US 12,247,471 B2
Small modular nuclear reactor integrated energy systems for industrial applications, such as enhanced oil recovery operations
Francis Tsang, Bellingham, WA (US); and José N. Reyes, Jr., Corvallis, OR (US)
Assigned to NuScale Power, LLC, Corvallis, OR (US)
Filed by NuScale Power, LLC, Portland, OR (US)
Filed on Feb. 1, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/104,766.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/316,955, filed on Mar. 4, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0279756 A1, Sep. 7, 2023
Int. Cl. E21B 43/24 (2006.01); G21D 9/00 (2006.01); G21C 1/32 (2006.01); G21C 15/257 (2006.01)
CPC E21B 43/2403 (2013.01) [G21D 9/00 (2013.01); G21C 1/322 (2013.01); G21C 15/257 (2013.01); Y02E 30/00 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An integrated energy system for enhanced oil recovery, comprising:
a steam injection well extending into an oil reservoir;
an industrial processing plant; and
a power plant system operably coupled to the steam injection well and the industrial processing plant, wherein the power plant system includes a plurality of small modular reactors and an electrical power conversion system, wherein individual ones of the small modular reactors are configured to heat a coolant into steam, and wherein
during a first stage of an enhanced oil recovery operation, the power plant system is configured to have a first operating state in which the steam generated by a subset of the small modular reactors is directly routed to an auxiliary heater that superheats the steam and provides superheated steam to the steam injection well for injection into the oil reservoir; and
during a second stage of the enhanced oil recovery operation, the power plant system is configured to have a second operating state different from the first operating state in which the steam from at least one of the small modular reactors in the subset is routed (a) to the industrial processing plant or (b) to the electrical power conversion system to generate electricity that is routed to the industrial processing plant.