Renewable artificial ground freezing for geotechnical support of small and modular reactors (SMR) sites in the north

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The commercialization of so-called "Small Modular Reactors" (SMRs) is increasingly seen as being necessary for the sustainability of the civil nuclear industry because many reactors in Canada and around the world are now approaching the end of their operational lifespan. Also, Canada as one of the world largest uranium producers needs to be remain competitive in the nuclear industry. Therefore, SMR is one of the strong candidates for cleaner alternatives to replace fossil fuels. Especially for the remote communities and industries of northern Canada, the SMR concept offers a number of benefits, including a clean heat and electricity supply for schools, hospitals, and the mining sector. However, there are several challenges on the implementation of SMR in permafrost in today's changing climate. Permafrost thawing can be accelerated due to heat generation from the SMR which leads to geotechnical challenge. The proposed project aims to tackle this issue by assessing SMR site using high-resolution climate simulations. The results will be integrated with thermo-hydro-mechanical model to enable climate-atmosphere land (permafrost) interactions. This will further be used to analyze geotechnical aspect of the site. To stabilize thawed permafrost ground at SMR site, hybrid thermosiphon will be introduced to artificially freeze the ground and strengthen ground structure. Thermosiphons will operate passively in winter by extracting coolth from ambient cold air. In summer, on the other hand, waste heat from SMR will be used to run adsorption refrigeration which will be coupled with the thermosiphon. This concept will maintain SMR site from permafrost thawing and ensure safety and reliability of the SMR operations in the north.