@article{mikkelson_frick_bragg-sitton_doster_2021, title={Phenomenon Identification and Ranking Table Development for Future Application Figure-of-Merit Studies on Thermal Energy Storage Integrations with Light Water Reactors}, ISSN={["1943-7471"]}, DOI={10.1080/00295450.2021.1906473}, abstractNote={Abstract There are no standard prioritization criteria for evaluating thermal energy storage (TES) options for use in integrated energy systems. A framework for proposing, analyzing, and presenting energy storage integration with power producers and users is presented along with a specific figure-of-merit (FOM) study based in this framework. This basis for evaluating storage technologies can provide a structure for the energy industry to analyze and prioritize energy storage in different applications and environments. The phenomena identification and ranking table (PIRT) presents a series of design questions specific to energy storage applications. The FOM study, built in this PIRT framework based on a nuclear-renewable hybrid energy system using TES to produce power and provide process energy for a secondary user, successfully identified specific technologies to use based on the project requirements. Expanding the library of projects using this framework will expand the deployable options for energy storage and increase its potential for energy security.}, journal={NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY}, author={Mikkelson, Daniel and Frick, Konor and Bragg-Sitton, Shannon and Doster, J. Michael}, year={2021}, month={Aug} }
 @article{frick_doster_bragg-sitton_2019, title={Design and Operation of a Sensible Heat Peaking Unit for Small Modular Reactors}, volume={205}, ISSN={["1943-7471"]}, DOI={10.1080/00295450.2018.1491181}, abstractNote={Abstract Approximately 19% of the electricity produced in the United States comes from nuclear power plants. Traditionally, nuclear power plants, as well as larger coal-fired plants, operate in a baseload manner at or near steady state for prolonged periods of time. Smaller, more maneuverable plants, such as gas-fired plants, are dispatched to match electricity supply and demand above the capacity of the baseload plants. However, air quality concerns and CO2 emission standards have made the burning of fossil fuels less desirable, despite the current low cost of natural gas. Wind and solar photovoltaic power generation are attractive options due to their lack of carbon footprint and falling capital costs. Yet, these renewable energy sources suffer from inherent intermittency. This inherent intermittency can strain electric grids, forcing carbon-based and nuclear sources of energy to operate in a load-follow mode. For nuclear reactors, load-follow operation can be undesirable due to the associated thermal and mechanical stresses placed on the fuel and other reactor components. Various methods of thermal energy storage (TES) can be coupled to nuclear (or renewable) power sources to help absorb grid variability caused by daily load demand changes and renewable intermittency. Our previous research has shown that coupling a sensible heat TES system to a small modular reactor allows the reactor to run at effectively nominal full power during periods of variable electric demand by bypassing steam to the TES system during periods of excess capacity. In this paper we demonstrate that this stored thermal energy can be recovered, allowing the TES system to act as a peaking unit during periods of high electric demand or used to produce steam for ancillary applications such as desalination. For both applications the reactor is capable of operating continuously at approximately 100% power.}, number={3}, journal={NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY}, author={Frick, Konor and Doster, J. Michael and Bragg-Sitton, Shannon}, year={2019}, pages={415–441} }