ETP Nuclear & Hydro 2014

Nuclear & Hydro
Energy Technology & Policy Fred C. Beach, Ph.D. Spring, 2014
Nuclear History
! 1939: Nuclear fission discovered ! 1942: First nuclear chain reaction takes place in Chicago as part of the
wartime Manhattan Project
! 1945: The first nuclear weapons test at Alamagordo, NM ! 1951: Electricity was first generated from a nuclear reactor in Idaho
! EBR-I produced about 100 kW
! 1970s: Nuclear power grows rapidly (averaging 30% annually from 70 75) ! 1987: Nuclear power now generates ~15% of global electricity ! 1980s: Nuclear expansion slows because of environmentalist opposition, high
interest rates, energy conservation prompted by the 1973/1979 oil shocks, and Three Mile Island (1979, USA) and Chernobyl (1986, Ukraine, USSR)
Dr. Fred Beach Energy Technology & Policy Spring 2014
Nuclear Power Is Surrounded by Ironies

! Nuclear power helps mitigate climate change
! Republicans like nuclear, but dont care about climate change ! Democrats care about climate change, but dont like nuclear
! Nuclear power is compatible with strong government

! Democrats are ok with govt, but not nuclear power ! Republicans are ok with nuclear power, but not govt
! Professional Discipline
! France (run by engineers) has a lot of nuclear power ! USA (run by lawyers) has relatively less
Nuclear Technology Overview
235U
Chain Reaction
Atomic Energy
! Energy is stored in the nucleus of atoms
! Radioactive molecules release that energy during nuclear reactions
! Mass and energy are the same:
E = mc2
c = speed of light = 3!1010 cm/s ! Small changes in mass yield a lot of energy
! Burning a tonne of coal: 0.3 mg disappears ! Reacting a tonne of 235U: 6.6 g disappears
20,000 times better energy density than coal
6
Uranium Resources Are Distributed Across Friendly Countries
Natural Uranium, Enriched Uranium

! Naturally-occurring uranium consists of two
isotopes: 235U (0.71%) and 238U (99.29%)
! LEU = low-enriched Uranium

! Less than 20% 235U ! Commercial reactors in the U.S. need uranium enriched to around 3-5% 235U
! HEU = high-enriched Uranium

! More than 20% 235U ! Weapons-grade is more than 80% 235U
8
235U
Is A Better Reactor Fuel Than 238U
! Enrichment is achieved by taking advantage of the

small mass difference between 235U and 238U ! Use centrifuges to spin uranium gas (UF6) mine never even sees the inside of a reactor
! It also means that most (85%) of the uranium we
Centrifuges Are Used to Enrich Uranium

Every time you spin a salad dryer, you see that, when subjected to rotation, heavier materials in a mixture will concentrate near the outer wall, outside of the lighter stuff. The same principle is operative in a centrifuge. UF6 gas is rotated at very high angular speeds, with the result that the heavier 238UF6 is concentrated near the wall while the lighter 235UF6 is relatively more prevalent near the center of the chamber.
10
!"
Thousands of Centrifuge Units, Connected in Series and Parallel, Form a Cascade

Product N N-1 ( !!. ) i+2 Feed i+1 i-1 ( !!. ) 2 1
Energy Technology & Policy Tails Spring 2014 Dr. Fred Beach
Stage i
11
Enriching Uranium with Centrifuges Is EnergyIntensive

! Primarily electricity needed for enrichment ! During WWII, at its peak, fuel enrichment consumed
~15% of all electrical power in the USA ! TVA dams powered the original centrifuges in TN ! Oak Ridge National Laboratory ! Columbia River dams powered centrifuges in WA ! Pacific Northwest National Labs
! Leaves a detectable signature

12
Nuclear Fuel Cycles Are Open or Closed

! Open Fuel Cycle: what the US uses
! Ore mining, refining/enriching, reacting, disposing/ storing (end-to-end) ! Generates vast volumes of radioactive waste
! Closed Fuel Cycle: what France uses

! After reacting, turn depleted uranium into plutonium to burn again (close the loop) ! Create more plutonium than they burn ! Aka breeder reactors ! Smaller volumes of waste ! Proliferation concerns because of plutonium
13
Todays Nuclear Fuel Cycle Is Open

Uranium Mining, Milling, Refining Conversion Enrichment
Yellowcake (U3O8)
Ore Tailings
UF6 (gas)
Depleted Uranium
Enriched UO2
Fuel Fabrication Disposal

Fuel Assemblies Irradiated Fuel
eDr. Fred Beach Energy Technology & Policy Spring 2014
Transportation
Onsite Cooling Storage 14
Reactor
Closed Fuel Cycles with Breeding Create More Fuel and Less Waste
! breeder reactors turn depleted uranium into plutonium ! they create more plutonium than they burn.
15
PWR
16
BWR
17
Pressurized Water Reactors Are the Most Common in the US and Globally
Reactor Type Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) Gas-cooled Reactor (Magnox & AGR) Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor CANDU (PHWR) Light Water Graphite Reactor (RBMK) Fast Neutron Reactor (FBR) Main Countries US, France, Japan, Russia US, Japan, Sweden UK Canada # 252 92 34 33 GW Fuel 235 83 13 18 Enriched UO2 Enriched UO2 Natural U (metal), enriched UO2 Natural UO2 Coolant Water Water CO2 Heavy water Water Liquid sodium Moderator Water Water Graphite Heavy water Graphite None
Russia Japan, France, Russia
14 4
14.6 Enriched UO2 1.3 PUO2 and UO2
Total 434 365
Source: Nuclear Engineering International handbook 1999, but including Pickering A in Canada (via Prof. Biegalski).
18
Nuclear Power In The World
19
Nuclear Energy is a Global Phenomenon

! 29 countries worldwide have nuclear power ! 437 nuclear reactors
! 370 GW ! 14% of electricity generation globally
! 55 nuclear plants under construction in 15 countries
As of January 2010 (Source: NEI)

20
Most Nuclear Reactors Are Concentrated in the West, Japan, and Former Soviet Union
437 nuclear units, 370 GW of capacity, 14% of world electricity generation 21
While France Generates The Greatest Percentage of Its Electricity From Nuclear!
22
!the United States Generates The Greatest Amount of Electricity From Nuclear
23
Main Points About Nuclear Power

! Nuclear is a major part of our fuel mix ! Nuclear has many advantages and disadvantages ! Nuclear power has improved with time ! Nuclear economics are tricky ! The future of nuclear power is unclear
24
Nuclear Energy Provides ~9% of Our Total Energy Consumption
25
Nuclear Power Provides One-fifth Of Our Electricity
Total Energy Consumption for Electricity: 39.3 Quads

26
Nuclear Energy is Only Used for Electricity
27
In Total, 132 Nuclear Power Plants Have Been Built in the United States
Source: EIA, AER (2009) 28

1996 Was The Last Year A Nuclear Power Plant Came Online
Source: EIA, AER (2009)
Watts Bar (TVA) began construction in 1973, and29 came online in 1996
Nuclear Power Was Ramped Up in the 1970s and 1980s
30
Nuclear Capacity Has Increased, Even After Power Plants Were No Longer Built
31
Nuclear Power Has Several Advantages and Drawbacks

! Advantages
! Supreme energy density [energy output per unit mass of fuel] ! Minimal waste generation per kWh ! all waste is captured ! Excellent capacity factor, maintenance & safety records ! Domestic or friendly sources of uranium
! Disadvantages
! Waste is radioactive and long-lived ! Public safety (accidents, attacks) ! Concerns about weapons proliferation
32
Nuclear Energy Density is Remarkable

Fuel Nuclear Fission Hydrogen Natural Gas Gasoline Ethanol Wood Gravimetric Energy Density [MJ/kg] 77,000,000 120 59 44 24 16
33
Nuclear Capacity Factors Have Improved Over Time
34
The Total Generation Provided by Nuclear Power Has Increased for Decades, Despite Fewer Power Plants
35
Fuel Costs Are Relatively Low for Nuclear Power Plants

Fuel as a Percentage of Electric Generation Costs
2008
Conversion Fabrication Waste Fund
+,-. $2& +,-. /%&

Enrichment
+,-. 01& !"# )*&

Uranium
!"# $%& 345.
!"#'()& 657 8,9.-5: 8,9.-5:(+,-.( 34;<4=-=>(347>

Source: Ventyx Velocity Suite; Energy Resources International, Inc. Updated: 7/09 (Via NEI)
36
Nuclear Power Financing Is complicated

! Nuclear power has low fuel costs, high capital costs ! Banks and insurers
! Worry about liability ! Dont understand the technology ! Charge a high rate or wont offer financing/coverage
! Government helps overcome financing problems

! Price-Anderson Act (1957) offers $10B of no-fault indemnity to help secure financing ! Extended for 20 years in 2005 ! Loan Guarantees: $8.3B in 2010, growing to $54B
37
Levelized Nuclear Power Costs Vary from $0.03 to $0.14 per kWh
! Proponents cite the low
number
! Opponents cite the high

number
Source: Hultman, Koomey and Kammen, ES&T, 2007
38
Radiation Risks For Nuclear Power Are Low! Unless Theres An Accident
39
Nuclear Power Must Consider Waste Disposal In Its Economics

! Funds Committed for the Nuclear Waste Fund
! $0.001/kWh for waste disposal ! Included in the fuel costs ! $33.2 billion plus interest since 1983 ! $10.8 billion already spent
! Estimated Cost of Decommissioning

! $300-500 million/plant (~$31 billion at low end) ! Decommissioning not included in production costs. ! Same is true for dams, coal plants, etc.
40
Designs for Waste Repositories Have Been Proposed, but Yucca Mountain Has Been Killed Politically
41
Energy Policy Act of 2005 Encourages Nuclear
! Specific provisions to encourage the

development of nuclear in the United States
! Some specific examples:

! Liability limits ! Cost-overrun support ! Tax credits ! Research and development ! Steps up DoE work to address high-level waste problem.
42
Gen III Reactors Prioritize Safety
Source: Westinghouse Electric (via 43 WSJ)
Gen IV Reactors Prioritize Proliferation Resistance

! Hydrogen Production ! Breeding and Transmutation ! Proliferation Resistance ! Closed Fuel Cycle ! Simplification ! Increased safety
44
Small Nuclear Is Growing As A Possibility
! Babcock & Wilcox ! <125 MW ! Factory-Built ! Ship via train ! Easier permitting ! Easier waste handling
45
Small Nuclear Is Growing As A Possibility
! Enough waste in US to run 3000 of these reactors ! ~240 MW ! Factory-Built ! Ship via train/truck ! Easier permitting ! Easier waste handling
46
Obama Administration Is Supporting Small, Modular Nuclear Reactors
47
A Nuclear Renaissance Is Imminent!and Has Been for Years
March 29, 2009
May 19, 2001 Sep 8, 2007
May 29, 2009
48
The End of Nuclear Power
49
The Future of Nuclear Is Unclear

! Many have declared a nuclear renaissance is underway, but
! Dozens of nuclear plants are being built ! Dozens are planned ! Hundreds are proposed
! Will industrialized nations

! allow nuclear permits to expire? ! build more nuclear to mitigate CO2 emissions?
50
Megatons To Megawatts: Russian Warheads Fuel U.S. Power Plants

! Here's a remarkable fact: For the past two decades, 10 percent of all
the electricity consumed in the United States has come from Russian nuclear warheads. wraps up today, when the final shipment of fuel arrives at a U.S. facility.
! It was all part of a deal struck at the end of the Cold War. That deal
! this deal will go down in history as one of the greatest diplomatic

achievements ever.
! 20,000 bombs' worth of nuclear material, destroyed forever, Bombs

that will never threaten anybody ever again.
NPR Dec 11, 2013 Geoff Brumfiel

51
Hydroelectric Power
52
Hydroelectric Power Is Robust and Efficient
Source: Army Corps of Engineers 53
Hydroelectric Power Is a Function of Height and Volume

! Power production requires
! height differences ! large volumes of water
! P # 10 $ H $ Q [kW]
! H = head (m) (height of water) ! Q = flow rate (m3/s)
Source: Army Corps of Engineers 54
Dams Can Be Massive Powerplants

Grand Coulee Dam (6.5 GW, Columbia River) Hoover Dam (2.1 GW, Colorado River)
55
Austins Dam Used To Be The Worlds Largest

Scientific American September 1892
The Great Dam Across the Colorado River, At Austin Texas

56
Austins Dam Used To Be The Worlds Largest
57
Hydroelectric Power Has Many Benefits

! Reliable ! Very efficient ! Quick start-up/turn-off times ! Low emissions during generation
58
Dams Serve Several Purposes

! Flood control ! Water storage ! Irrigation ! Recreation ! Navigation
59
Hydroelectric Power Has Many Drawbacks

! Disturbs ecosystems (fish migration, etc.)
! salmon ladders to go upstream ! fish-friendly turbines to go downstream
! Creates evaporation from lakes ! About half of national capacity is already built ! Silting might limit lifetimes to ~100 years
! maybe not renewable?
! Source of GHGs (CO2 and CH4 from decaying vegetation)

! hard to quantify
! End-of-life planning not built into project development

! how do you decommission a dam?
60
Dams Disturb Vast Expanses of Land and Sometimes Collapse
! Johnstown, PA 1869
2,209 people killed
! Santa Clarita, CA 1928

600 people killed
! Austins has failed twice

! formed Red Bud Isle
61
Austins Dam Has Collapsed Multiple Times
62
The Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation Have Responsibility for Most Dams in the US
63
Much of the Hydroelectric Buildout Occurred in From the 1930s to the 1970s
64
Large Dams in the 1930s & 1940s Were Built For Economic Development and for WWII
65
Questions?
Course Schedule
67
Fred C. Beach, Ph.D.

fbeach@energy.utexas.edu
68

ETP Nuclear &amp; Hydro 2014

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Nuclear & Hydro

Energy Technology & Policy Fred C. Beach, Ph.D. Spring, 2014

Dr. Fred Beach Energy Technology & Policy Spring 2014

Nuclear Power Is Surrounded by Ironies

! Nuclear power is compatible with strong government

Dr. Fred Beach Energy Technology & Policy Spring 2014

Nuclear Technology Overview

Dr. Fred Beach Energy Technology & Policy Spring 2014

Dr. Fred Beach Energy Technology & Policy Spring 2014

! Mass and energy are the same:

Uranium Resources Are Distributed Across Friendly Countries

Dr. Fred Beach Energy Technology & Policy Spring 2014

Natural Uranium, Enriched Uranium

! LEU = low-enriched Uranium

! HEU = high-enriched Uranium

Is A Better Reactor Fuel Than 238U

! Enrichment is achieved by taking advantage of the

! It also means that most (85%) of the uranium we

Dr. Fred Beach Energy Technology & Policy Spring 2014

Centrifuges Are Used to Enrich Uranium

Dr. Fred Beach Energy Technology & Policy Spring 2014

Thousands of Centrifuge Units, Connected in Series and Parallel, Form a Cascade

Enriching Uranium with Centrifuges Is EnergyIntensive

! Leaves a detectable signature

Nuclear Fuel Cycles Are Open or Closed

! Closed Fuel Cycle: what France uses

Todays Nuclear Fuel Cycle Is Open

Fuel Fabrication Disposal

eDr. Fred Beach Energy Technology & Policy Spring 2014

Onsite Cooling Storage 14

Dr. Fred Beach Energy Technology & Policy Spring 2014

Dr. Fred Beach Energy Technology & Policy Spring 2014

Russia Japan, France, Russia

14.6 Enriched UO2 1.3 PUO2 and UO2

Total 434 365

Dr. Fred Beach Energy Technology & Policy Spring 2014

Nuclear Power In The World

Dr. Fred Beach Energy Technology & Policy Spring 2014

Nuclear Energy is a Global Phenomenon

! 55 nuclear plants under construction in 15 countries

As of January 2010 (Source: NEI)

437 nuclear units, 370 GW of capacity, 14% of world electricity generation 21

Dr. Fred Beach Energy Technology & Policy Spring 2014

Dr. Fred Beach Energy Technology & Policy Spring 2014

Dr. Fred Beach Energy Technology & Policy Spring 2014

Main Points About Nuclear Power

Dr. Fred Beach Energy Technology & Policy Spring 2014

Nuclear Energy Provides ~9% of Our Total Energy Consumption

Dr. Fred Beach Energy Technology & Policy Spring 2014

Nuclear Power Provides One-fifth Of Our Electricity

Total Energy Consumption for Electricity: 39.3 Quads

Dr. Fred Beach Energy Technology & Policy Spring 2014

Nuclear Energy is Only Used for Electricity

Dr. Fred Beach Energy Technology & Policy Spring 2014

Source: EIA, AER (2009) 28

Source: EIA, AER (2009)

Dr. Fred Beach Energy Technology & Policy Spring 2014

Nuclear Power Was Ramped Up in the 1970s and 1980s

Dr. Fred Beach Energy Technology & Policy Spring 2014

Dr. Fred Beach Energy Technology & Policy Spring 2014

Nuclear Power Has Several Advantages and Drawbacks

Dr. Fred Beach Energy Technology & Policy Spring 2014

Nuclear Energy Density is Remarkable

Dr. Fred Beach Energy Technology & Policy Spring 2014

ETP Nuclear & Hydro 2014

ETP Nuclear & Hydro 2014