Development of an HTR-Type nuclear and bifacial PV solar based integrated system to meet the needs of energy, food and fuel for sustainable indigenous cities

Abstract

In this study, a unique integrated system is developed to produce multiple useful outputs, including energy, fuel, and food, for indigenous communities to achieve sustainable development and address some of the sustainability goals developed by the United Nations in this regard. The Nunavut Territory is identified with the highest food and energy insecurity across Canada for the present study. A pilot project is, in this regard, developed under a case study and thermodynamically analyzed for Iqaluit, Nunavut as an Indigenous City. The high-temperature reactor (HTR)-type pebble bed nuclear reactors are considered to be used with the copper chlorine Cu-Cl hydrogen production cycle, bifacial photovoltaic (PV) plant, gas and steam turbines, greenhouse, fish farm and residential heating systems, and multi-effect water desalination in the integrated multigenerational system. The proposed system primarily produces electricity, district heating, fresh water, domestic hot water, and hydrogen fuel. The simulations are carried out on the PVsyst and Aspen Plus. The renewable and nuclear energy systems, as well as other subsystems, are assessed via the engineering equation solver (EES) software package. The proposed integrated system has achieved a 62.64% overall energy efficiency and a 68.91% overall exergy efficiency at the average ambient conditions. Moreover, the present system is designed in different capacities for eleven indigenous communities in Nunavut Territory by considering the energy resources and local demand.