Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Based Hybrid Energy System for Electricity & District Heating

Hybrid energy systems with small modular reactors (SMRs)—a fast-emerging nuclear power plant technology—and renewables hold significant promise for the development of clean energy systems. This paper proposes a simulation model of SMR-based hybrid energy system for electricity and district heating (DH) with a detailed dynamic model of the reactor and a quasi-static model of the DH system in Siemens PTI PSS/E and PSS/Sincal. A multi-timescale approach, separating the load following and frequency regulation operation, is proposed to assess the flexible operation in the presence of highly intermittent renewable energy sources (RESs). A portion of a modified IEEE 30-bus system network is used as a test system for an isolated community to simulate the proposed hybrid energy system, and comparative results demonstrate the potential benefits of the DH system, thermal energy storage, and electrical energy storage to the SMR’s flexible operation.