They can also be self-controllable, operating without the need for a constant human presence. Image courtesy HolosGenĪside from being compact, micro-reactors must be designed to operate safely for many years - perhaps several decades. Micro-reactor concepts like this one from the company HolosGen could be used in a variety of settings to provide emissions-free power. The low electricity output allows micro-reactors to have a smaller physical size and reduced costs, which would be enabled through factory manufacturing and design simplification. nuclear power plant, which has a capacity of 581 megawatts. A micro-reactor might have a capacity of anywhere from a few kilowatts to 20 megawatts - far less than even the smallest operating U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory are developing strategies to bring micro-reactor concepts closer to commercial reality, working together with private industry and federal regulators. The promise of these micro-reactors is to provide the same reliable, zero-carbon power in remote settings or to support electrical power grid recovery. Such facilities generate about a fifth of electricity in the United States without emitting greenhouse gases.Ī different picture of nuclear energy is emerging, however, in the form of micro-reactors that could fit on the back of a truck or inside a rocket to space. The idea of a nuclear power plant today evokes images of large cooling towers and expansive, warehouse-size buildings. nuclear industry and government see a future for nuclear even at the smallest scale. This research, a collaboration of a number of innovation programmes, shows the U.S. nuclear power plant is 581MW, and the growing activity around Small Modular Reactors is aimed at sub-300MW. Research is ongoing and work continuing to solve complex modelling problems unique to micro-reactor designs. Improved neutron “moderation” enables the use of low-enriched uranium fuel, which is difficult to weaponise should they fall into the wrong hands. Passive cooling with heat pipes makes them safer as well as more compact. Another idea would be to locate them on remote highways for re-charging long distance electric trucks. Deliberately small, generating up to 20MW, they could provide zero-carbon power in remote settings or supplement electrical power grid recovery. Scientists are working on micro-nuclear reactors that are so small they can fit on the back of a truck or a standard 40-foot shipping container, explains Christina Nunez writing for the Argonne National Laboratory.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |