Date of Award

2025-12-01

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Electrical Engineering

Advisor(s)

Paras Mandal

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.

Language

en

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Size

110 p.

File Format

application/pdf

Rights Holder

Javier Bejarano

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