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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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DOE OSTI2023

Dispatch analysis of flexible power operation with multi-unit small modular reactors

The relevance of nuclear power plant flexible power operation (FPO) is rising due to increased penetration of variable renewables. Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) such as NuScale are envisaged to have multiple units on one site. This provides opportunities for coordinating FPO between units, but also introduces challenges as common services (e.g., refueling equipment) must be shared between units and fuel loadings may be standardized. It is therefore important to quantify whether FPO with SMRs is economically beneficial. Here, this paper quantifies the economics of FPO on different timescales to analyze refueling outages of such multi-unit SMRs. A 24-h price-taker profit maximization of SMR operation is first solved considering revenues from wholesale power and ancillary service (AS) markets. The results are then used to find the most profitable operation strategy over several years for multiple units at the site accounting for the physics and materials limits on NPP operation, including refueling outages. Results show a small but appreciable participation of nuclear into AS, contributing 4% of revenues. Due to the longer fuel cycle, over a decade of operation the units’ refueling outages drifted by 3 months, ultimately leading to refueling during summer.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Rancor Integrated Procedure System (RIPS): A Computer-Based Procedure Platform for Advanced Reactor Research

The Rancor Microworld Simulator is a simplified, pressurized water, small modular reactor simulator that includes a multi-unit plant model server, an advanced digital human-machine control interface, and the Rancor Integrated Procedure System (RIPS). Rancor provides a research and development tool that can be used for collecting operator performance data and for prototyping concepts of operations (ConOps) for advanced reactor development. RIPS is meant as a research tool and includes many unique features: (1) RIPS has a robust procedure authoring system. (2) RIPS has the capability to run any of the three IEEE-Std-1786 computer-based procedure types. (3) RIPS can be configured to take on the look and feel of different vendors’ computer-based procedure systems for the purpose of developing and evaluating different ConOps for plant upgrades or new builds. (4) RIPS includes the capability for logging operator procedure use, including integrating procedure logs with Rancor simulator logs, thereby allowing automated data collection of operator scenario runs. (5) RIPS integrates with the Human Unimodel for Nuclear Technology to Enhance Reliability (HUNTER), a dynamic human reliability analysis environment that creates a digital human twin or virtual operator to mimic reactor operator performance. (6) RIPS includes support for automation of plant monitoring and control functions. While RIPS is explicitly built into Rancor, it may also be used with full-scope training simulators. This functionality allows RIPS to be used for existing plants and advanced reactors under development.

99 - GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Electric Vehicle Charging Demand in the Chicago Metropolitan Area through 2030

This report outlines the collaborative efforts between Argonne National Laboratory and Exelon in advancing the Agent-Based Transportation Energy Analysis Model (ATEAM). Aligning with ComEd’s beneficial electrification plan, this study developed eight scenarios to access the temporal and spatial distribution of charging load and demand stemming from the widespread adoption of battery electric vehicles (BEV) adoption, augmented public charging infrastructure deployment, and increased multi-unit dwelling (MUD) charging availability. Enhancements to the ATEAM model encompassed the simulation of multiple days of travel behavior, estimation of total public charging infrastructure needs, user interface refinements, and output tracking at both vehicle and charging station levels. The total electricity consumption for residential and public charging to support over 800,000 BEVs in Chicago in 2029 is projected at approximately 10.2 GWh. Enhanced MUD home charging accessibility (70%) amplifies the home charging load in the study area by 1.5% compared to the baseline scenario (10%). The widespread adoption of BEVs reduces peak charging loads, owing to their inclusion across households with diverse income levels, thus fostering a more dispersed charging activity pattern. However, widespread BEV adoption increases the peak home charging load in areas with lower median household incomes, reflecting a higher BEV concentration in these locales and, subsequently, heightened peak charging demands. In the Widespread BEV adoption scenario, fewer census tracts exhibit elevated peak loads for combined home and public charging, indicating a more even distribution of charging demand across the study area. Predominantly, peak loads for combined charging—both home and public— occur between 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. across all scenarios, encompassing the majority of census tracts.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗