Radiation enhanced chemical production: Improving the value proposition of nuclear power

Abstract

Nuclear power is one of the means for large-scale CO 2-free heat and electricity generation. Commercial designs, developed decades ago, have not adopted technological innovations and struggle to be cost-competitive with state-of-the-art fossil-fuel power systems. Though fuel is relatively inexpensive, nuclear power plants are expensive to build and produce only low-value electricity. One strategy to improve the process economics is to use unique characteristics of nuclear reactors to provide additional sources of revenue by co-producing higher value products. A conceptual process is analysed, which combines a molten salt nuclear power reactor and a chemical process using the reactor's gamma radiation to facilitate the production of propylene. This facility is able to co-produce electricity and high volume commodity chemicals using, otherwise wasted radiation. The conceptual process model suggests that integration of units producing an energy product with one that produces more valuable chemicals leads to significant economic benefits for the overall facility. Despite the improvements, the system studied is unable to deliver an acceptable return on investment for small power plants independent of the size of the chemical plant integrated. Conversely, large plants are capable of delivering acceptable return on investment, in some cases generating returns comparable to other modern investment options.

On-Line Raman Measurement of the Radiation-Enhanced Reaction of Cellobiose with Hydrogen Peroxide

“…There is a large amount of unused energy in the form of photon and neutron radiation that could be exploited to drive chemical processes to produce feedstock materials as a secondary product of a nuclear plant. 4 , 8 , 9 Chemical processing with radiation is not a new concept. In fact, it has been recognized for over half a century that gamma radiation is an excellent source of high-energy photons to drive photochemical reactions.…”

“…Nuclear energy provides a low-carbon alternative to reliably meet energy needs regardless of weather conditions or geological location. , It represents a key piece of a diverse energy portfolio that can effectively meet the current goals of lowering the carbon footprint of energy production while maintaining energy security. , However, nuclear energy is more expensive than many of the renewable energy generation technologies such as wind and solar, primarily due to the high capital investment required in plant construction, although modern reactors are bridging this gap. ,, …”

“…Currently, nuclear reactors are primarily commodified by using their heat to generate steam for electricity production. There is a large amount of unused energy in the form of photon and neutron radiation that could be exploited to drive chemical processes to produce feedstock materials as a secondary product of a nuclear plant. ,, Chemical processing with radiation is not a new concept. In fact, it has been recognized for over half a century that gamma radiation is an excellent source of high-energy photons to drive photochemical reactions. , Dow Chemical produced commercial quantities of ethyl bromide using gamma irradiation from a 60 Co source in the 1960s and 1970s because it was the most cost-effective means of production to meet the demand. , Numerous other processes have received attention, including the production of ozone and carbon monoxide. , However, direct implementation of such processes with nuclear reactors to develop hybrid reactors has not yet seen widespread implementation.…”

Producing Useful Chemicals Using a Nuclear Reactor

“…A recent economic study concluded that such an integrated chemical-nuclear process could be economically feasible within a commercial nuclear reactor's design, with relatively little additional capital costs associated with the inclusion of radiochemical process. [5,6] Currently, there is still a heavy reliance on the petrochemical industry for the supply of commodity chemicals; therefore research into alternative, chemical processes that utilize waste natural feedstocks is vital to create a more sustainable future.…”

The damage and healing of quartz under radiation at high temperatures

“…It is the main form of SiO 2 . In nuclear power plants, quartz can be subjected to neutron radiation when it is applied as the concrete aggregate (Field et al., 2015; Pignatelli et al., 2016; Schmeda-Lopez et al., 2018). In some cases, quartz is under the dual influence of radiation and high temperatures.…”