Harnessing Geothermal Energy Potential from High-Level Nuclear Waste Repositories

Dauren Sarsenbayev (), Liange Zheng, Dinara Ermakova, Rashid Sharipov and Haruko M. Wainwright
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Dauren Sarsenbayev: Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
Liange Zheng: Energy Geosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
Dinara Ermakova: Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
Rashid Sharipov: Department of Engineering and Information Technology, Kazakh-German University, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan
Haruko M. Wainwright: Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 9, 1-20

Abstract: The disposal of high-level nuclear waste (HLW) has been one of the most challenging issues for nuclear energy utilization. In this study, we have explored the potential of extracting decay heat from HLW, taking advantage of recent advances in the technologies to utilize low-temperature geothermal resources for the co-generation of electricity and heat. Given that geothermal energy entails extracting heat from natural radioactivity within the Earth, we may consider that our approach is to augment it with an anthropogenic geothermal source. Our study—for the first time—introduces a conceptual model of a binary-cycle geothermal system powered by the heat produced by HLW. TOUGHREACT V3.32 software was used to model the heat transfer resulting from radioactive decay to the surrounding geological media. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of employing the organic Rankine cycle (ORC) to generate approximately 108 kWe per HLW canister 30 years after emplacement and a heat pump system to produce 81 kWth of high-potential heat per canister for HVAC purposes within the same timeframe. The proposed facility has the potential to produce carbon-free power while ensuring the safe disposal of radioactive waste and removing the bottleneck in the sustainable use of nuclear energy.

Keywords: spent nuclear fuel; high-level nuclear waste repository; low-temperature heat recovery (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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