Configuration and Sizing of Small Modular Reactor with Thermal Energy Storage within a Microgrid for Off-grid Communities
Abstract
Many off-grid communities in Canada rely on diesel generators for their electricity needs. This is not only expensive but also produces significant greenhouse gas emissions. Small modular reactors (SMRs) have been proposed to replace diesel generators and can be combined with photovoltaic (PV) sources to form a microgrid. However, fluctuations in loads and PV create challenges for SMRs. Integrating a thermal energy storage (TES) system with the SMR can increase the flexibility of the power system to operate more effectively. This thesis first examines methodologies to determine suitable configurations of such a microgrid. Through analysis of the system components and the patterns of PV and demand, techniques for component sizing and operational modes of the combined SMR and TES system are developed. A case study has demonstrated the SMR size can be reduced when integrating TES so that the overall microgrid can operate more effectively and improve the SMR economics.