Alternative reactor technologies have been evaluated to determine the technology that best fulfills the functional and performance requirements of the targeted energy applications and market. Unlike the case of electric power generation, where the reactor performance is primarily expressed in terms of economics, the targeted energy applications involve industrial applications that have specific needs in terms of acceptable heat transport fluids and the associated thermodynamic conditions. The alternative reactor technologies must provide operational and performance capabilities that fulfill the needs of the end user.

This paper examines the influence of high temperature gas-cooled reactor module power rating and normal operating temperatures on the viability of using SA508/533 material for the high temperature gas-cooled reactor vessel system with emphasis on the calculated times at elevated temperatures approaching or exceeding American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section III Service Limits (Levels A, B, and C) to which the reactor pressure vessel could be exposed during normal operation and postulated pressurized and depressurized conduction cooldown events over its design lifetime.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARYThe U.S. energy infrastructure is among the most reliable, accessible and economic in the world. On the other hand, the U.S. energy infrastructure relies heavily on foreign sources of energy, experiences high volatility in energy prices, does not practice good stewardship of finite indigenous energy resources and emits significant quantities of greenhouse gases (GHG). This report presents a Technology Based Strategy to achieve a full transformation of the U.S. energy infrastructure that corrects these negative issues while retaining the positives. Addressing Vulnerabilities in Energy InfrastructureThe following are necessary to address all of the vulnerabilities in the energy infrastructure:x Provide permanent and self-sustaining remedies that directly address the negative issues summarized abovex Maintain the reliability of the energy infrastructurex Ensure that the impact of the transformation on the costs of energy reflect real costs for upgrade of the energy infrastructurex Result in a predictable increase in the cost to the consumer of energy that is introduced consistently over the long term to facilitate accommodation of the increases on the individual and the economyx Develop U.S.-based engineering, manufacturing and construction resources for implementation of the remedies, with the creation of permanent jobs and reduction in flow of capital offshore.The above will not be achieved through the forces of the foreseeable competitive marketplace, but must be enabled through comprehensive and enduring U.S. Government energy and economic policies.The U.S. energy infrastructure produces and consumes energy in three principal areas; (1) generating electricity primarily by the burning of coal (50%), operating nuclear plants (20%) and natural gas (20%), renewable including hydro (10%), (2) burning natural gas in residential, commercial and industrial applications, and (3) producing, refining and combusting crude oil based petroleum products and biomass based products, (e.g., corn ethanol) for transportation. Vulnerabilities in Energy SecurityIn 2008, combustion of liquid fuels accounted for ~40% of energy consumption; natural gas and coal combustion combined accounted for ~46% and nuclear power, renewable and other forms of energy accounted for the remaining ~14%. The country relies heavily on imported crude oil (~ 9 million barrels per day in 2009) and some natural gas to sustain the rate of consumption of these commodities. This has negative impacts:x Reduces the security of our energy infrastructure by relying on foreign sources.x Leads to price volatility; the prices of crude oil and natural gas have fluctuated over large ranges the past several years contributing to instability in the economics of sectors using these commodities.x In burning of natural gas we are depleting a natural resource that has higher value for other purposes, such as feedstock for petrochemical processing.x Our use of coal, the largest energy resource in the country, for electricity production is a major contributor t...

vii both the government and the industry perspectives in directing and informing the future progress of the NGNP Project. The work completed to date by the NGNP Project is sufficient to inform these efforts.A fundamental observation from extensive discussion with industry companies represented by the NGNP Industry Alliance is that the private sector will enter into substantial cost-share with government only if a public-private partnership is formed providing the framework and authorities for the government and industry to make important decisions and manage the NGNP Project. Additionally, the private sector considers it unwarranted to make an early design down-selection in FY2011 as currently planned by the DOE. The private sector considers that competitive and complementary designs through preliminary design are necessary to support completion of licensing pre-application activities and preparation of COLA(s). Presuming comparable functional and performance capabilities, the industry anticipates that design down-selection will be based primarily on regulatory infrastructure maturation for advanced reactors, the low risk potential to certify and license the design, and the economics of the planned business case, none of which can be adequately assessed until the preliminary designs are nearing completion. Further, the industry anticipates that down-selection will be made by a combination of the future owner, the license applicant and the energy end-user, i.e., those entities that will have the financial stake in constructing and operating the first reactor module. In practical fact, the industry anticipates that the decision to complete design, license and build of the first-of-a-kind reactor module will be made concurrently with the decision to build several subsequent modules since the business case for a single module is not considered viable.

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