Bio
Justin Spencer has been a research scientist at AECL and CNL since 2012. His activities have spanned several areas. In the field of severe accident phenomenology, he leads experimental and analytical investigations into the behaviour of nuclear systems during improbable scenarios leading to gross core degradation. In this area, he heads CNL’s Severe Accidents Section, serves as the CANDU Owners’ Group’s Safety and Licensing Containment and Severe Accident Working Group Chair, and represents Canada and/or CNL in various OECD NEA and IAEA projects. Justin has also led CNL’s SLOWPOKE reactor program as SLOWPOKE Coordinator since 2018. His work with these small research reactors has spanned operational activities (e.g. the 2021 refuelling of the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) SLOWPOKE reactor), and a variety of research endeavours. Justin is a key figure in Canada’s recent investigations into the space reactors, leading a series of investigations in that area since 2021. Finally, he is an adjunct professor at RMC. Justin has an undergraduate degree from Colgate University majoring in Physics and Mathematics, and an M.A.Sc. and PhD from McMaster University in Engineering Physics.
Abstract
Canada is home to numerous small communities, mines, and industrial installations in remote areas, whose electrical and heat supplies are dependent on fossil fuel generators. Replacement of these generators with microreactors / very small modular reactors (vSMRs) has the potential to facilitate decarbonization, mitigate practical challenges related to voluminous fuel shipments, and provide economic benefits. This paper presents a broad overview of experience and insights relevant to such prospective microreactor deployment.
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) is currently engaged in a range of activities relevant to potential future microreactor demonstration projects and wider deployment, including leading an effort to establish a microreactor deployment framework. These activities are summarized in this paper.
Historical microreactor activities at Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) and ongoing work at CNL provide helpful insights and lessons for future microreactor deployment. These include decades of successful operation of SLOWPOKE research reactors in Canada and Jamaica, design and demonstration of megawatt-scale SLOWPOKE district heating reactors, and development of graphite moderated, heat-pipe-cooled reactors including the AECL Nuclear Battery. Through the lens of experience with these reactors, this paper focuses on subjects pertinent to near-future microreactor deployment. Selected subjects include operations and maintenance, construction and commissioning, decommissioning, security, licensing, and economics.
KEYWORDS: Microreactors, vSMRs, SLOWPOKE, Nuclear Battery
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: This work was supported by the Lab Directed Science and Technology and New Technology Innovative Fund programs at CNL.