Simulation, Modeling, and Economical Optimization of Small Modular Reactors for Flexible Power System Operations
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The transition toward a low-carbon and increasingly renewable electric grid has heightened the need for generation technologies that can deliver both stability and operational flexibility. Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), with their modularity, reduced geographical footprint, and capacity for flexible operation, have emerged as promising resources for supporting modern power systems. However, a comprehensive evaluation of their technical performance across steady-state conditions, fault-induced disturbances, and economically optimized dispatch is necessary to understand their role in future grid architectures. This thesis provides an assessment of SMR capabilities using benchmark test systems, data-driven forecasting, dynamic simulation, and unit commitment modeling to evaluate how SMRs interact with renewable resources and contribute to grid reliability and reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The overarching goal of this MSEE thesis is to advance strategies for the sustainable, reliable, and economically viable integration of SMRs within modern power systems. The focus is on comprehensive evaluation and optimization of SMR deployment, considering both technical performance and system-wide impacts. To attain this goal, there are four specific objectives in this thesis. Objective 1 targets the development and validation of SMR models within power grid frameworks, evaluating their operational capabilities under various loading scenarios and base case conditions. Objective 2 investigates the ability of SMRs to accommodate fluctuating demand and to maintain grid stability under load-following operations, including coordinated interactions with renewables and fault events. Objective 3 examines the response of SMRs to different fault types and system contingencies, quantifying impacts on voltage, frequency, and recovery metrics. Objective 4 involves comparative evaluation of cost, emissions, and operational flexibility for SMR-integrated systems versus conventional and renewable alternatives, providing insights into both financial feasibility and environmental benefits. The major contributions of this thesis are as follows. Chapter 3 contributes to (i) the development of an SMR representation with realistic ramp-rate and operational constraints suitable for steady-state analysis; (ii) the evaluation of SMR, photovoltaic, and wind turbine integration on voltage stability within the IEEE 39-bus distribution grid; and (iii) the assessment of SMR-driven voltage regulation relative to variable renewable resources. Chapter 4 contributes to (iv) the development of a dynamic SMR model for assessing transient behavior under three-phase faults; (v) a systematic evaluation of SMR fault response at critical load, generation, and combined load generation buses; (vi) a hybrid CNN+BiLSTM framework for short-term load forecasting; and (vii) a seasonal forecast-informed SMR load-following assessment demonstrating effective tracking performance across diverse demand patterns. Chapter 5 contributes to (viii) an advanced unit commitment and economic dispatch framework for evaluating SMR and wind integration on a modified IEEE 39-bus system; (ix) a generator-level GHG ,carbon dioxide and methane, emissions accounting structure; (x) a comparative scenario analysis evaluating four system configurations: a fossil-only baseline, a fossil-SMR configuration, a fossil-wind configuration, and a coordinated fossil-SMR-wind configuration combining both low-carbon resources; and (xi) the development of an integrated technoeconomic assessment framework for examining the economic and environmental implications of SMR deployment within system-level planning and dispatch operations. Collectively, these contributions demonstrate that SMRs can enhance voltage stability, improve dynamic resilience during fault events, follow forecast-informed load variations, and support system-level decarbonization when strategically integrated with other grid resources. The findings emphasize the potential of SMRs as flexible, dispatchable, low-emission technologies capable of complementing renewable energy resources and strengthening the reliability and sustainability of modern power systems.
Author: Bejarano, Javier
Language: English
Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: G3424587224, FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
PROJECT TITLE: CONSORTIUM FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION IN POWER AND ENERGY SYSTEMS (CREPES) FOR SUSTAINABLE STEM WORKFORCE
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: THE GOAL OF THE PROPOSED CONSORTIUM IS TO DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE AND HIGH CALIBER STEM WORKFORCE FROM THE MINORITIES AND UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS BY PROVIDING AN INNOVATIVE RESEARCH AND EDUCATIONAL PLATFORM IN THE INTERSECTION OF LEGACY POWER SYSTEM ANALYSIS, NUCLEAR ENGINEERING, AND CYBER-PHYSICAL SYSTEMS. THE PROPOSED CONSORTIUM (CREPES) WILL ACHIEVE ITS GOAL THROUGH ACTIVITIES THAT OPERATE AT THE NEXUS OF FOUR THRUSTS: UG RESEARCH AND EDUCATION, GRADUATE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION, POST-DOC/FACULTY MENTORING, AND SUSTAINABILITY OF THE CONSORTIUM. SPECIFICALLY, THROUGH THE CREPES, WE WILL ACHIEVE THE FOLLOWING OBJECTIVES:
• STRENGTHEN THE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION CAPABILITIES OF MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTIONS IN THE NSE RELATED TOPIC AREAS: THE CONSORTIUM WILL STRENGTHEN RESEARCH AND EDUCATION CAPABILITIES OF THREE MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTIONS (MSIS). THE CONSORTIUM WILL HELP STRENGTHEN UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULA OF A HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES: ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL UNIVERSITY (AAMU) IN NUCLEAR ENGINEERING. THE CONSORTIUM WILL ESTABLISH A NEW NUCLEAR CERTIFICATE PROGRAM AT TWO HISPANIC SERVING INSTITUTIONS: FLORIDA INERT INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY (FIU) AND THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO (UTEP), AND ALSO STRENGTHENS RESEARCH AND EDUCATION ON POWER, ENERGY, AND CYBER-PHYSICAL SYSTEM AT FIU AND UTEP.
• ATTRACTS HIGH CALIBER UNDERGRADUATE, GRADUATE, DOCTORAL AND POSTDOCTORAL STUDENTS AND TRAINS THEM IN AREAS CRITICAL TO NNSA’S MISSION: THE CONSORTIUM HAS A WELL LAID OUT PLAN FOR K-12 OUTREACH, RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS, MENTORING AND INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS (AT TWO NNSA LABS: SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES AND LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL LABORATORY), AND UP-TO-DATE RESEARCH TOPICS IN THE CORE AREA OF POWER, ENERGY, NUCLEAR ENGINEERING, AND CYBER-PHYSICAL SYSTEMS THAT WILL KEEP THE GRADUATES AHEAD IN THE COMPETITIVE JOB MARKET. THE CONSORTIUM WILL ENSURE THE GRADUATES EXCEL IN STEM BY PROVIDING THEM WITH PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING THROUGH APPLICABLE RESEARCH PROJECTS, CAPACITY BUILDING, AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING.
• PROVIDES FACULTY AND STUDENTS WITH EXPOSURE TO RESEARCHERS AND THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE NNSA NATIONAL LABORATORIES, MENTORS YOUNG RESEARCHERS AND PREPARES THEM FOR LEADERSHIP ROLES: THE CONSORTIUM HAS WELL ARTICULATED PLANS FOR THE MENTORING OF TWO JUNIOR FACULTIES AT MSIS (AT UTEP AND FIU) JOINTLY IN COLLABORATION WITH SENIOR SCIENTISTS FROM THE PARTNER NNSA NATIONAL LABS IN THE CORE AREA OF SMART GRID CYBER-PHYSICAL SYSTEMS.
• ENSURES THE SUCCESS, INCREASE THE VISIBILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF THE CONSORTIUM: THE CONSORTIUM HAS WELL THOUGHT PLANS TO EVALUATE THE OVERALL SUCCESS OF THE RESEARCH AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. THE PIS ARE COMMITTED TO INCREASING THE VISIBILITY OF THE CONSORTIUM BY ALL POSSIBLE MEANS OF INFORMATION DISSEMINATION, NETWORKING, AND PRESENTATIONS AT TOP TIER CONFERENCES. PIS ENSURE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE CONSORTIUM THROUGH FOLLOW ON FUNDING FROM INTERNAL/EXTERNAL SOURCES.
OpenAlex ID: W7134752418
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