Face à une préoccupation environnementale croissante, les pays du monde accentuent leurs efforts pour réduire leur dépendance aux ressources fossiles, sources majeures d’émissions de gaz à effet de serre, en les remplaçant par des énergies propres, dont la bioénergie. Dans le contexte induit par l’Accord de Paris et les objectifs d’atténuation du changement climatique, la bioénergie connait une attention croissante dans le monde comme moyen de décarbonation de notre société. Ce travail de thèse se concentre sur les perspectives de développ- ement de la bioénergie en s’attachant à analyser l’évolution de la production de bioénergie au regard des politiques d’incitation, des échanges de ressources biomasses et leur utilisation soutenable à long terme dans un contexte de décarbonation des sociétés. Dans ce contexte d’analyse, ce travail porte également sur une meilleure implémentation de la bioénergie dans notre modèle d’optimisation du système énergétique mondial, TIAM-FR. Ce manuscrit est structuré en quatre chapitres. Le premier chapitre présente le positionnement actuel de la bioénergie, les stratégies mises en œuvre pour son développement et la manière dont cela s’intègre dans notre approche de modélisation. Le deuxième chapitre est consacré à la présentation du développement apporté à la filière de bioénergie dans le modèle TIAM-FR. Le troisième chapitre montre notre travail par rapport à l’évaluation du potentiel de la biomasse. Enfin, le dernier chapitre analyse le rôle futur de la bioénergie dans un contexte de lutte contre le réchauffement climatique, à l’échelle mondiale et par un focus réalisé sur quatre pays asiatiques, la Chine, l’Inde, le Japon et la Corée du Sud. / With growing concerns about the environment, countries are increasing efforts to reduce their fossil fuel dependency, the major source of greenhouse gas emissions, by replacing them with clean energy sources including bioenergy. In this context induced by the Paris’ Agreement and climate change mitigation targets, the bioenergy is being highlighted in the pathway to the decarbonization of our society. The work of this thesis concentrates on the perspectives of bioenergy development aiming to analyze the evolution of bioenergy production in view of policies, global exchange of biomass resources and the sustainable utilization of bioenergy in the long term in a context of decarbonization of societies. In terms of analysis, this thesis focuses also on the better implementation of bioenergy chain in our global energy system optimization model, TIAM-FR. This manuscript is structured in four chapters. The first chapter presents the actual position of bioenergy, bioenergy development strategy as well as the way how they are integrated into our modeling approach. The second chapter is dedicated to present the developments effectuated for the bioenergy chain in the model TIAM-FR. The third chapter shows our work regarding the evaluation of biomass resources potentials. Lastly, the role of bioenergy in the climate change mitigation context has been discussed at a global scale and by a focus on four Asian countries, China, India, Japan and South Korea.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-10T17:11:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2015 - Cristian Adolfo Alvez2.pdf: 870298 bytes, checksum: e905359b074a87b04a67ea5befb19f4c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-13 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The microgrids may be considered as small power systems that operate autonomously and automatically, using technologies linked to it known as distributed energy resources (DERs), being demand, one of this resources. These networks are characterized by intensive use of information, communication and automation technologies, allowing meet demand in form efficient and optimally. However, implement, expand and operate a microgrid brings various economic, technical and operational challenges that must be faced, being one of those challenges the selection and operation of DERs. Thus, this work presents an optimization model, with the objective of analyzing the impact of input parameters on the behavior of the variables involved in selection and operations of these resources. The uncertainties in demand and renewable resources were treated through a scenario tree while for risk estimation was used the value at risk (VaR). The mathematical formulation constitutes a mixed integer linear programming model that was implemented in GAMS language and solved by CPLEX solver. Through simulations was possible to observe the economic benefits that can be obtained through use of DERs, highlight the impact that can produce the intermittent nature of renewable resources on operating costs, and also evidence the importance to have information regards of risk in situations of uncertainty. The results of the simulations show the tool's features developed as an aid when decisions must be made regarding the deployment of DERs and the optimized energy management in a microgrid. As features to highlight, this model operates independently of the energy consumer profile and also allows to perform various analyzes with respect to the influence of the input parameters on the decision variables. / As microrredes podem ser consideradas como pequenos sistemas de potência que operam de maneira autônoma e automática, utilizando tecnologias, conectadas a elas, conhecidas como recursos energéticos distribuídos (REDs), sendo a própria demanda um desses recursos. Estas redes se caracterizam pelo uso intensivo de tecnologias de informação, comunicação e automação, permitindo atender a demanda de forma eficiente e otimizada. No entanto, implementar, expandir e operar uma microrrede traz consigo vários desafios econômicos, técnicos e operacionais que devem ser enfrentados, sendo um deles a seleção e operação dos REDs. Como consequência disso, neste trabalho apresenta-se um modelo de otimização para a seleção e operação de REDs, com o objetivo de analisar o impacto que provocam os diversos parâmetros de entrada no comportamento das variáveis envolvidas na seleção e modo de operação desses REDs. As incertezas na demanda e nos recursos renováveis foram tratadas através de uma arvore de cenários enquanto que para a estimação do risco se utilizou o valor em risco (VaR). A formulação matemática resultante se constitui em um modelo de programação linear inteira mista que foi implementado na linguagem GAMS e resolvido com o solver CPLEX. Através dos resultados de simulação foi possível observar os benefícios econômicos que podem obter-se mediante a utilização de REDs, assim como destacar o impacto que pode produzir a natureza intermitente dos recursos renováveis sobre os custos de operação e também evidenciar a importância de dispor informação do risco em situações de incerteza. Os resultados obtidos corroboram as funcionalidades da ferramenta desenvolvida como auxilio no momento de tomar decisões em relação à implantação de REDs e à gestão otimizada de energia em uma microrrede. Como característica a destacar do modelo, este opera independentemente do qual seja o tipo de demanda do consumidor e permite efetuar diversas análises a respeito da influencia dos parâmetros de entrada sobre as variáveis de decisão.

Nos dias atuais as cidades são o epicentro de uma transformação energética, pois, são elas as principais consumidoras de matéria e energia. Energia fornecida, em sua maioria, através de um sistema convencional, centralizado e ineficiente. Dessa forma, são nos centros urbanos que poderão ser melhor implementadas estratégicas de eficiência energética e conservação de energia. Contudo, antes que os municípios se comprometam com novas iniciativas políticas e investimentos, o primeiro passo é melhorar a compreensão do sistema energético local. Por conseguinte, o objetivo central desta pesquisa é compreender de forma mais integrada o sistema energético de uma cidade através da aplicação de uma metodologia de análise. O município escolhido como estudo de caso é Porto Alegre, por ser uma cidade que se comprometeu em estabelecer mudanças para reduzir as emissões dos gases de efeito estufa, contudo, sem ainda possuir um plano de ação definido. A metodologia do trabalho é qualitativa e quantitativa e foi dividida em três etapas principais: a revisão bibliográfica, o desenvolvimento da metodologia de análise do sistema energético urbano e a aplicação da metodologia proposta. A revisão bibliográfica forneceu a base teórica para o desenvolvimento da metodologia de análise do sistema energético urbano. Esta metodologia prevê o levantamento de dados diversos que se complementam e, dessa forma, possibilitam uma análise integrada e mais aprofundada do sistema energético da cidade. Para tanto, a análise do sistema energético foi dividida em três etapas: caracterização municipal, análise da demanda de energia e levantamento da oferta das principais fontes energéticas locais. Para esta última etapa, visando um exercício concreto de avaliação, especificou-se o potencial de produção de eletricidade através do recurso solar. Os principais resultados da análise do sistema energético de Porto Alegre, entre os anos 2005 e 2014, destacam que o consumo de energia cresceu oito vezes mais que o aumento populacional e menos que a metade do PIB da cidade. Igualmente, no mesmo período, a frota de veículos, assim como o consumo de gasolina, aumentou 13 vezes mais que a população. Entre os setores econômicos analisados o setor transporte foi responsável, em 2014, pelo consumo de 60% da demanda final de energia da cidade. Nesse ano, a fonte de energia mais consumida foi a eletricidade, representando 28,1% do consumo final. Ainda analisando os dados de 2014, verificou-se que o consumo de eletricidade per capita de Porto Alegre pode ser considerado alto, 2,58 MWh/per capita, se igualando ao do Brasil e ao de alguns países desenvolvidos. Em relação ao potencial de produção de eletricidade, a partir da fonte solar, estimou-se um potencial de 2.549 GWh/ano, considerando todo o território da cidade, e de 772 GWh, considerando apenas o território que possuem edificações, aproximadamente 30% da cidade. Isto significa que se todos os consumidores residenciais e comerciais produzissem sua própria energia poderiam ser gerados 2.892 GWh por ano em Porto Alegre. Essa energia seria capaz de suprir 75,8% de toda a demanda de eletricidade da cidade em 2014. Ao final, ressaltou-se a importância de articular o planejamento energético ao planejamento urbano e ao plano de mobilidade urbana, uma vez que o sistema energético urbano está relacionado com os demais. / Nowadays cities at are the epicenter of an energetic transformation. Today, they are the main consumers of matter and energy. Most of that energy supplied through a conventional, centralized and inefficient system. Thus, it is in urban centers that strategic energy efficiency and energy conservation can be better implemented. However, before municipalities commit to new policy initiatives and investments, the first step is to improve understanding of the local energy system. Therefore, the central objective of this research is to understand in a more integrated way the energy system of a city through the application of a methodology of analysis of an urban energy system. The municipality chosen as a case study is Porto Alegre. It was chosen because is a city that has committed itself to establishing changes to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, however, it does not have a defined plan of action. The methodology of the work is qualitative and quantitative and was divided into three main stages, among them: literature review, development of the methodology of urban energy system analysis, and application of the proposed methodology. The literature review provided the theoretical basis for the development of the methodology of analysis of the urban energy system. This methodology determines the collection of diverse data that complement each other and, thus, enable an integrated and more in-depth analysis of the city\'s energy system. In order to do so, the analysis of the energy system was divided into three stages: municipal characterization, analysis of the energy demand and survey of the supply of the main local energy sources. For this last stage, aiming a specific evaluation exercise, was specified the potential of electricity production through the solar resource.The main results of the analysis of the energy system of Porto Alegre, between 2005 and 2014, highlight that energy consumption grew eight times more than the population increase and less than half of the city\'s GDP. Also, in the same period, the car fleet grew 13 times more than the population. Among the economic sectors analyzed, the transportation sector was responsible for the consumption of 60% of the final energy demand of the city, in 2014. In that year, the most consumed energy source was electricity, representing 28.1% of final consumption. The per capita electricity consumption in Porto Alegre was considered high, 2.58 MWh/per capita, which equals that of Brazil and some developed countries. Regarding the potential for electricity production, it was determined a potential of 2,549 GWh/year (considering the entire territory of the city), and 772 GWh (considering only the territory that have buildings, approximately 30% of the city). This means that if all residential and commercial consumers produced their own energy could generate 2,892 GWh per year in Porto Alegre. This energy would be able to supply 75.8% of all city electricity demand. In the end, it was emphasized the importance of unifying the energy planning to the urban planning and to the urban mobility plan, since the urban energy system is related to both.

The objectives of this dissertation were to find a principal domain of promising and technologically feasible reactor physics characteristics for a multi-purpose, modular-sized, lead-cooled, fast neutron spectrum reactor fueled with an advanced uranium-transuranic-nitride fuel and to determine the principal limitations for the design of an autonomous long-term multi-purpose fast reactor (ALM-FR) within the principal reactor physics characteristic domain. The objectives were accomplished by producing a conceptual design for an ALM-FR and by analysis of the potential ALM-FR performance characteristics. The ALM-FR design developed in this dissertation is based on the concept of a secure transportable autonomous reactor for hydrogen production (STAR-H2) and represents further refinement of the STAR-H2 concept towards an economical, proliferation-resistant, sustainable, multi-purpose nuclear energy system. The development of the ALM-FR design has been performed considering this reactor within the frame of the concept of a self-consistent nuclear energy system (SCNES) that satisfies virtually all of the requirements for future nuclear energy systems: efficient energy production, safety, self-feeding, non-proliferation, and radionuclide burning. The analysis takes into consideration a wide range of reactor design aspects including selection of technologically feasible fuels and structural materials, core configuration optimization, dynamics and safety of long-term operation on one fuel loading, and nuclear material non-proliferation. Plutonium and higher actinides are considered as essential components of an advanced fuel that maintains long-term operation. Flexibility of the ALM-FR with respect to fuel compositions is demonstrated acknowledging the principal limitations of the long-term burning of plutonium and higher actinides. To ensure consistency and accuracy, the modeling has been performed using state-of-the-art computer codes developed at Argonne National Laboratory. As a result of the computational analysis performed in this work, the ALM-FR design provides for the possibility of continuous operation during about 40 years on one fuel loading containing mixture of depleted uranium with plutonium and higher actinides. All reactor physics characteristics of the ALM-FR are kept within technological limits ensuring safety of ultra-long autonomous operation. The results obtained provide for identification of physical features of the ALM-FR that significantly influence flexibility of the design and its applications. The special emphasis is given to existing limitations on the utilization of higher actinides as a fuel component.

Fossil fuel depletion, economic development, urban expansion and climate change present tough challenges to municipal- and regional-scale energy systems. Regional energy system planning, including waste treatment, renewable energy supply, energy efficiency, and climate change, are considered essential to meet these challenges and move toward a sustainable society. This thesis includes studies on energy system from municipal waste, potential for a fossil fuel-independent regional energy system with increased renewable energy products using waste as one of energy sources, and the performance of biomass-fired combined heat and power (CHP) plants. A top-down method is adopted to organize the studies, from national waste-to-energy (WtE) scenarios to individual energy plants. The first study considers the overall potential contribution of WtE to energy supply and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions mitigation in Sweden until 2050 under several different scenarios. Depending on WtE scenario considered, the study shows that WtE can supply energy between 38 and 186 TWh and mitigate between CO2 of 1 and 12 Mt per year by 2050 based on the baseline of year 2010. At a regional level, static and dynamic optimization models with a focus on WtE are developed for two regions in Sweden and Finland. The former is used to investigate the possibilities of optimal positioning of new energy plants, retrofitting existing energy plants and planting energy crops. The latter case study is on regional heat and power production using biogas generated from agricultural and livestock wastes. Centralized biogas production units perform better than distributed production regarding energy and carbon balance though the net energy output is negligible. However, a significant GHG emission can be reduced compared to the present status. Retrofitting existing conventional CHP plants is another option for improving regional energy system. The study shows that integrating heat-demanded processes such as drying, bioethanol and pellet production with existing CHP plants can improve overall energy efficiency and power output, increase annual operation time and reduce production cost as well as mitigate GHG emissions.  It is recommended that building new WtE/energy plants at optimum sites, upgrading the existing energy plants, expanding the agricultural/forestry waste/residues output (biomass) and planting more energy crops shall be taken into considerations for the future regional energy systems. / Utarmning av fossila bränslekällor, ekonomisk utveckling, städernas utbredning och klimatförändring är svåra utmaningar för kommunala- och regionala energisystem. Planering av det regionala energisystemet, inklusive avfallshantering, förnyelsebara energikällor, energieffektivisering och hänsyn till klimatförändringar, anses avgörande för att möta dessa utmaningar och gå mot ett hållbart samhälle. Denna avhandling innehåller studier av energisystem centrerad kring hushållsavfall, potentialet för fossilbränslefria regionala energisystem som utnyttjar ökad andel förnyelsebara energiprodukter med avfall som en energikälla och prestandautvärdering av ett biomassa-eldat kraftvärmeverk. Studierna har organiserats efter storlek på system, från nationella avfall-till-energi scenarier till enskilda kraftverk.   Den första studien behandlar övergripande möjligheten att genom avfall-till-energi bidra till energiförsörjningen och begränsa utsläppet av växthusgaser i Sverige till 2050 under flera olika scenarier. Beroendet på avfall-till-energiscenario visar studien att genom att utnyttja avfall kan mellan 38 och 186 TWh energi levereras och dessutom kan koldioxidutsläppen reduceras med 1-12 miljoner ton till år 2050 med 2010 som basår.   På den regionala nivån, statiska och dynamiska optimeringsmodeller, med fokus på avfall-till-energi, är utvecklats för två regioner, en i Sverige och en i Finland. Det första modellen används för hitta den optimala placeringen av nya energianläggningar, anpassning av befintliga anläggningar och placering av odlingar av energigrödor. Den senare ingår i en fallstudie av den regionala kraft- och värmeproduktionen genom utnyttjande av biogas producerad från jordbruksavfall och djurgödsel. Centraliserade biogasanläggningar presterar bättre än decentraliserad anläggningar när det gäller energi – och kolbalanser även om i båda fallen så är skillnaden mellan konsumerad mängd bränsle, värme och el och producerad värme och el försumbar. Däremot kan en betydande mängd av växthusgasutsläppet i båda fallen undvikas jämfört med nuläget.   Anpassning av befintliga konventionella kraftvärmeverk är ett annat alternativ för att förbättra det regionala energisystemet. Studien visar att genom att integrera värmekrävande processer såsom torkning, bioetanol- och pelletsproduktion med befintliga kraftvärmeverk kan den totala energieffektiviten och uteffekten förbättras, öka den årliga drifftiden och minska produktionskostnaderna och utsläppen av växthusgaser.   Rekommendationen är att för de framtida regionala energisystemen överväga att bygga nya avfall-till-energianläggningar med optimal placering, uppgradera befintliga energianläggningar utöka insamlandet av avfall/restprodukter från jord- och skogbruk och plantera mer energigrödor.

The transport sector is seen as particularly problematic when concerns about climate change and dependency on fossil energy are discussed. Because of this, bioenergy is strongly promoted for use in the transport sector, both on a European level and nationally in Sweden. Even though bioenergy is considered one of the key solutions, it is generally agreed that both supply- and demand-side measures will be needed to achieve a change to a more sustainable transport system. One of the reasons for this is the limited availability of biomass, especially agricultural feedstocks competing with food or feed production. Woody biomass, however more abundant, is also exposed to tough competition from other sectors. In this thesis, the role of biogas as a vehicle fuel in a future sustainable transport system is discussed together with the prerequisites needed to realise such a transport system. Biogas is a biofuel that could be produced in several different ways: by anaerobic digestion, which is a first-generation production route, by gasification, which is a second-generation process, and by catalytic reduction of carbon dioxide, a third-generation technology. The main focus in this thesis is on biogas produced by anaerobic digestion and the results show that there is a significant potential for an increase compared to today’s production. Biogas from anaerobic digestion, however, will only be able to cover a minor part of the demand in the Swedish transport sector. Considering biogas of the second and third generations, the potential for production is more uncertain in a mid-term future, mainly due to competition for feedstock, the possibility to produce other fuels by these processes, and the present immaturity of the technology. The limited potential for replacing fossil vehicle fuels, either by biogas or other renewable fuels, clearly shows the need for demand-side measures in the transport system as well. This thesis shows the importance of technical and non-technical means to decrease the demand for transport and to make the transport as efficient as possible. The results show that both energy-efficient vehicles and behavioural and infrastructural changes will be required. Policies and economic incentives set by governments and decision-making bodies have a prominent role to play, in order to bring about a shift to a more sustainable transport system, however, measures taken on individual level will also have a great impact to contribute to a more sustainable transport system. / <p>QC 20121116</p>

Research in solar heating has traditionally focused solely on increasing the system efficiency by improving the technical components. In this thesis the technical methodology and system boundaries are widened to connect the technical aspects with market actors that are highly influential on the implementation of solar technology. The research was focused on how social aspects can be brought into technical studies to improve the understanding of solar heating, and how solar thermal technology can be optimized in a larger energy system. Both heat storage and different system solutions have been investigated. The thesis is built on a number of sub-projects exploring different aspects of solar heating. Improved components and system configurations may result in higher fractional energy savings and thereby make solar energy go from a marginal contribution to be the main energy supplier. Both components and systems are considered in this thesis. The solar heating technology has been shown to work well, also in unique system solutions. Technical possibilities with medium-sized stores for single-family houses and seasonal stores for residential areas are presented. Methods to bring studies of technology and actor studies together are also proposed; domestic hot water use has been modelled based on time-use data, while a multifaceted market situation, in which new system solutions must find their way, has been described by the solar and pellet industries. The complexity of assessing installation and use of a particular heating system in relation to the overall energy system is also discussed. Overall, this thesis shows that successful use of solar heating does not only come down to proper technical solutions, but also depends on the interaction between technology and market actors. A widened perspective, including the social context in which the heating system appears, is then essential. This thesis constitutes a step in that direction.

The declining cost of photovoltaic (PV) modules has enabled the vision of ubiquitous photovoltaic (PV) power to become feasible. Emerging PV technologies are facilitating the creation of intentionally non-flat PV modules, which create new applications for this sustainable energy generation currently not possible with the traditional rigid, flat silicon-glass modules. However, since the photovoltaic cells are no longer coplanar, there are significant new requirements for the power electronics necessary to convert the native form of electricity into a usable form and ensure maximum energy harvest. Non-uniform insolation from cell-to-cell gives rise to non-uniform current density in the PV material, which limits the ability to create series-connected cells without bypass diode or other ways to shunt current, which is well known in the maximum power tracking literature. This thesis presents a modeling approach to determine and quantify the variations in generation of energy due to intentionally non-flat PV geometries. This will enable the power electronics circuitry to be optimized to harvest maximum energy from PV pixel elements – clusters of PV cells with similar operating characteristics. This thesis systematically compares different geometries with identical two-dimensional projection "footprints" for energy harvest throughout the day. The results show that for the same footprint, a semi-cylindrical surface harvests more energy over a typical day than a flat plate. The modeling approach is then extended to demonstrate that by using non flat geometries for PV panel, the availability of a remotely located stand-alone power system can be increased when compared to a flat panel of same footprint. These results have broad application to a variety of energy scavenging scenarios in which either total energy harvested needs to be maximized or unusual geometries for the PV active surfaces are required, including building-integrated PV. This thesis develops the analysis of the potential energy harvest gain for advanced non-planar PV collectors as a necessary first step towards the design of the power electronics circuits and control algorithms to take advantage of the new opportunities of conformal and non-flat PV collectors.

AstraZeneca is one of the largest biopharmaceutical companies in the world, and one of the facilities they have is located in Gärtuna, Södertälje. The facility itself is very big with a floor area of 560.000m2 and has a complex energy system. Caverion holds a facility management contract at AstraZenca, hence operates some of the energy system. The energy investigation of this thesis is part of the work of Caverion to ensure a sustainable energy system in Gärtuna. The energy investigation will include mapping of the energy distribution, seeking for potential of improvements and carry out suggestions for energy optimizations. The methods used during the investigation was a literature study, interviews with personnel of both Caverion and AstraZenca, study of the energy system and calculations relevant to the field of study. The mapping of the energy system includes the heat, steam and cooling distribution. When the mapping of the system was done it was clear that the areas with most potential for improvements were the steam and cooling distribution.The mapping of the steam distribution shows a loss of nearly 46% of the steam at year 2014 and the corresponding cost of about 13,640,000 SEK. Even though the steam distribution showed great potential for improvements, it was found that the work of investigating the system would be too difficult for the scope of the thesis. The cooling distribution however is more accessible and the potential is still high due to low coefficient of performance. Two suggestions for energy optimizations were carried out. The first suggestions involves upgraded electric fan motors for some of the cooling towers, and the second suggestion is to modify existing dry coolers in benefit to utilize free cooling during winter period. The fan motor upgrade based on calculations is estimated to result in a yearly energy saving of at least 1526 MWh and a corresponding cost saving of at least 800,000 SEK per year after the pay-off time (9 months). The dry cooler modification based on calculations is estimated to result in a yearly energy saving of 3053 MWh and a yearly cost saving of 2,083,449 SEK after the pay-off period of 5 months. The investigation carried out in this thesis is relevant to both Caverion and AstraZeneca as it points out the areas with potential of improvements and also gives suggestions on energy optimizations that will reduce energy consumption and result in energy cost savings.

The objectives of this dissertation were to find a principal domain of promising and technologically feasible reactor physics characteristics for a multi-purpose, modular-sized, lead-cooled, fast neutron spectrum reactor fueled with an advanced uranium-transuranic-nitride fuel and to determine the principal limitations for the design of an autonomous long-term multi-purpose fast reactor (ALM-FR) within the principal reactor physics characteristic domain. The objectives were accomplished by producing a conceptual design for an ALM-FR and by analysis of the potential ALM-FR performance characteristics. The ALM-FR design developed in this dissertation is based on the concept of a secure transportable autonomous reactor for hydrogen production (STAR-H2) and represents further refinement of the STAR-H2 concept towards an economical, proliferation-resistant, sustainable, multi-purpose nuclear energy system. The development of the ALM-FR design has been performed considering this reactor within the frame of the concept of a self-consistent nuclear energy system (SCNES) that satisfies virtually all of the requirements for future nuclear energy systems: efficient energy production, safety, self-feeding, non-proliferation, and radionuclide burning. The analysis takes into consideration a wide range of reactor design aspects including selection of technologically feasible fuels and structural materials, core configuration optimization, dynamics and safety of long-term operation on one fuel loading, and nuclear material non-proliferation. Plutonium and higher actinides are considered as essential components of an advanced fuel that maintains long-term operation. Flexibility of the ALM-FR with respect to fuel compositions is demonstrated acknowledging the principal limitations of the long-term burning of plutonium and higher actinides. To ensure consistency and accuracy, the modeling has been performed using state-of-the-art computer codes developed at Argonne National Laboratory. As a result of the computational analysis performed in this work, the ALM-FR design provides for the possibility of continuous operation during about 40 years on one fuel loading containing mixture of depleted uranium with plutonium and higher actinides. All reactor physics characteristics of the ALM-FR are kept within technological limits ensuring safety of ultra-long autonomous operation. The results obtained provide for identification of physical features of the ALM-FR that significantly influence flexibility of the design and its applications. The special emphasis is given to existing limitations on the utilization of higher actinides as a fuel component.