Evaluation and optimization of General Atomics’ GT-MHR reactor cavity cooling system using an axiomatic design approach

Abstract The development of the Generation IV (Gen-IV) nuclear reactors has presented social, technical, and economical challenges to nuclear engineering design and research. To develop a robust, reliable nuclear reactor system with minimal environmental impact and cost, modularity has been gradually accepted as a key concept in designing high-quality nuclear reactor systems. While the establishment and reliability of a nuclear power plant is largely facilitated by the installment of standardized base units, the realization of modularity at the sub-system/sub-unit level in a base unit is still highly heuristic, and lacks consistent, quantifiable measures. In this work, an axiomatic design approach is developed to evaluate and optimize the reactor cavity cooling system (RCCS) of General Atomics’ Gas Turbine-Modular Helium Reactor (GT-MHR) nuclear reactor, for the purpose of constructing a quantitative tool that is applicable to Gen-IV systems. According to Suh's axiomatic design theory, modularity is consistently represented by functional independence through the design process. Both qualitative and quantitative measures are developed here to evaluate the modularity of the current RCCS design. Optimization techniques are also used to improve the modularity at both conceptual and parametric level. The preliminary results of this study have demonstrated that the axiomatic design approach has great potential in enhancing modular design, and generating more robust, safer, and less expensive nuclear reactor sub-units.