Abstract
The economic assessment of advanced nuclear power reactors is very important, specifically during the early stages of concept design. Therefore, a study was performed to calculate the total cost estimation of fuel cycle supply for a system modular advanced reactor (SMART) by using the Generation-IV economic program called G4-ECONS (Generation 4 Excel-based Calculation of Nuclear Systems). In this study, the detailed description of each model and methodology are presented including facility, operations, construction matrix, post-production model, and fuel cycle cost estimation model. Based on these models, six Generation-III+ and Generation-IV nuclear reactors were simulated, namely System 80+ with benchmark data, System 80+ with uranium oxide (UOx) and mixed oxide (MOx) fuel assemblies, fast reactor, PBMR (Pebble Bed Modular Reactor), and PWR (Pressurized Water Reactor), with partially closed and benchmarked cases. The total levelized costs of these reactors were obtained, and it was observed that PBMR showed the lowest cost. The research was extended to work on the SMART reactor to calculate the total levelized fuel cycle cost, capital cost, capital component cost, fraction of capital spent, and sine curve spent pattern. To date, no work is being reported to calculate these parameters for the SMART reactor. It was observed that SMART is the most cost-effective reactor system among other proven and advanced pressurized water-based reactor systems. The main objective of the research is to verify and validate the G4-ECONS model to be used for other innovative nuclear reactors.
Highlights
Today, Generation-III, III+, and IV nuclear power reactors, due to their unique and novel features, are struggling to increase continuous improvement in the areas of sustainability, reliability, safety and proliferation resistance, protection, and economics [1]
One of the main parameters denoted by Levelized Unit Electricity Cost (LUEC) and Levelized non-Electricity Unit Product Cost (LUPC) calculates the levelized unit product cost of other energy products, such as the recovery of capital cost including financing, non-fuel operation and maintenance costs, decontamination and decommissioning cost, and fuel cycle cost, as presented above in
Systems are the most the cost‐effective design theanalysis, and it was observed that total LUEC and total capital investment cost (TCIC) are calculated as 53.7 $/MWh and 2585.20$, investigation
Summary
Generation-III, III+, and IV nuclear power reactors, due to their unique and novel features, are struggling to increase continuous improvement in the areas of sustainability, reliability, safety and proliferation resistance, protection, and economics [1] With these criteria, advanced reactors have turned out to be a revolution in the nuclear industry, in which highly sophisticated and novel methods and concepts are being implemented. The main goal of the research is to include the proliferation, protection, safety, reliability, and economics of the plant This way, it substantially upgrades safety and enhances public confidence by adding inherent safety features and reducing core damage frequency, which is governed by offsite emergency response. These standards develop a methodology that would allow for safety performance and evaluation of various nuclear power plant concepts.
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