美国能源部：GEMINA项目

Program Description计划说明

Generating Electricity Managed by Intelligent Nuclear Assets (GEMINA) aims to develop digital twin technology for advanced nuclear reactors and transform operations and maintenance (O&M) systems in the next generation of nuclear power plants. ARPA-E is looking for interdisciplinary teams to develop digital twins, or a similar technology, for an advanced reactor design as the foundation of their O&M strategy. Performers will design tools that introduce greater flexibility in reactor systems, increased autonomy in operations, and faster design iteration. The goal is to create a 10x reduction in O&M costs at advanced reactor power plants, thereby improving their economic competitiveness. To accomplish this, teams will apply diverse technologies that are driving efficiencies in other industries, such as artificial intelligence (AI), advanced control systems, predictive maintenance, and model-based fault detection. Projects will focus on O&M solutions for the reactor core, balance of plant (BOP), or entire reactor plant system (including both the reactor core and BOP). Because advanced reactors are still in design phase, with no physical units operating, teams working on core operations will also develop cyber-physical systems that simulate advanced reactor core operating dynamics using a combination of non-nuclear experimental facilities (e.g., test or flow loops) and software. Teams will use these systems as the "real asset," a surrogate to test their digital twin platforms.

 

智能核资产管理发电（GEMINA）旨在开发先进核反应堆的数字孪生技术，并改造下一代核电站的运营和维护（O&M）系统。 ARPA-E 正在寻找跨学科团队来开发数字孪生或类似技术，以实现先进的反应堆设计，作为其运营和维护战略的基础。表演者将设计工具，为反应堆系统带来更大的灵活性，增加操作的自主性，并加快设计迭代。目标是将先进反应堆发电厂的运营和维护成本降低 10 倍，从而提高其经济竞争力。为了实现这一目标，团队将应用多种技术来提高其他行业的效率，例如人工智能 (AI)、先进控制系统、预测性维护和基于模型的故障检测。项目将重点关注反应堆堆芯、电站平衡（BOP）或整个反应堆电站系统（包括反应堆堆芯和BOP）的运行和维护解决方案。由于先进反应堆仍处于设计阶段，没有物理单元运行，因此从事堆芯运行的团队还将开发网络物理系统，结合使用非核实验设施（例如测试或流动回路）和软件来模拟先进反应堆堆芯运行动态。团队将使用这些系统作为“实际资产”，即测试其数字孪生平台的替代品。

Innovation & Advantages创新与优势

Many U.S. nuclear reactors are shutting down prematurely. Eight have closed in the last six years; 10 more are scheduled to be decommissioned by 2025. The reason is that although nuclear power is considered by many to be necessary to achieve a zero-carbon grid, nuclear power plants are comparatively cost-intensive in some markets. Many industries are employing AI, advanced data analytics, distributed computing, powerful physics simulation tools, and other breakthroughs to advance autonomous, efficient, and low-cost O&M in their processes. O&M is approximately 80% of a reactor's total generating cost. So far, the nuclear energy industry has not fully explored or applied these innovations, resulting in a profound need for the design of effective and low-cost advanced reactor O&M procedures. There is tremendous opportunity for innovation in advanced reactors, since learnings gained now can provide feedback into the designs, laying the groundwork for optimal O&M. GEMINA sets the stage for a future where advanced reactors operate with a staffing plan and fixed O&M costs more akin to those of a combined cycle natural gas plant than those of the legacy light-water reactor fleet.

 

美国许多核反应堆正在提前关闭。过去六年中有八家已关闭；计划到 2025 年还有 10 座核电站退役。原因是，尽管许多人认为核电对于实现零碳电网是必要的，但核电站在一些市场上成本相对较高。许多行业正在利用人工智能、先进的数据分析、分布式计算、强大的物理模拟工具和其他突破来推进流程中的自主、高效和低成本的运维。运行和维护成本约占反应堆总发电成本的 80%。迄今为止，核能行业尚未充分探索或应用这些创新，因此迫切需要设计有效且低成本的先进反应堆运维程序。先进反应堆存在巨大的创新机会，因为现在获得的知识可以为设计提供反馈，为最佳运行和维护奠定基础。 GEMINA 为未来奠定了基础，先进反应堆的人员配置计划和固定运营与维护成本更类似于联合循环天然气发电厂，而不是传统的轻水反应堆机组。

Impact影响

Domestic Benefit国内福利

Establishing U.S. advanced reactor technological leadership and improving U.S. energy security with safe, reliable, dispatchable power for a robust and resilient electric power system.

 

建立美国先进反应堆技术领先地位，并通过安全、可靠、可调度的电力来改善美国的能源安全，打造强大而有弹性的电力系统。

Environment环境

Reducing energy-related emissions with a competitive, carbon-free electricity source.

 

利用具有竞争力的无碳电力来源减少与能源相关的排放。

Economy经济

Increasing productivity and creating a competitive edge for advanced reactors.

 

提高生产力并为先进反应堆创造竞争优势。

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参考资料：

BWRX-300是一种由GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GVH)开发的300兆瓦小型模块化反应堆（SMR），而GEMINA是美国能源部（DOE）的一个项目，旨在资助先进反应堆数字孪生（digital twins）的研究，并使用BWRX-300作为参考设计。

 

BWRX-300反应堆

BWRX-300是一种沸水堆（BWR），采用自然循环和被动安全系统。它是GE第十次演进的BWR设计，通过显著简化设计来降低建设和运营成本。

主要特点包括：

• 功率输出：约300兆瓦（MWe）的电力。
• 设计基础：它利用了GEH获得美国核管理委员会（U.S. NRC）认证的ESBWR（经济型简化沸水堆）的设计和许可基础，这有助于简化许可流程。
• 安全系统：设计采用了被动冷却和自然循环，提高了安全性并简化了操作。
• 全球项目：它已被选定在多个国家进行潜在部署，包括美国（田纳西河流域管理局）、加拿大（安大略发电公司）、波兰、瑞典、爱沙尼亚和英国。预计第一个机组将在本十年末在加拿大投入运营。

 

GEMINA项目

GEMINA（Generating Electricity Managed by Intelligent Nuclear Assets，由智能核资产管理的发电）是美国能源部高级能源研究项目局（ARPA-E）下属的一个项目。

• 目标：该项目旨在开发工具和框架，通过使用人工智能（AI）和高保真“数字孪生”（物理系统的虚拟复制品）来改变先进核反应堆的运行和维护（O&M）。
• 与BWRX-300的联系：包括麻省理工学院和通用电气研究所在内的几个由GEMINA项目资助的研究团队，正在使用BWRX-300作为其数字孪生开发项目的参考设计。
• 目的：最终目标是降低先进反应堆的运行和维护成本，使核能比天然气和可再生能源等其他能源更具成本竞争力。

原文链接：

https://arpa-e.energy.gov/programs-and-initiatives/view-all-programs/gemina