Nuclear energy is currently the only very low carbon technology which can deliver energy 24/7 on demand which will be a key for the successful transformation into a future net-zero society. However, to achieve the required production capacity, the UK will need to grow their nuclear reactor fleet significantly. One of the key products to deliver on this demand will be the successful development and deployment of small modular reactors.
Small modular reactors (SMRs) attracted a lot of attention in recent years. They have the potential to be an attractive alternative to the modern large-scale nuclear power plants due to the advantages they offer, such as shorter deployment time, smaller capital costs, ability to be sited in remote locations, etc. Therefore, different companies in the world develop their designs of the SMRs, for example, SMART (South Korea), NuScale (USA), Rolls Roys SMR (UK), etc. The SMRs vary in power from tens to hundreds of MWs and can be used for electricity generation, heating, water desalination and other industrial tasks.
In order to reduce the physical sizes of the SMRs, soluble boron free core designs were proposed (see, for example, SMART project). Boron free cores reduce the physical dimensions of the SMR and eliminate boron dilution accidents, eliminate boron induced corrosion and reduce the amount of tritium produced during the reactor’s lifetime. However, due to the lack of soluble boron acid in the coolant, the excess reactivity should be compensated by burnable absorbers or control rods. This approach makes the boron free core more heterogeneous and creates additional challenges for accurate multiphysics simulations of such cores. Therefore, simulation of boron free cores can require applying the advanced techniques for multiphysics modelling and simulation of the SMR cores. They can be too complicated for simulation by standard industrial methods (full core nodal diffusion) due to their small sizes and high heterogeneity.
This PhD project aims to support the development of SMRs with the support of industrial partners. Key point will be to identify the challenges in modelling and simulation of the SMRs (both boron and boron-free) compared to traditional large-scale reactors. This will guide the way to find efficient ways for accurate simulation of such cores to study the sensitivity of operational parameters. A combination of advanced modelling and simulation tools will be used, such as the full core simulator DYN3D, the neutron transport solver LOTUS, and the subchannel thermal-hydraulics code CTF. The project will allow identifying paths for accurate modelling and simulation of the SMR cores without the computationally expensive full-core pin-by-pin simulations. An approach which will be attractive for industrial application of the developed methodology.
For academic enquires please contact Prof Bruno Merk [Email Address Removed] & Dr Dzianis Litskevich [Email Address Removed]
For enquires on the application process or to find out more about the Dual programme please contact [Email Address Removed]
To apply for this opportunity, please visit: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/how-to-apply/
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