Reactors, salt-cooled fusion reactors and several other reactors. NACC is built upon the extraordinary advances in natural-gas combined-cycle plants. It enables a nuclear plant with the reactor operating at full load to buy electricity from the grid at times of low prices and sell electricity to the grid at times of high prices. The gas turbine and Firebrick Resistance-Heated Energy Storage (FIRES) systems for these capabilities did not exist 15 years ago.

Biography Dr. Charles Forsberg is the Director and principle investigator of the High-Temperature Salt-Cooled Reactor Project. He teaches the MIT nuclear fuel cycle and nuclear chemical engineering classes. His research interests include low-carbon nuclear renewable futures and advanced fuel cycles. Earlier was the Executive Director of the MIT Future of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Study. Before joining MIT, he was a Corporate Fellow at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Dr. Forsberg earned his doctorate in Nuclear Engineering from MIT, has been awarded 12 patents and has published over 200 papers

Reducing Operating Costs of Future NPPs through the Use of Advanced Sensors, Automation and Robotics

Jake Jurewicz

Exelon Corporation

10 S. Dearborn St., 52nd Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60603 USA

Abstract The country's nuclear fleet is facing unprecedented economic challenges due to the low price of natural gas and the current structure of competitive markets. For the first time in their nearly 60 year commercial history, nuclear plants across the country are becoming uneconomic to operate on an average cost basis. Further, the nuclear industry is confronting an aging workforce with insufficient qualified workers to fill the deficit. While slowly gaining recognition as an instrumental technology for combating climate change and maintaining grid reliability, nuclear energy may be forced into a much smaller role for providing the country's energy needs in the coming years. Many industry leaders are demanding market and policy reform, but we cannot be content to rely on those avenues alone for reprieve. The industry must make a concurrent effort to reduce cost from the bottom up by leveraging the latest advancements in robotics, sensors, analytical methods, and other technologies that are successfully automating tasks previously only achievable by humans. Once again, the nuclear industry must challenge its operational limits to drive down cost and remain competitive. Over the last several decades, nuclear plants have developed a reputation of being slow to innovate, labor intensive to operate, and generally unchanging due to strict regulations. However, during that time adjacent industries have made tremendous advancements in automation and human-machine interaction. Present market conditions are for the first time putting pressure on nuclear operations to leverage these technologies in new ways. There is an opportunity to transform the way the energy industry perceives nuclear and question the status quo: Does nuclear energy need to be so labor intensive? Do strict regulations have to mean more man-hours? Can we reconcile our need to drive down costs while still promoting the highest safety, security, and operational standards? Further, what could such operational advancements mean for future plant designs? In order for nuclear energy to rise to a more prominent role in the market and in addressing climate goals, we must break its current operational paradigms and assumptions.

Biography Jake Jurewicz is a senior analyst in Exelon’s Corporate Strategy group. His focus resides largely in partnered research and development, in which he serves as technical liaison to universities, national labs, EPRI, and various companies, as well as strategic technology analysis, in which he leads cross-disciplinary teams in the pursuit of long-term business opportunities. Along with the rest of the strategy team, Jake is responsible for developing Exelon's strategic plan and tracking industry trends in the energy and utility sectors. Jake holds a dual bachelors in physics and nuclear engineering and a Masters of Science in Nuclear Engineering from MIT.

Can GFRs Meet the Challenge to Nuclear Power Economic Viability?

Robert W. Schleicher

General Atomics 3550 General Atomics Ct., San Diego CA 92121, USA

Abstract The most difficult challenge facing advanced reactor investors/developers is making their product economically attractive in the future electricity market. It is particularly difficult in the U.S. where nuclear investment is a potentially high risk due to stiff competition from natural gas; technological advances in renewable generation/storage; and both changing and uncertain regulation. Gas-cooled fast reactors (GFRs) have characteristics that lend themselves to both economic competitiveness and operating flexibility that would ensure a place in the U.S. dynamic power market in the 21st century. Development of GFR concepts, based on pressurized helium coolant and stainless clad oxide fuel, progressed in the U.S. and Europe from about 1960 to 1980. The principal incentive was the high breeding ratio achievable with a helium coolant. However, the programs were discontinued due to both safety and proliferation concerns. The GEN-IV program offered a new start for GFRs. Development was renewed by CEA of France and subsequently by General Atomics (GA) in 2009 with the introduction of EM2. GA has a 50-year history of graphite-moderated, gas-cooled reactor (GCR) development. However, in 2011, GA abandoned the thermal GCR in favor of EM2, which is considered to be better suited to the demands of the future U.S. electrical grid. EM2 embodies several new technologies to achieve goals of economic competitiveness, passive safety, operating flexibility, improved resource utilization and reduced waste. These include a long-burn core physics design that allows a 30-year fuel life without reshuffling; SiC composite fuel cladding and internal core structures, porous UC; an efficient Zr3Si2-C reflector; a variable speed, direct turbo-compressor-generator with vector control and direct rejection to air. EM2 generates 265 MWe with evaporative cooling and 240 MWe with dry-cooling. The reactor is located below grade and a four-unit plant can be located on a 9 hectare site. The variable speed generator allows rapid load following so that it can effectively operate on a grid with a high renewable content. The core is loaded with fissile and fertile segments. Fissile can be LEU or mixed UC/PuC. Fertile can be natural or depleted U, thorium or spent LWR fuel without removal of fission products. The SiC composite clad fuel enables safe, passive heat rejection to atmosphere, even in the event of a depressurization accident. The high negative temperature coefficient allows a passive response to ATWS events. GA’s development program consists of three phases encompassing high risk development, a prototype unit and a demonstration commercial plant.  

Biography Dr. Schleicher is the chief nuclear engineer at General Atomics, where he has been an employee for over 40 years. During this time, he has been a contributor and innovator in the fields of nuclear fission, magnetic and inertial fusion, and high energy lasers. At present, he is the co-inventor and technical leader for the EM2 nuclear reactor, an advanced helium-cooled, convert & burn, fast reactor. Dr. Schleicher believes that fission is an essential energy component for the world for the next two centuries. He is working to cross-fertilize technologies and materials from other fields to improve the safety and economics of nuclear fission. His previous experience includes nine (9) years developing innovative solid-state lasers. He is a co-inventor of the HELLADS high power military laser. Prior to that time he worked in General Atomics’ Fusion Division and was appointed to the ITER Joint Central Team where he was responsible for tokomak electrical systems. He also led a team to develop innovative methods of water purification and desalination with reduced energy consumption. He has a Ph.D. from Cornell University in Applied Physics. He is the author or co-author of over 40 articles and papers on advanced energy production technologies. Dr. Schleicher is committed to innovation and technology advancement in the energy field. He believes that the engineering and science community must advance substantially new and better concepts in order to have significant influence in the direction of the global nuclear economy. He believes that new ideas are key to attracting talented young minds into the nuclear field to make these technologies a reality.

HTGRs: Near-Term High Temperature Heat with Enhanced Safety for Broad Energy Markets

Lewis Lommers

AREVA Inc.

2101 Horn Rapids Road, Richland, WA 99354, USA

Abstract Modular high temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs) use TRISO coated particle fuel embedded in graphite core structures combined with inert coolant to provide high temperature heat beyond the capability of more conventional reactors, all with an unparalleled level of safety. Two types of HTGRs are being developed. The pebble bed concept is demonstrated by the 2x250MWt HTR-PM which is nearing completion in China. The prismatic block reactor concept is represented by the AREVA’s 625MWt Steam Cycle HTGR. The prismatic concept was selected primarily for the economic benefits of the larger prismatic core. HTGRs can be coupled to a variety of energy systems. They can provide high temperature steam, direct electricity generation using a gas turbine, or direct coupling to a very high temperature chemical process such as ethylene cracking or hydrogen production. The steam cycle HTGR is the best candidate for near-term deployment, since it serves the broadest segment of the energy economy, and it has the least technical risk. For process heat applications investment risk imposed by the reactor on surrounding industrial facilities must be eliminated. The HTGR is the only concept that achieves this low level of risk. Restart is possible following all Design Basis Events. Extreme events beyond the design basis have also been examined, and no cliffs were found. The HTGR offers true “walk-away and walk back again” capability. Current modular HTGR technology is mature. Basic concept demonstration was provided by prior HTGR plants in the 1980s. The required materials are currently available. The US DOE fuel qualification program is going extremely well and nearing the final phases. The remaining steps for commercial deployment are to design, license, and operate a first of a kind commercial plant. These steps require significant financial investment, but they are well understood. The key remaining risks are programmatic, not technical. This will enable full commercial deployment in the 2030s, compared to 2050s or later for less mature technology concepts. The HTGR offers the greatest energy supply flexibility of current reactor concepts together with unparalleled safety. The technology is mature and ready for demonstration of the FOAK plant in preparation for full deployment in the 2030s. Thus, the HTGR is the only game changing technology able to address the broader energy economy’s fossil fuel dependence.

Biography Lew Lommers leads High Temperature Reactor (HTR) engineering at AREVA NP Inc. He has more than 30 years of experience in HTR development. He has worked on a variety of HTR concepts ranging from large HTRs to small modular HTRs with inherent passive safety characteristics. These design concepts included steam cycle, cogeneration, and gas-turbine cycle plants such as the MHTGR, GT-MHR, ANTARES, NGNP, and AREVA’s current Steam Cycle-HTGR. He has evaluated both prismatic block and pebble bed concepts.

Lead-cooled Fast Reactor: Westinghouse’s Next Generation Technology

Paolo Ferroni

Westinghouse Electric Company LLC 1000 Westinghouse Drive, Cranberry Township, PA 16066, USA

Abstract As a global nuclear company, with over 50 years of experience in the design, licensing, construction and service of nuclear power plants around the world, Westinghouse understands the hurdles of today’s nuclear energy and has in place programs to address them. “Innovation with a purpose” is a key pillar of such programs, which drives technology solutions for supporting operating plants to reduce cost and improve efficiency, and for developing next generation technologies to address the needs of future and diverse markets. With this latter goal in mind, Westinghouse took a clean sheet approach to assess the potential of various advanced nuclear reactor technologies to be commercially competitive while featuring unparalleled safety, versatility in applications and an adequate technology readiness level. The Lead Fast Reactor (LFR) program was the outcome of such assessment. Westinghouse is currently establishing the design and programmatic foundations for developing a commercially competitive Generation IV nuclear power plant based on LFR technology, and it is looking at global partnership opportunities to complement its “plant-wide” capabilities with those specific to lead technology and fast reactor design.

Biography

Dr. Paolo Ferroni is a Principal Engineer at Westinghouse Electric Company LLC. Since he joined the company in 2010, he has been involved in multiple projects related to the development of advanced nuclear technologies, in both LWR and non-LWR areas. Currently, Dr. Ferroni is a technical lead for the Westinghouse Lead Fast Reactor program and Program Manager for RD&D collaborative efforts with US national laboratories and universities in the field of liquid metal fast reactor and advanced LWR technologies. Dr. Ferroni holds a PhD in Nuclear Science and Engineering from MIT, and MS degrees in the same field from MIT and Turin Polytechnic.

Traveling Wave Reactor: A Once-Through SFR for Sustainable Globally Scalable Energy Solution and Overview of Development Status

Pavel Hejzlar

TerraPower, LLC 330 120th Ave NE, Suite 100, Bellevue, WA, 98005, USA

Abstract

Currently, nuclear electricity generation comes primarily from Light Water Reactors (LWRs) operating in a once-through fuel cycle, which has two main drawbacks: 1) it exhibits very low uranium resource utilization with only ~1% of the mined uranium being used for energy generation, the rest ending up as waste in the form of uranium hexafluoride, and 2) it generates high-level waste, consisting of primarily unfissioned uranium (~90wt%) and transuranic elements, which could be potentially utilized for further energy generation. To address these inefficiencies, closed fuel cycle options that recover uranium and transuranics through chemical reprocessing are being developed to be used in conjunction with Generation IV reactors. To successfully deploy the closed fuel cycle on an industrial scale will require more development to address proliferation concerns and reduce reprocessing cost. TerraPower, LLC is developing the Traveling Wave Reactor (TWR) that offers an alternative option of fuel cycle allowing the consumption of depleted uranium waste and up to a ~30-fold gain in uranium utilization efficiency when compared to conventional light water reactors. The TWRs thus can provide the energy security benefits of an advanced nuclear fuel cycle without the associated proliferation concerns of chemical reprocessing. The simplified fuel cycle represents a significant savings in the energy generation infrastructure for several reasons: 1) no reprocessing plants need to be built, 2) a reduced number of enrichment plants need to be built, 3) reduced waste production results in a lower repository capacity requirement and reduced waste transportation costs and 4) less uranium ore needs to be mined or purchased since depleted uranium can be used as fuel. Moreover, extracting substantial fraction of energy contained in uranium, new methods of final disposition of waste, such as deep boreholes repository, become attractive with TWR cycle. The presentation will describe the current status of the TWR development program at TerraPower, LLC, the key TWR design challenges, outline of TWR development program at TerraPower, LLC, TWR-Prototype (TWR-P) reactor, overview of progress in fuel assembly design and manufacturing, and overview of the computer codes used for TWR core design with selected examples of validation against experimental data.

Biography Pavel Hejzlar is a Core Design Manager at TerraPower, LLC responsible for the core design development Traveling Wave Reactor. He received his Sc.D. in Nuclear Engineering at the NSED, MIT in 1994. Prior to joining TerraPower, he has been Principal Research Scientist at MIT where he has been principal and co-principle investigator on numerous projects involving the development of advanced fast and thermal reactor designs, innovative fuels and supercritical CO2 Power Conversion Cycle. Pavel Hejzlar is an author or co-author of more than 150 publications in technical journals and conference proceedings.

Southern  Company's  advanced  nuclear  R&D  program  overview    and  perspec*ve  on  MSRs

Joe Kowalczyk

Southern Company Services

Abstract

An industry leader in robust, proprietary research and development, Southern Company has managed approximately $2 billion in research and development investments since the 1960s, leading to the development and deployment of new, innovative technologies that are changing the way America produces electricity. A long-standing proponent of nuclear power, Southern Company – through its subsidiaries – is the only electric utility in America today developing the full portfolio of energy resources, including being one of the first to build new nuclear units in more than 30 years. The company is building the two new nuclear units at subsidiary Georgia Power's Plant Vogtle, which are expected to provide enough emission-free generation to power 500,000 homes and businesses. In 2015 Southern Company Services (SCS) submitted an application to the DOE’s Advanced Reactor Concepts (ARC) funding opportunity announcement (FOA). The project team consists of SCS as project lead, TerraPower, Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL), the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), and Vanderbilt University. The Department of Energy (DOE) selected this team for award based on the team’s submission to the 2015 ARC FOA. The award supports public-private partnerships by making $40M available over the next five years to pursue the development and demonstration of the MCFR nuclear technology. Researchers believe MCFRs could provide enhanced operational performance, safety, security and economic value, relative to other advanced reactor concepts.

Biography

Joe Kowalczyk is a research engineer, advanced energy systems of the Research and Technology Management group of Southern Company’s Research and Environmental Affairs. Mr. Kowalczyk’s research focuses on Generation IV advanced nuclear reactor technologies. Joe has 8+ years of experience in research and development programs in multiple industries. Most of his experience comes from working as a project engineer designing future missile systems for the Missile Defense Agency (DoD) on the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL as well as a mechanical engineer designing audio/visual devices for the FBI in Quantico, VA. Mr. Kowalczyk holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Kettering University in Flint, MI and a M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Mr. Kowalczyk is also currently pursuing a M.S. in Nuclear & Radiation Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.

How Fear of Nuclear Ends

Michael Shellenberger

Environmental Progress

Abstract

A new generation of advanced technologies hold the promise of addressing public concerns and fears about nuclear — but will they? Nuclear energy is already the safest way to make reliable power. Small amounts of nuclear waste are already safely managed. And the same fear factor that drove up the cost of light-water nuclear reactors could increase the cost of advanced nuclear. Indeed, from China to Canada, regulators may require expensive containment domes for reactors that can’t meltdown. Could it be that the solution to overcoming nuclear fear isn’t technological but rather cultural and political? In this provocative talk, leading pro-nuclear advocate will offer a sweeping vision of how fear of nuclear power ends, and what must be done to realize it.

Biography Michael Shellenberger is a leading pro-nuclear environmentalist. Featured in "Pandora's Promise," an award-winning film about environmentalists who changed their minds about nuclear, Michael appeared on "The Colbert Report," and has debated nuclear on CNN "Crossfire" with Ralph Nader, and at UCLA with Mark Jacobsen. His 2016 TED talk is on "How Fear of Nuclear Hurts the Environment.“ Michael is a Time Magazine "Hero of the Environment" and a Green Book Award winner. His 2007 book with Ted Nordhaus, Break Through, was called "prescient" by Time and "the best thing to happen to environmentalism since Rachel Carson's Silent Spring" by Wired. Michael is coauthor of visionary books and essays including "The Death of Environmentalism," Break Through, An Ecomodernist Manifesto, "Evolve," and Love Your Monsters. He writes for publications including Scientific American, The New York Times, and the Washington Post.

Accident Tolerant Fuel for Advanced Reactors

David Petti

Idaho National Laboratory P.O. Box 1625, Idaho Falls ID 83415, USA

Abstract Advanced reactor systems have high degrees of passive safety in large part because of the selection of mutually compatible fuels, coolants and moderators . The fuels under consideration for advanced reactors go to much higher burnups, are more robust, and have a higher margin to failure than conventional light water reactor fuels. In this talk, the safety characteristics of metallic fuel for sodium fast reactors and TRISO-coated particle fuel for high temperature gas cooled reactors are reviewed in an effort to understand how critical these fuel systems are to the safety case for those reactors. In addition, the potential benefits of SiC cladding for other advanced reactor systems and the associated technical challenges are reviewed.

Biography

David A. Petti •  Former Co-National Technical Director, Advanced Reactor Technologies (ART) Program,

DOE •  Laboratory Fellow, American Nuclear Society Idaho National Laboratory •  Chief Scientist, Nuclear Science and Technology •  Director, Nuclear Fuels and Materials Division •  Laboratory Fellow

Dr. David Petti is a graduate of the MIT Nuclear Engineering Department and has been recognized as a Fellow at both the Idaho National Laboratory and the American Nuclear Society. Dave is the author of over 100 peer-reviewed publications and 50 national and international conference proceedings in the areas of fusion safety, TRISO-coated particle fuel behavior, and fission reactor safety. With over 30 years of experience in nuclear fission and fusion technology, he currently serves under a Joint Appointment with MIT as the Executive Director of a study on the Future of Nuclear Power in a Carbon Constrained World. He has also served as the Deputy Director and the US lead for Safety and Standards in the DOE Fusion Technology program. In the US Fusion Safety Program he was responsible for and made seminal contributions to safety and risk evaluations of the ITER design, and technical leadership of safety-related R&D for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project.

Towards inexpensive, durable, easy-to-pour-and-cure, functionalized, nuclear-grade concrete

Oral Buyukozturk

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307, USA

Abstract All commercial nuclear power plants in the United States contain concrete structures whose performance and function are necessary for the safety of plant operating personnel, the general public, and the environment. Much of the research related to this topic was conducted during the 1960s and 1970s in support of the development for pre-stressed concrete reactor vessels for high-temperature gas-cooled reactors and radioactive waste storage facilities. Nuclear grade concretes must provide high thermal resistance, strength and ductility while experiencing low shrinkage, creep, and chemical reactivity over a service life of 60-75 years. Nuclear concrete applications include pressure vessels and radiation containment which expose the material to a severe operating environment. Materials are also expected to withstand extreme events such as a loss of cooling or a radiation meltdown. Degradation may occur due to irradiation of neutrons and gamma rays, high temperatures, thermal gradients and radiolysis. This exposure on concrete can lead to loss of mechanical strength, chemical attack through alkali silica reaction (ASR) or internal sulfate attack, increased creep, and premature cracking. To achieve an easy-to-use and high performance concrete, additives such as fly ash or blast furnace slag may be utilized in mix design. The use of locally available additives in concrete has been shown to improve material durability, promote sustainability, and reduce material cost compared to Ordinary Portland cements (OPC). However, a thorough understanding of the impact of additives on the performance of concrete as a function of temperature, moisture content, chemical environment, radiation effects, and time is required to develop an engineered and functionalized nuclear grade concrete. Our approach investigates the role of nano- and micro-additives through a framework coupling experiments and computation to obtain vital insights into the origin of durability at various length scales. An important frontier to understanding structure-property relationship is the ‘‘mesoscale,” which represents the bridge between underlying (e.g. molecular) processes and bulk macroscale behavior. Once these details have been identified, innovative materials can be designed using additives to emphasize their benefits. Further innovation can be achieved by manipulating the early age self-assembly and setting processes. A systematic approach, merging theory, computation, manufacturing, and advanced characterization methods will enable a paradigm.

Biography Oral Buyukozturk received his Ph.D. degree in Structural Engineering from Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. He joined the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge MA, in 1976, where he is Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Director of the Laboratory for Infrastructure Science and Sustainability. His research focuses on mechanics and design of structures and materials with innovations in high performance and durable materials and infrastructure systems. His early work prior to joining MIT involved design and safety analysis of nuclear power structures, and at Brown University, development of non-linear finite element models and computational engineering capabilities. His early research at MIT involved design and analysis of major energy facilities such as nuclear energy and offshore oil production structures, and thermo-mechanical analysis of coal gasification vessels. His recent and current research focuses on infrastructure sustainability, design for durable and energy efficient materials through multiscale analysis using molecular dynamics (MD), intelligent structures and materials, structural health monitoring (SHM), and nondestructive testing (NDT). His work also includes design and assessment of concrete structures, nuclear containment systems, durability of materials, earthquake engineering, interface fracture mechanics, and fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites in structural rehabilitation. He has extensively published through refereed journals and edited books, made more than 200 invited and keynote presentations around the world, and served in different capacities in over 20 technical committees. His awards include Golden Mirko Roš Medal of the Swiss Federal Research Laboratory for Materials Science and Technology; Fellow (non-resident) Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland’s National Academy of Science and Letters; 2008 and 2011 ASNT National Faculty Fellowship Awards; Fellow, American Concrete Institute (ACI), and various Best Paper Awards jointly with his students

Nano-engineered surfaces to change the rules of heat transfer in advanced nuclear reactors

Matteo Bucci

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307, USA

Abstract

Future advanced nuclear energy systems will be safer, more sustainable and more efficient. At the same time, they will have to be cost-competitive with respect to inexpensive fossil fuels. The cost of electricity from nuclear power plants is roughly proportional to their capital cost and inversely proportional to their power rating. Particularly, what increases the capital cost is the presence of many high-pressure large-scale components and heavy support and containment structures, which result in large amounts of concrete and steel, and long construction time. Nowadays, new horizons can be discovered by the possibility to engineer the surfaces of nuclear reactor components at the micro and the nano scale. Micro and nano technologies can be used to create super-hydrophilic, super-hydrophobic, or even super-biphilic surfaces that can be optimized to improve the efficiency of the heat transfer mechanisms in every component of the nuclear power plant, leading to a potential reduction of both direct (steel and concrete) and indirect (construction time) capital costs.

The size of condensers in a nuclear power plant is primarily determined by the thermal resistance due to the formation of sessile droplets or continuous liquid films on the condenser tubes. Carefully engineered super-hydrophobic coatings on the condenser tubes can promote the transition from dropwise or film condensation regimes to a jumping droplets condensation regime, where the tubes surface remains dry, with appreciable reductions of the thermal resistance. Similarly, the size of steam generators is determined by the efficiency of the boiling process, quantified by the boiling heat transfer coefficient and the critical heat flux (CHF) limit that here determines the transition from an effective nucleate boiling regime to a less effective transition boiling regime. Traditionally, significant CHF enhancements can be obtained with super-hydrophilic surfaces that not only attract, but also absorb water, which delays the formation of irreversible dry spots leading to CHF. Significant enhancement of the boiling heat transfer coefficient can instead be obtained using biphilic or super-biphilic surfaces, which juxtapose a hydrophilic or super-hydrophilic coating with hydrophobic spots serving as preferential nucleation sites.

While these nano-innovations will change the rules of heat transfer in the nuclear systems of the future, significant steps forward are also possible with the existing light water reactors (LWRs) fleet. Leveraging the same technologies, it is in fact possible to engineer fuel claddings for LWRs with enhanced CHF and quenching heat transfer performances, potentially leading to higher power ratings and therefore reductions of the electricity cost.

Biography

Matteo Bucci is a new Assistant Professor in the Nuclear Science and Engineering department at MIT. His research focuses on experimental and computational multi-phase flow and heat transfer, advanced experimental diagnostics, reactor thermal-hydraulics, materials and safety. Matteo received his MSc (2005) and PhD (2009) in Nuclear Engineering from University of Pisa, Italy. Before joining MIT, he worked as research scientist at CEA (Commissariat à l’énergie atomique, France), where he led several research projects in the area of experimental and computational thermal-hydraulics for light water and sodium reactors.