Coupling a small modular molten salt reactor with desalination

Abstract

To respond to the increasing water demand worldwide, especially in coastal cities and islands, nuclear desalination becomes a potential solution. SmTMSR-400 is a small modular molten salt reactor, which can be easily transported and has inherent safety. This paper analyzes the options of coupling SmTMSR-400 with desalination with parametric studies. SmTMSR-400 is integrated with multi-effect distillation (MED) and reverse osmosis (RO), respectively. In the MED options, the high-pressure, medium-pressure, or low-pressure steam from the steam Rankine power cycle can be used to generate the process steam for desalination. After evaluating and comparing the four options, it is found that: a) the RO option has the best performance of energy utilization and a higher upper limit of water production; b) the RO option is not suitable for water sources containing a large amount of organic matter, and the quality of the water produced is lower than that of the thermal desalination options; c) the low-pressure steam option has the best performance of energy utilization among the MED options, but its water production and power generation cannot be adjusted according to the local demand; d) when the performance of energy utilization, production flexibility, and water quality are all required, the medium-pressure steam option could be an alternative.