Liquid-Fluoride Thorium Reactor Development Strategy Kirk Sorensen Flibe

Liquid-Fluoride Thorium Reactor Development Strategy Kirk Sorensen Flibe Energy Thorium Energy Conference 2013 October 28, 2013

Impending Coal-Fired Plant Retirements Large numbers of coal-fired power plants are also facing retirement, particularly in the Ohio River Valley and in the Carolinas.

EPA regulations are helping drive coal retirement The implementation of these regulations makes smaller, older coal plants inefficient and uneconomical, resulting in the loss of over 27 GW. The loss of power places an urgency on utilities to plan for new, clean power solutions ahead of 2017. The window to plan for new clean generation sources fi ts perfectly with SMR development and offers a market opportunity of over $30 bn for coal replacement alone.

“Renewable” options are limited in these regions

New reactors are under construction in the US and across the world.

The US Nuclear Retirement “Cliff” Beginning in 2028, nuclear power plant retirements will increase dramatically.

DOE sees Industry Leading Future Nuclear ¨ “In the United States, it is the responsibility of industry to design, construct, and operate commercial nuclear power plants. ” (pg 22) ¨ “It is ultimately industry’s decision which commercial technologies will be deployed. The federal role falls more squarely in the realm of R&D. ” (pg 16) ¨ “The decision to deploy nuclear energy systems is made by industry and the private sector in market-based economies. ” (pg 45)

Modular construction of nuclear reactors in a factory environment has become increasingly desirable to reduce uncertainties about costs and quality. Liquid-fluoride reactors, with their lowpressure reactor vessels, are particularly suitable to modular construction in a factory and delivery to a power generation site.

One-Fluid 1000 -MWe MSBR Image source: ORNL-4832: MSRP-Sa. PR-08/72, pg 6

The Single Fluid Salt Processing Has Several Separation Steps Gaseous Fission Products/Nobel Metals Rare Earth Thorium Sep From Protactinium/Uranium Pa Decay/U Separation Uranium Separation Rare Earth Separation

Two-Fluid 250 -MWe MSBR: August 1967 ORNL-4191, sec 5 ORNL-4528, sec 5

How does a fluoride reactor use thorium? Uranium Absorption and Reduction UF 6 Fluoride Volatility Fertile Salt Recycle Fertile Salt UF 4 UF 6 Fluoride Volatility Fuel Salt Core Blanket Two-Fluid Reactor Vacuum Distillation Fission Product Waste Recycle Fuel Salt

ORNL 1967 Two-Fluid 250 -MWe Modular Reactors ORNL-4528, pg 20

1967 ORNL Modular MSBR, Modern Renderings

Two-Fluid MSBR Dual Module Isometric View

Two-Fluid MSBR Dual Module Front View

Two-Fluid MSBR Reactor Module and Core Cutaway

Flibe Energy was formed in order to further develop liquidfluoride reactor technology and to supply the world with affordable and sustainable energy, water and fuel.

We believe in the vision of a sustainable, prosperous future enabled by liquid-fluoride reactors producing electricity and desalinated water.

Located in Huntsville, Alabama

Water, Rail, and Air Freight Access to the World International Air Freight Extensive Rail Network Waterways to Gulf of Mexico and US Interior

Oak Ridge—birthplace of thorium/fluoride tech ¨ Graphite Reactor—first thorium/U 233 property measurements ¨ Aircraft Reactor Experiment—first molten-salt reactor ¨ Molten-Salt Reactor Experiment— 20, 000+ hours operation

Proximity to Oak Ridge National Laboratory ¨ Accessible by the Tennessee River ¨ 340 km by road ¨ Some MSRP retirees still live in area

Combustion Gas Turbine Technology established technology low-risk modular

Liquid-fluoride reactor produce high-temperature thermal power, enabling the use of new power conversion system technologies that reduce size and cost.

Nuclear-Heated Gas Turbine Propulsion Liquid-Fluoride Reactor

How does a fluoride reactor make electricity? The turbine drives a generator creating electricity Hot fuel salt Hot coolant salt Hot gas Warm fuel salt Reactor containment boundary Warm coolant salt Warm gas Salt / Gas Heat Exchanger Salt / Salt Heat Exchanger Turbine Compressor The gas is cooled and the waste heat is used to desalinate seawater

How does a fluoride reactor use thorium? 238 U Thorium tetrafluoride Fertile Salt Uranium Reduction Fluoride Volatility Recycle Fuel Salt Core UF 6 Fuel Salt UF 6 H 2 HF Electrolyzer Hexafluoride Distillation x. F 6 HF Uranium Absorption. Reduction Blanket Recycle Fertile Salt F 2 External “batch” processing of core salt, done on a schedule Recycled 7 Li. F-Be. F 2 “Bare” Salt Fluoride Volatility Vacuum Distillation Mo. F 6, Tc. F 6, Se. F 6, Ru. F 5, Te. F 6, IF 7, Other F 6 Fission Product Waste

Liquid fuels enable enhanced safety ¨ The reactor is equipped with a “freeze plug”—an open line where a frozen plug of salt is blocking the flow. ¨ The plug is kept frozen by an external cooling fan. Freeze Plug ¨ In the event of TOTAL loss of power, the freeze plug melts and the core salt drains into a passively cooled configuration where nuclear fission and meltdown are not possible. Drain Tank

Today’s Nuclear Approach Plutonium/TRU Uranium 0. 3% (depleted) Weapons-Grade Plutonium 0. 7% (natural) Thorium 93% (HEU) HEU Downblending Facility Depleted Uranium Stockpiles 3 -5% (LEU) Highly-Enriched Uranium Stockpiles Uranium Enrichment Facility LEUO 2 Fuel Fabrication Facility NUO 2 to NUF 6 Conversion Facility LEUO 2 -Fueled Light-Water Reactor-Grade Plutonium Uranium Mill NUO 2 = Natural Uranium Dioxide NUF 6 = Natural Uranium Hexafluoride LEUO 2 = Low-Enrichment Uranium Dioxide Uranium Mine Yucca Mountain Facility Thorium Stockpiles Existing U 233 Inventory

Conventionally-Proposed Nuclear Approach Plutonium/TRU Uranium 0. 3% (depleted) Weapons-Grade Plutonium 0. 7% (natural) Thorium 93% (HEU) HEU Downblending Facility Depleted Uranium Stockpiles 3 -5% (LEU) Highly-Enriched Uranium Stockpiles MOX Fuel Fabrication Facility Uranium Enrichment Facility LEUO 2 Fuel Fabrication Facility MOX-Fueled Light-Water Reactor NUO 2 to NUF 6 Conversion Facility Thorium Stockpiles LEUO 2 -Fueled Light-Water Reactor Existing U 233 Inventory Uranium Mill NUO 2 = Natural Uranium Dioxide NUF 6 = Natural Uranium Hexafluoride LEUO 2 = Low-Enrichment Uranium Dioxide MOX = Mixed Oxide Fuel (contain plutonium) Aqueous Reprocessing Plant Uranium Mine Yucca Mountain Facility Dispose in WIPP

Transition to Thorium Proposed Nuclear Approach Plutonium/TRU Uranium 0. 3% (depleted) Weapons-Grade Plutonium Stockpiles Depleted Uranium Stockpiles Uranium Reserves and Imports TRU 93% (HEU) LEUO 2 -Fueled Light-Water Reactors Highly-Enriched Uranium Stockpiles XUO 2 Fluorination Facility Liquid-Fluoride Thorium Reactors (HEU start) DUF 6 3 -5% (LEU) TRU-Fueled Liquid-Chloride Reactors Thorium Stockpiles & Rare Earth Mining U 233 Reactor-Grade Plutonium 0. 7% (natural) Thorium U 233 Inventory U 233 DUF 6 to DUO 2 Conversion Facility F 2 F 2 LEUO 2 = Low-Enrichment Uranium Dioxide DUO 2 XUO 2 = Exposed Uranium Dioxide Fuel TRU = Transuranics (Pu, Am, Cm, Np) Underground Burial DUF 6 = Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride DUO 2 = Depleted Uranium Dioxide F 2 = Gaseous Fluorine Liquid-Fluoride Thorium Reactors (U 233 start)

“During my life I have witnessed extraordinary feats of human ingenuity. I believe that this struggling ingenuity will be equal to the task of creating the Second Nuclear Era. ” “My only regret is that I will not be here to witness its success. ” —Alvin Weinberg (1915 -2006)