Evolving Innovative Reactor Design: Putting the I Into R&D

This paper traces the development path adopted for the SCWR, including the directions taken for innovative collaboration (R&D+i). In the pre-conceptual design work, instead of taking a fixed concept, the constraints and resulting design targets are defined first. By encouraging innovation, the motivation for the work is not just the size of the R&D funding for a single project, but rather the scale and opportunity of the technology challenge and the potential for attracting grass-roots support at all levels. From the beginning of the Generation IV ideas, the SCWR has taken a somewhat different path from other systems. Learning from the historical lessons of earlier unsuccessful designs of gas-cooled and liquid metal-cooled concepts, the SCWR targets the twin aims of increased efficiency and low cost by leveraging conventional thermal technology while also improving safety and avoiding open-ended development. By working with universities nationally, and other partners internationally, a wider R&D+i activity was possible that was not constrained by any early time-frame demonstration project. As a result, presently a number of unique and creative achievements stand out, where the collaborative SCWR R&D+i partnership is very different from other systems in approach, potential and scope by: a) Providing an open opportunity for some 30 countries to share their development efforts, while representing major global industrial and economic development (the 24 EU nations, plus Canada, Japan, Russia, China, India, Korea and others) without the impediments of any “national” demonstration projects; b) Allowing differing design concepts to flourish, from simple systems to more complex ideas, with process heat and hydrogen production applications emerging naturally, providing flexibility in application and design approach; c) Encouraging extensive educational research opportunities, ideas and contributions outside national laboratories, providing a unique framework for quality assurance that meets the needs of industry, universities and other partners worldwide, as well as a coordinated effort within the Generation IV International Forum and the IAEA cooperative research efforts; d) Examining many innovations (e.g., on alternate thermal cycles, fuel cycles and energy uses) without impacting any specific demonstration, so the testing and research are based largely on new capability development, without committing large funding to design teams with already fixed or unrealizable concepts. This paper describes this new R&D+i concept and its potential directions and results.