Rolls-Royce Small Modular Reactors
Testing manufacturing configurations for the next generation of nuclear energy
The challenge
Nuclear power can help enhance energy security and provide reliable baseload power to homes and businesses.
With low carbon emissions, and the ability to complement intermittent renewables like wind and solar, nuclear can help ensure the stability of the electricity grid and meet growing energy demands, supporting the transition to a cleaner energy system.
Small modular reactors (SMRs) have a compact, scalable design that allows for flexible deployment, for a range of applications, ensuring a stable energy supply.
Designed for delivery, Rolls-Royce SMRs can reduce the time, cost and risk of deployment compared with large-scale nuclear power stations.
Each sub-assembly (module) must go through very rigorous factory acceptance testing (FAT). This verifies, in a controlled factory environment, that equipment and processes are functioning as intended, providing module build quality assurance before being assembled on-site.
CPI worked alongside Rolls-Royce SMR to help define and demonstrate the scope and approach for FAT of their SMR modules. The project aimed to identify challenges Rolls-Royce SMR may face in their final factory facility and define design interventions required to enable successful FAT.
How CPI helped
- Harnessed expertise in process engineering and its multidisciplinary team of electrical, mechanical and process engineers to verify documented evidence.
- Defined the scope of what is reasonable and achievable during FAT, with the limitations of a modular build approach.
- Built a small-scale demonstrator system to test the required functionality and feed forward into the design of the Rolls-Royce SMR FAT facility.
- Provided a scaled-down representative FAT facility.
Achievements
- Helped define a versatile approach to FAT that could be applied to different SMR module configurations.
- Identified specific design interventions to be incorporated into the final module designs to enable successful FAT.
- Highlighted areas of equipment challenges and potential solutions to make FAT quicker and more effective.
- Helped define FAT test bay requirements and considerations to allow successful flexible testing operations.
Impact
CPI’s work has helped prepare Rolls-Royce SMR for the critical FAT process by defining an approach that can be applied to different module designs and identifying key design interventions to enable effective testing. This will help Rolls-Royce SMR conduct thorough FAT in their factory, minimising issues during the final on-site build and accelerating the deployment of their SMR technology.
By conducting rigorous FAT in the factory, Rolls-Royce SMR will be able to minimise changes needed in the final installation, reducing the overall timeline for SMR deployment and facilitating their rollout.
The small modular reactors will operate at very high levels of availability for at least 60 years, providing long-term, stable clean energy. They will support the decarbonisation of industry and the production of clean fuels to ultimately accelerate the UK’s transition to a diversified, greener energy system.
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