Control systems modelling of Small Modular Reactors within Nuclear-Renewable Hybrid Energy Systems

Abstract

Small modular reactors (SMRs) have been developed recently in various designs; thereby, nuclear energy stands out as a promising alternative to seeking both sustainability and reliability in replacing fossil fuel in microgrids. SMRs have been shown as the best option due to the lower initial capital, greater scalability, and sitting flexibility compared to large nuclear power plants. One of the most promising benefits of SMRs is the increased flexibility in controlling the output power by operating in a Load Following mode. Consequently, foment its use as a dispatchable energy source in energy grids with a high penetration of renewable energy sources and hybrid microgrids with a high energy demand fluctuation. Although several simulators in the market can reproduce all the safety and control mechanics of different nuclear reactors, there is still a lack of emulators able to put these functionalities into a real scenario to ensure the feasibility of using nuclear energy within energy systems, especially in non-conventional systems. This paper aims to model nuclear processes and evaluate the behavior of SMRs in simulations using nuclear energy combined with renewable energy in hybrid microgrids, considering the impact on dispatch and reliability. The proposed model has been validated using MATLAB-Simulink and HOMER software.