Tzu-An Huang

EECS Department, University of California, Berkeley

Technical Report No. UCB/EECS-2013-72

May 15, 2013

http://www2.eecs.berkeley.edu/Pubs/TechRpts/2013/EECS-2013-72.pdf

The development of nuclear energy technologies involves multiple research fields, including reactor design and licensing issues. In the modern world, interests had increased in methods to integrate nuclear reactors with other applications such as renewable energy, desalination and low-carbon electricity sources into the grid. In addition to nuclear energy itself, there are technical challenges and business contexts we need to take into consideration. Usually, traditional nuclear reactors are limited to base load electricity generation. In our project, the pebble-bed fluoride-salt high-temperature reactor (PB-FHR) could have the flexibility to meet both the base load and peak load. To optimize the PB-FHR design to fit into the energy industry, we performed an energy market forecast and financial modeling based on the assumptions as well as market analysis we derive from the previous research and findings. This project assesses not just the capability of the reactor technology but also the potential business opportunity of the integration. On the technology side, our work is focused on the optimization of reactor design, integration with other energy sources and application of desalination. Based on these technologies in hand, we develop a comprehensive development and deployment plan forecasting the energy demand and revenue generation in California. This plan is mainly focused on the flexible nuclear generation capacity that is able to cope with the fluctuation of market demands and provide other grid services such as integration with wind and solar sources to meet multiple needs in the energy industry.

Advisors: Bernhard Boser

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BibTeX citation:

@mastersthesis{Huang:EECS-2013-72,
    Author= {Huang, Tzu-An},
    Title= {Integrated Nuclear Power Generation Project},
    School= {EECS Department, University of California, Berkeley},
    Year= {2013},
    Month= {May},
    Url= {http://www2.eecs.berkeley.edu/Pubs/TechRpts/2013/EECS-2013-72.html},
    Number= {UCB/EECS-2013-72},
    Abstract= {    The development of nuclear energy technologies involves multiple research fields, including reactor design and licensing issues. In the modern world, interests had increased in methods to integrate nuclear reactors with other applications such as renewable energy, desalination and low-carbon electricity sources into the grid. In addition to nuclear energy itself, there are technical challenges and business contexts we need to take into consideration. Usually, traditional nuclear reactors are limited to base load electricity generation. In our project, the pebble-bed fluoride-salt high-temperature reactor (PB-FHR) could have the flexibility to meet both the base load and peak load. 
    To optimize the PB-FHR design to fit into the energy industry, we performed an energy market forecast and financial modeling based on the assumptions as well as market analysis we derive from the previous research and findings. This project assesses not just the capability of the reactor technology but also the potential business opportunity of the integration. On the technology side, our work is focused on the optimization of reactor design, integration with other energy sources and application of desalination. Based on these technologies in hand, we develop a comprehensive development and deployment plan forecasting the energy demand and revenue generation in California. This plan is mainly focused on the flexible nuclear generation capacity that is able to cope with the fluctuation of market demands and provide other grid services such as integration with wind and solar sources to meet multiple needs in the energy industry.},
}

EndNote citation:

%0 Thesis
%A Huang, Tzu-An 
%T Integrated Nuclear Power Generation Project
%I EECS Department, University of California, Berkeley
%D 2013
%8 May 15
%@ UCB/EECS-2013-72
%U http://www2.eecs.berkeley.edu/Pubs/TechRpts/2013/EECS-2013-72.html
%F Huang:EECS-2013-72