Prognostics Health Management for Advanced Small Modular Reactor Passive Components

Abstract


 
 
 In the United States, sustainable nuclear power to promote energy security is a key national energy priority. Advanced small modular reactors (AdvSMR), which are based on modularization of advanced reactor concepts using non- light-water reactor (LWR) coolants such as liquid metal, helium, or molten salt, may provide a longer-term alternative to more conventional LWR-based concepts. The economics of AdvSMRs will be impacted by the reduced economy-of-scale savings when compared to traditional LWRs and the controllable day-to-day costs of AdvSMRs are expected to be dominated by operations and maintenance costs. Therefore, achieving the full benefits of AdvSMR deployment requires a new paradigm for plant design and management. In this context, prognostic health management of passive components in AdvSMRs can play a key role in enabling the economic deployment of AdvSMRs. This paper discusses features of AdvSMR systems that are likely to influence PHM implementation for passive components and discusses some requirements based on those features. Further, a brief overview of the state-of- the-art in PHM relevant to AdvSMR passive components is provided followed by an illustration of prognostics for passive AdvSMR components.