Conceptual design description 3000-kWe subsea nuclear power plant

Abstract

This report describes the conceptual design and performance of a subsea nuclear power system for application in offshore oil and gas production. The system can be designed and built with minimum additional development, based on space nuclear power technology, components, and systems completed during the past 20 years. The concept is particularly well suited to meet the requirements of the offshore oil application for adequate safety, high reliability, and acceptable costs. The system is designed to provide 3000 kWe power to oil pumps, at 4160 V, and 60 Hz, for a period of 4 years, in an automatic, unattended mode. At the end of this period, the system is returned to a refurbishment center, where the reactor core is replaced and other parts of the systems are inspected, refurbished, or replaced, as required. With this periodic refueling and maintenance, the total system design life is 20 years. The nuclear power system is largely contained within two separate pressure vessels, connected by an enclosed pipe chase. One vessel contains the reactor and liquid metal primary coolant system, while the other contains the organic Rankine power conversion systems. These modules are mounted on a barge which provides both a means to transport the system and a mounting structure for the sea floor installation. A waste heat exchanger is mounted on the deck of the barge. The nuclear power system is designed for unattended operations. It can be operated automatically in a load-following mode, or controlled remotely with the use of supervisory and instrumentation circuits.