Flibe Energy LFTR Development Strategy - Kirk Sorensen - Flibe Energy - ThEC13
Flibe Energy LFTR Development Strategy - Kirk Sorensen - Flibe Energy - ThEC13
Flibe Energy LFTR Development Strategy - Kirk Sorensen - Flibe Energy - ThEC13
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Liquid-Fluoride Thorium Reactor <strong>Development</strong> <strong>Strategy</strong><br />
<strong>Kirk</strong> <strong>Sorensen</strong><br />
<strong>Flibe</strong> <strong>Energy</strong><br />
Thorium <strong>Energy</strong> Conference 2013<br />
October 28, 2013
Impending Coal-Fired Plant Retirements<br />
Large numbers of coal-fired power plants are also<br />
facing retirement, particularly in the Ohio River Valley<br />
and in the Carolinas.
EPA regulations are helping drive coal retirement<br />
The implementation of these regulations makes smaller, older coal plants inefficient and uneconomical, resulting in<br />
the loss of over 27GW. The loss of power places an urgency on utilities to plan for new, clean power solutions ahead<br />
of 2017. The window to plan for new clean generation sources fi ts perfectly with SMR development and offers a<br />
market opportunity of over $30bn for coal replacement alone.
“Renewable” options are limited in these regions
New reactors are under construction in the US and across the world.
The US Nuclear Retirement “Cliff”<br />
Beginning in 2028, nuclear power plant retirements will increase dramatically.
DOE sees Industry Leading Future Nuclear<br />
“In the United States, it is the<br />
responsibility of industry to<br />
design, construct, and operate<br />
commercial nuclear power<br />
plants.” (pg 22)<br />
“It is ultimately industry’s<br />
decision which commercial<br />
technologies will be deployed.<br />
The federal role falls more<br />
squarely in the realm of R&D.”<br />
(pg 16)<br />
“The decision to deploy<br />
nuclear energy systems is<br />
made by industry and the<br />
private sector in market-based<br />
economies.” (pg 45)
Modular construction of nuclear reactors in a factory environment has become<br />
increasingly desirable to reduce uncertainties about costs and quality.<br />
Liquid-fluoride reactors, with their lowpressure<br />
reactor vessels, are<br />
particularly suitable to modular<br />
construction in a factory and delivery<br />
to a power generation site.
Image source: ORNL-4832: MSRP-SaPR-08/72, pg 6<br />
One-Fluid 1000-MWe MSBR
The Single Fluid Salt Processing Has Several<br />
Separation Steps<br />
Gaseous Fission<br />
Products/Nobel Metals<br />
Rare Earth<br />
Thorium Sep From<br />
Protactinium/Uranium<br />
Pa Decay/U<br />
Separation<br />
Rare Earth<br />
Separation<br />
Uranium<br />
Separation
ORNL-4191, sec 5<br />
ORNL-4528, sec 5<br />
Two-Fluid 250-MWe MSBR: August 1967
ORNL-4191, sec 5<br />
ORNL-4528, sec 5<br />
Two-Fluid 250-MWe MSBR: August 1967
How does a fluoride reactor use thorium?<br />
Uranium Absorption<br />
and Reduction<br />
UF 6<br />
UF 4<br />
UF 6<br />
Fluoride<br />
Volatility<br />
Fertile<br />
Salt<br />
Fluoride<br />
Volatility<br />
Fuel<br />
Salt<br />
Vacuum<br />
Distillation<br />
Fission<br />
Product<br />
Waste<br />
Recycle<br />
Fertile Salt<br />
Core<br />
Blanket<br />
Two-Fluid Reactor<br />
Recycle<br />
Fuel Salt
ORNL-4528, pg 20<br />
ORNL 1967 Two-Fluid 250-MWe Modular Reactors
1967 ORNL Modular MSBR, Modern Renderings
Two-Fluid MSBR Dual Module Isometric View
Two-Fluid MSBR Dual Module Front View
Two-Fluid MSBR Reactor Module and Core Cutaway
<strong>Flibe</strong> <strong>Energy</strong> was formed in order to further develop liquidfluoride<br />
reactor technology and to supply the world with<br />
affordable and sustainable energy, water and fuel.
We believe in the vision of a<br />
sustainable, prosperous future<br />
enabled by liquid-fluoride<br />
reactors producing electricity and<br />
desalinated water.
Located in Huntsville, Alabama
Water, Rail, and Air Freight Access to the World<br />
International Air Freight<br />
Extensive Rail Network<br />
Waterways to Gulf of Mexico and US Interior
Oak Ridge—birthplace of thorium/fluoride tech<br />
Graphite Reactor—first thorium/U233 property measurements<br />
Aircraft Reactor Experiment—first molten-salt reactor<br />
Molten-Salt Reactor Experiment—20,000+ hours operation
Proximity to Oak Ridge National Laboratory<br />
Accessible by the Tennessee River<br />
340km by road<br />
Some MSRP retirees still live in area
Combustion Gas Turbine Technology<br />
established technology<br />
low-risk<br />
modular
Liquid-fluoride reactor produce high-temperature thermal power, enabling the<br />
use of new power conversion system technologies that reduce size and cost.
Nuclear-Heated Gas Turbine Propulsion<br />
Liquid-Fluoride<br />
Reactor
How does a fluoride reactor make electricity?<br />
Hot fuel salt<br />
Hot coolant salt<br />
The turbine drives a<br />
generator creating<br />
electricity<br />
Hot gas<br />
Salt / Salt Heat<br />
Exchanger<br />
Salt / Gas Heat<br />
Exchanger<br />
Turbine<br />
Warm gas<br />
Warm fuel salt<br />
Reactor containment boundary<br />
Warm coolant<br />
salt<br />
Warm gas<br />
Compressor<br />
The gas is<br />
cooled and the<br />
waste heat is<br />
used to<br />
desalinate<br />
seawater
How does a fluoride reactor use thorium?<br />
238U<br />
Uranium Reduction<br />
Fluoride Volatility<br />
F 2<br />
UF 6<br />
H 2<br />
HF Electrolyzer<br />
Fertile Salt<br />
Recycle Fuel Salt<br />
Fuel Salt<br />
Recycle Fertile Salt<br />
HF<br />
Core<br />
Blanket<br />
External “batch”<br />
processing of core salt,<br />
done on a schedule<br />
Hexafluoride<br />
Distillation<br />
xF 6<br />
UF 6<br />
Fluoride<br />
Volatility<br />
Thorium<br />
tetrafluoride<br />
Uranium<br />
Absorption-<br />
Reduction<br />
Recycled<br />
7LiF-BeF2<br />
“Bare” Salt<br />
Vacuum<br />
Distillation<br />
MoF6, TcF6, SeF6,<br />
RuF5, TeF6, IF7,<br />
Other F6<br />
Fission<br />
Product<br />
Waste
Liquid fuels enable enhanced safety<br />
The reactor is equipped<br />
with a “freeze plug”—an<br />
open line where a frozen<br />
plug of salt is blocking<br />
the flow.<br />
The plug is kept frozen<br />
by an external cooling<br />
fan.<br />
Freeze Plug<br />
In the event of TOTAL loss of<br />
power, the freeze plug melts<br />
and the core salt drains into a<br />
passively cooled<br />
configuration where nuclear<br />
fission and meltdown are not<br />
possible.<br />
Drain Tank
Today’s Nuclear Approach<br />
Plutonium/TRU<br />
Uranium<br />
0.3% (depleted) 0.7% (natural) 3-5% (LEU) 93% (HEU)<br />
Thorium<br />
Weapons-Grade<br />
Plutonium<br />
Depleted<br />
Uranium<br />
Stockpiles<br />
HEU<br />
Downblending<br />
Facility<br />
Highly-Enriched<br />
Uranium<br />
Stockpiles<br />
Thorium<br />
Stockpiles<br />
Uranium<br />
Enrichment<br />
Facility<br />
LEUO2 Fuel<br />
Fabrication<br />
Facility<br />
Existing U233<br />
Inventory<br />
Reactor-Grade<br />
Plutonium<br />
NUO2 to NUF6<br />
Conversion<br />
Facility<br />
LEUO2-Fueled<br />
Light-Water<br />
Reactor<br />
Uranium Mill<br />
NUO2 = Natural Uranium Dioxide<br />
NUF6 = Natural Uranium Hexafluoride<br />
LEUO2 = Low-Enrichment Uranium Dioxide<br />
Uranium<br />
Mine<br />
Yucca<br />
Mountain<br />
Facility
Conventionally-Proposed Nuclear Approach<br />
Plutonium/TRU<br />
Uranium<br />
0.3% (depleted) 0.7% (natural) 3-5% (LEU) 93% (HEU)<br />
Thorium<br />
Weapons-Grade<br />
Plutonium<br />
Depleted<br />
Uranium<br />
Stockpiles<br />
HEU<br />
Downblending<br />
Facility<br />
Highly-Enriched<br />
Uranium<br />
Stockpiles<br />
Thorium<br />
Stockpiles<br />
MOX Fuel<br />
Fabrication<br />
Facility<br />
Uranium<br />
Enrichment<br />
Facility<br />
LEUO2 Fuel<br />
Fabrication<br />
Facility<br />
MOX-Fueled<br />
Light-Water<br />
Reactor<br />
NUO2 to NUF6<br />
Conversion<br />
Facility<br />
LEUO2-Fueled<br />
Light-Water<br />
Reactor<br />
Existing U233<br />
Inventory<br />
Uranium Mill<br />
Aqueous<br />
Reprocessing<br />
Plant<br />
NUO2 = Natural Uranium Dioxide<br />
NUF6 = Natural Uranium Hexafluoride<br />
LEUO2 = Low-Enrichment Uranium Dioxide<br />
Uranium<br />
Mine<br />
Yucca<br />
Mountain<br />
Facility<br />
Dispose in<br />
WIPP<br />
MOX = Mixed Oxide Fuel (contain plutonium)
Plutonium/TRU<br />
Transition to Thorium Proposed Nuclear<br />
Approach<br />
Uranium<br />
0.3% (depleted) 0.7% (natural) 3-5% (LEU) 93% (HEU)<br />
Thorium<br />
Weapons-Grade<br />
Plutonium<br />
Stockpiles<br />
Depleted<br />
Uranium<br />
Stockpiles<br />
Uranium<br />
Reserves and<br />
Imports<br />
LEUO2-Fueled<br />
Light-Water<br />
Reactors<br />
Highly-Enriched<br />
Uranium<br />
Stockpiles<br />
Thorium<br />
Stockpiles &<br />
Rare Earth<br />
Mining<br />
Reactor-Grade<br />
Plutonium<br />
DUF6<br />
TRU<br />
XUO2<br />
Fluorination<br />
Facility<br />
Liquid-Fluoride<br />
Thorium<br />
Reactors<br />
(HEU start)<br />
U233<br />
TRU-Fueled<br />
Liquid-Chloride<br />
Reactors<br />
U233<br />
U233<br />
Inventory<br />
DUF6 to DUO2<br />
Conversion<br />
Facility<br />
DUO2<br />
Underground<br />
Burial<br />
F2<br />
F2<br />
F2<br />
LEUO2 = Low-Enrichment Uranium Dioxide<br />
XUO2 = Exposed Uranium Dioxide Fuel<br />
TRU = Transuranics (Pu, Am, Cm, Np)<br />
DUF6 = Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride<br />
DUO2 = Depleted Uranium Dioxide<br />
F2 = Gaseous Fluorine<br />
Liquid-Fluoride<br />
Thorium<br />
Reactors<br />
(U233 start)
“During my life I have witnessed extraordinary feats of human<br />
ingenuity. I believe that this struggling ingenuity will be equal<br />
to the task of creating the Second Nuclear Era.”<br />
“My only regret is that I will not<br />
be here to witness its success.”<br />
—Alvin Weinberg (1915-2006)
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