to an open-cycle hot Air compressor/Turbine combination (AT), - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

The NEREUS project, industrial nuclear Power, HTR-AT. Since 1985 intellectual property of G.A.K. Crommelin and M.Th. Crommelin - de Jonge and heirs

The High Temperature Reactor (HTR) connected to an open-cycle hot Air compressor/Turbine combination (AT), coupled by an electrical shaft

Real INNOVATION is “to boldly go where no one has gone before” James T. Kirk, Captain of the USS (space ship) Enterprise Initiative and general part – Gulian and Trix Crommelin Nuclear part – Professor Dr. Ir. Hugo van Dam MSc. Ex-Director of the Reactor Institute of the Delft Institute of Technology

The idea that the next logical step in the Gas turbine Technology could be the combination of a gas turbine with a nuclear heat source, occurred to me during a discussion at the ASME exhibition and conference in the Albert Thomas Convention Centre, Houston, 17 – 21 March, 1985.

The NEREUS project, industrial nuclear Power, HTR-AT. Since 1985 intellectual property of G.A.K. Crommelin and M.Th. Crommelin - de Jonge and heirs

In 1994 we started to investigate. After a few months we understood that the working temperature of the existing Pressurized Water Reactors was too low for gas turbines (300 °C). However, we met Professor Dr. Ir. Hugo van Dam, MSc., then Director of the Reactor Institute of the Delft University of technology. He listened to our reasoning and concluded that if we had the knowledge of the non-nuclear part, he would help to combine this with the High Temperature Reactor (HTR). The project received the name “the NEREUS project”. Nereus is the God of the sea, in Greek mythology.

Uranium 7.000 – 400.000 MWday/ton Natural gas 0,56 MWday/ton Oil 0,48 MWday/ton Coal 0,34 MWday/ton Biomass 0,18 MWday/ton Or in simple words: One gram of uranium contains the same amount of energy as two tons

• f oil, three tons of coal or 2400 m³ natural gas.

The idea of the just mentioned next logical step was based upon the trend of the energy contents of the fuels, humanity used in energy conversion. The triangle to the right gives an indication of the logistically efforts versus the energy content.

The NEREUS project, industrial nuclear Power, HTR-AT. Since 1985 intellectual property of G.A.K. Crommelin and M.Th. Crommelin - de Jonge and heirs

THE NEREUS PROJECT (HTR-AT): A Naturally safe,

Efficient, Reactor (nuclear), Easy to operate, Ultimately simple (modulair)

and Small Fully tested, so well-proven Jülich, Duitsland (1967 – 1988) en Beijing, China (2000 - )

The NEREUS project, industrial nuclear Power, HTR-AT. Since 1985 intellectual property of G.A.K. Crommelin and M.Th. Crommelin - de Jonge and heirs

The NEREUS project, industrial nuclear Power, HTR-AT. Since 1985 intellectual property of G.A.K. Crommelin and M.Th. Crommelin - de Jonge and heirs

From the users point of view, a combination of two environmentally and well-proven technologies

• 1. The well-proven nuclear pebble-bed reactor (HTR)
• 2. The well-proven open-air compressor/turbine (AT),

connected by a so-called electrical shaft

• 3. Other advantages
• High efficiency (Brayton cycle)
• Emissions: hot air
• Secondary radioactive waste
• Inherently safe due to power control by the laws of

physics; the throttle follows the demand (thermostat)

Above: the first test unit, Jülich, Germany, to the right: The Chinese test unit, Beijing, China

The NEREUS project, industrial nuclear Power, HTR-AT. Since 1985 intellectual property of G.A.K. Crommelin and M.Th. Crommelin - de Jonge and heirs

Affordable due to the – in the aero world – well-proven pool- management system, with aspects as:

• modular construction
• serial production
• central repair and maintenance facilities etc.

Suitable for the four markets of industrial energy conversion The markets in which the axiom “the engine is just a means to” is in force

• Stand-alone heat production
• Combined heat & power generation
• Production of electricity, heat and fresh water for villages and small

towns on islands and in remote areas

• Ship propulsion

The NEREUS project, industrial nuclear Power, HTR-AT. Since 1985 intellectual property of G.A.K. Crommelin and M.Th. Crommelin - de Jonge and heirs

Diagram of the non-nuclear part of a NEREUS installation. The combination of the intermediate heat exchanger and the (open air cycle) compressor(s) and turbine(s)

The NEREUS project, industrial nuclear Power, HTR-AT. Since 1985 intellectual property of G.A.K. Crommelin and M.Th. Crommelin - de Jonge and heirs

Diagram of the nuclear part of a NEREUS installation. The high temperature reactor cooled by helium circuit, combined with the intermediate heat exchanger

The NEREUS project, industrial nuclear Power, HTR-AT. Since 1985 intellectual property of G.A.K. Crommelin and M.Th. Crommelin - de Jonge and heirs

Both parts combined…

The NEREUS project, industrial nuclear Power, HTR-AT. Since 1985 intellectual property of G.A.K. Crommelin and M.Th. Crommelin - de Jonge and heirs

USN Nautilus (1954 – 1980) Admiral Hyman George Rickover (1900 – 1986)

At sea there are or have been more than 750 nuclear reactors in service, including the 22 units on board the Russian icebreakers and the two used

• n board the brand new aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford

(commissioned - 2017). Ashore there were or are 436 units in service, with a total output of more than 377.700 MWe. On construction are: China 27, (incl. 2 x HTR’s), Russia 12, South Korea 5, USA 5, India 6, United Emirates 3, Japan 3, France 1 en Finland 1. The last two will have a power output of 1650 MWe.

SOME HISTORY

The NEREUS project, industrial nuclear Power, HTR-AT. Since 1985 intellectual property of G.A.K. Crommelin and M.Th. Crommelin - de Jonge and heirs

The NEREUS project, industrial nuclear Power, HTR-AT. Since 1985 intellectual property of G.A.K. Crommelin and M.Th. Crommelin - de Jonge and heirs

Three icebreakers at the North Pole To the left: USCGC Polar Sea, in the midst the CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent and to the right the Russian nuclear icebreaker, Yamal (meeting in 1994). You can book an (expensive) cruise on her to see the North Pole yourself.

4 acres of sovereign U.S. territory Where it’s needed, when it’s needed USS Harry S. Truman Action radius: 20 to 25 years

The NEREUS project, industrial nuclear Power, HTR-AT. Since 1985 intellectual property of G.A.K. Crommelin and M.Th. Crommelin - de Jonge and heirs

A dolphin leads the USS John Warner (SNN-785) to sea for her initial trials in the Atlantic Ocean (Naval Proceedings – 2017)

The NEREUS project, industrial nuclear Power, HTR-AT. Since 1985 intellectual property of G.A.K. Crommelin and M.Th. Crommelin - de Jonge and heirs

THE ENERGY PARK BORSSELE Storage of all types of nuclear waste in Storage and transport coal the Netherlands.

The NEREUS project, industrial nuclear Power, HTR-AT. Since 1985 intellectual property of G.A.K. Crommelin and M.Th. Crommelin - de Jonge and heirs

Windmills (3MWe) Coal fired plant and the nuclear plant (each 450 Mwe) It clearly shows the amount of space per MWe each energy conversion system requires.

Water cooled reactor delivers saturated steam via a steam generator to a steam turbine, which drives a generator to supply electrical power to the national grid. The exhausted steam is cooled in a condenser with water or air. The so-called condensate is pumped to the steam generator and becomes steam

• again. A so-called closed feed water system.

The NEREUS project, industrial nuclear Power, HTR-AT. Since 1985 intellectual property of G.A.K. Crommelin and M.Th. Crommelin - de Jonge and heirs

Control rods cooling water from the river de Schelde

PRESSURIZED WATER REACTOR (PWR) (Borssele) Utility size nuclear energy conversion

The NEREUS project, industrial nuclear Power, HTR-AT. Since 1985 intellectual property of G.A.K. Crommelin and M.Th. Crommelin - de Jonge and heirs

The High Temperature Reactor (HTR) is developed by Professor Rudolf Schulten in Jülich, Germany, and succesfully tested in the period 1967 – 1988.

PWR – Control Rods HTR – Start and Stopping Rods PWR – Monitoring & Control HTR – Control by Laws of Physics PWR – Rankine (Steam) Cycle HTR – can be with Brayton Cycle PWR – High Pressure (300 BAR) HTR – Low Pressure (< 40 BAR) PWR – Low Temperature (± 320 °C) HTR – High Temperature (800 °C) PWR – Energy Density - 100 MW/M³, HTR – Low Energy Density - 3 MW/M³ PWR – High Radioactive waste HTR – Secundary Radioactive Waste PWR – Containment Concrete HTR – Containments (2) within the fuel

HELI ELIUM Cir ircuit cuit

Reasons:

• 1. A closed cycle feed water system is unstable, because it contains

a mixture of a gas (steam) and a liquid (condensate (water)).

• 2. The density of such a mixture depends on the load of the

installation.

• 3. This means that it requires monitoring and control and so people,

with or without computers and other automatic systems.

The NEREUS project, industrial nuclear Power, HTR-AT. Since 1985 intellectual property of G.A.K. Crommelin and M.Th. Crommelin - de Jonge and heirs

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES AND WHAT IS THE INNOVATIVE ASPECT?

The steam turbine installation is replaced by an open-cycle hot air compressor/turbine installation, connected by an electrical shaft.

Fuel: one container, 3 years, 7 tons, 42 m³, inclusive reflector

The NEREUS project, industrial nuclear Power, HTR-AT. Since 1985 intellectual property of G.A.K. Crommelin and M.Th. Crommelin - de Jonge and heirs

When more power is required, the control system increases the revolutions per minute of the compressor. The flow of cold air through the heat exchanger increases. The helium returns cooler to the reactor. The fuel will get cooler and shrinks. As a result, the density of the fuel increases and the chance that a neutron causes a fission increases. The energy production increases, as does the temperature. And the other way around. It works like a thermostat.

The NEREUS project, industrial nuclear Power, HTR-AT. Since 1985 intellectual property of G.A.K. Crommelin and M.Th. Crommelin - de Jonge and heirs

OUTPUT CONTROL

The NEREUS project, industrial nuclear Power, HTR-AT. Since 1985 intellectual property of G.A.K. Crommelin and M.Th. Crommelin - de Jonge and heirs

One of the safety features, the start- and stopping rods, are torque activated, to prevent these rods to fall out when the ship capsizes.

The criticality is controlled by “burnable poison”. New fuel produces a lot of neutrons per fission, which will cause many fissions themselves. And this fast process causes an uncontrollable nuclear explosion. Inside the TRISO coated particles is the fuel kernel. See picture 19 of this power

• point. Burnable poison is added to this

fuel kernel.

THE CONTROL OF THE CRITICALITY

This burnable poison “eats” the surplus of neutrons in such a way that per fission 1.05 neutrons are still available for the energy conversion process. During the usage of the fuel load (3 years) the criticality stays constant as shown the graph.

The NEREUS project, industrial nuclear Power, HTR-AT. Since 1985 intellectual property of G.A.K. Crommelin and M.Th. Crommelin - de Jonge and heirs

The NEREUS project, industrial nuclear Power, HTR-AT. Since 1985 intellectual property of G.A.K. Crommelin and M.Th. Crommelin - de Jonge and heirs

Demonstration of the inherently safe shutdown of the Chinese pebble bed reactor in a recent test. The power of the reactor becomes stable at 200 KW, the heat being passively dissipated. No dangerous situation ever occurred.

• The engine room and its machinery is an open construction
• The generators are no longer working. The torque activated starting-

and stopping rods are de-activated, because there is no electricity anymore and turn in to stop the neutron production.

• The helium gas in het nuclear system escapes via plugs, which

corrode by sea water (like in a life jacket/vest).

• Sea water enters the air cooling systems.
• The HTR can and will be designed in such a way that an inherent

shutdown will happen by flooding as a result of the nuclear design.

• For this the moderator-fuel ratio is important. When the reactor is

flooded the neutron coupling between the fuel core and the reflector will decrease. SHIP SINKS AT SEA OR IN HARBOUR OR THE ENGINE ROOM GETS FLOODED.

The NEREUS project, industrial nuclear Power, HTR-AT. Since 1985 iIntellectual property of G.A.K. Crommelin and M.Th. Crommelin - de Jonge and heirs

MARKETS PWR (MANNED)

Base load electricity production Ship propulsion for special types of ships, like aircraft carriers and submarines.

MARKETS HTR-AT (UNMANNED)

(KISS = Keep It Simple and Sailors proof)

• Heat production
• Combined heat- and

power generation

• Electricity, heat and fresh

water production for towns and small villages in remote areas and on islands

• Under study: stand-by for windmills and solar energy parks

The NEREUS project, industrial nuclear Power, HTR-AT. Since 1985 intellectual property of G.A.K. Crommelin and M.Th. Crommelin - de Jonge and heirs

COST CONTROL BY POOL-MANAGEMENT

Important aspects are:

• Redundancy
• Standardization of modules, components, tooling etc.
• Serial production of components, tooling and user procedures
• Configuration control, standardization of components etc.
• Refuelling, waste handling, setting to work, exchange of modules by

specialists

• Central procurement of tooling, fuel etc.
• Central handling of (nuclear) waste, scrapping, repair with subcontractors,
• verhaul and repair workshops
• Central documentation, training, exchange of experience, modifications

and legislation and control of life of components

The NEREUS project, industrial nuclear Power, HTR-AT. Since 1985 intellectual property of G.A.K. Crommelin and M.Th. Crommelin - de Jonge and heirs

The NEREUS project, small-scale nuclear Power, HTR-AT. Since 1985 intellectual property of G.A.K. Crommelin and M.Th. Crommelin - de Jonge and heirs

The NEREUS project, industrial nuclear Power, HTR-AT. Since 1985 intellectual property of G.A.K. Crommelin and M.Th. Crommelin - de Jonge and heirs

A comprehensive study of 5 students from the USA of a container ship with 6 NEREUS installations which won a prize (2014).

The NEREUS project, industrial nuclear Power, HTR-AT. Since 1985 intellectual property of G.A.K. Crommelin and M.Th. Crommelin - de Jonge and heirs

JUST UST IMAGI GINE NE THA THAT T WE WE CAN N ST STEA EAM FOR OR THR THREE EE YEA EARS S WI WITHO THOUT UT REF EFUEL UELLING NG!!!!

The NEREUS project, industrial nuclear Power, HTR-AT, Since 1985 intellectual property of G.A.K. Crommelin and M.Th. Crommelin - de Jonge and heirs