Final Scientific/Technical Report for A Robust Modular IGBT Power Supply For Innovative Confinement Concepts
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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.
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This book chapter describes the considerations for the selection of advanced human–system interfaces (HSIs) for the new generation of nuclear power plants. The chapter discusses the technologies that will be needed to support highly automated nuclear power plants, while minimising demands for numbers of operational staff, reducing human error and improving plant efficiency and safety. Special attention is paid to the selection and deployment of advanced technologies in nuclear power plants (NPPs). The chapter closes with an examination of how technologies are likely to develop over the next 10–15 years and how this will affect design choices for the nuclear industry.
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Manufacturing USA's Rapid Advancement in Process Intensification Deployment Institute will focus on developing breakthrough technologies to boost domestic energy productivity and energy efficiency by 20 percent in five years through manufacturing processes.
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ORNL is creating standardized, scalable technologies that match stream environments, lower costs and speed deployment of new hydropower facilities. This research is supported by the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Water Power Technologies Office.
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Many advanced nuclear power plant (NPP) designs incorporate higher degrees of automation than the existing fleet of NPPs. Automation is being introduced or proposed in NPPs through a wide variety of systems and technologies, such as advanced displays, computer-based procedures, advanced alarm systems, and computerized operator support systems. Research consistently finds that there is a fundamental tradeoff between system performance with increased automation and reduced human performance. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) researchers and NuScale Power human factors and operations staff are working on a collaborative project to address the human performance challenges of increased automation and to determine the principles that lead to optimal performance in highly automated systems. This paper will describe this concept in detail and will describe an experimental test of the concept. The benefits and challenges of the approach will be discussed. (authors)
As inherently intermittent sources of renewable energy more fully penetrate the US grid, peaking power is largely being supplied by carbon-emitting natural gas turbines. Significant greenhouse gas emissions can be avoided if these plants are replaced with carbon-neutral nuclear facilities to provide peaking power to complement renewable generation and meet overall power demand. There is a great deal of previous work regarding reactor power shaping with control rod movement for both currently operating nuclear power plants and proposed plants, but the literature on load-following to meet less predictable, more rapidly varying power demand is less comprehensive. We have chosen the Westinghouse IRIS integral PWR as our candidate for modeling, simulation, and control studies. A nodal model of the IRIS integral PWR, partially adapted from a MATLAB/Simulink model constructed by prior students at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, has been constructed in Modelica. Currently the model includes the reactor vessel and steam generator system and simple assumptions for the balance of plant. The control scheme for the load-following operation of an IRIS integral PWR model would ultimately lead to the development of real operational mechanisms and principles in a grid with significant renewables capacity. In the future the model will be integrated with sophisticated grid and hybrid energy systems. (authors)
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This study aims to accelerate the demonstration of various thermal management systems for data centers using nuclear-generated heat to enhance energy and grid reliability. Utilizing mobile containerized and stationary test beds at INL's High Performance Computing (HPC) facility, this project integrates with various nuclear-related energy systems testing facilities. Key components include immersion cooling apparatus, absorption chillers, and adjustable thermal management simulators. Tasks involve acquiring necessary hardware, sensors, and cooling apparatus, engaging with data center industry stakeholders, and providing a testing platform for algorithms, models, tools, and software. The objective is to expedite the deployment of nuclear-powered data centers, thereby improving energy reliability and affordability.
Many times smaller than traditional nuclear reactors, microreactors can be made in a factory and shipped wherever needed. This innovative approach to energy production has huge potential to bring electricity to remote areas, support regions affected by natural disasters, and provide right-sized, scalable power to our energy grid. Learn what they are, how they work, and their benefits in this webinar, featuring Piyush Sabharwall, distinguished staff nuclear research scientist and technical area lead for the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy's Microreactor R&D Program at Idaho National Laboratory.
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A Documented Safety Analysis (DSA) is a Department of Energy (DOE) construct that defines the extent to which a nuclear facility can be operated safely. It includes a description of hazards, safe boundaries, and hazard controls. The authors assert that a Digital Safety Analysis (DgSA) is far superior to a legacy DSA for several reasons: • The underling database is structured such that it is possible to perform a comprehensive design review and safety analysis by iterating systematically across a hierarchy of linked objects versus a redundant and spotty review by entities of various abilities under unknown resource and schedule constraints. • The analysis of a new design can discover elements that are similar to elements in previous designs. The discovery of similarities is made possible by using the same structure for the underlying database for each new DgSA. The “prior learning” from previous designs is then applied automatically to new designs. • Outputs from the DgSA are from a single source to ensure consistency among various views of the same information. After the DgSA is released, the continued use of a single source implements a configuration management program to ensure consistency between the design basis, the design, the built system, and system procedures. • The development of the DgSA is agile in that any change in a linked object triggers an analysis of impacts on other linked objects and updates of linked objects are made accordingly. After the DgSA is released, the continued maintenance of these links and objects automates the “unreviewed safety question” process.