State of the art nuclear reactors?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the concept of "state-of-the-art" nuclear reactors, exploring what this term means in the context of current and future nuclear technology. Participants consider both the development of existing reactor designs and the potential of new technologies, such as fusion reactors, while discussing their implications for power generation.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Rajiv proposes that "state-of-the-art" refers to the highest level of development in nuclear reactors, encompassing factors like efficiency, safety, and environmental impact.
  • One participant identifies the N4 plant and EPR as current state-of-the-art in Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) technology, along with Westinghouse's AP-600 and AP-1000 designs.
  • Next generation plants, referred to as Generation IV, are mentioned as part of the ongoing development in nuclear technology.
  • In Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) technology, the Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR) is highlighted as a significant design.
  • Fusion reactors are discussed as a potential future development, with a question raised about their classification as "state-of-the-art" despite not being operational yet.
  • Participants share various resources and links to further information on nuclear reactor designs and advancements.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on whether fusion reactors should be considered state-of-the-art if they are not yet in use. While there is agreement on the current state-of-the-art PWR and BWR technologies, the discussion remains unresolved regarding the status of fusion reactors.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes references to specific reactor designs and technologies, but does not resolve the implications of these technologies on broader issues such as environmental impact or moral considerations.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for students and professionals interested in nuclear engineering, energy policy, and the future of power generation technologies.

RR
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Hi

I have a report to write title "state of the art nuclear reactors" however the content of this is up to my own interpretation.I have taken "state-of-the-art" to mean the highest level of development of a device/ technique at a particular time, so what would this mean in terms of nuclear reactors, and what does a "state-of-the-art" nuclear reactor give us, (i.e. ideal power generation is cheap, efficient, safe, accessible, environmentally friendly, morally sound, etc)

I had two ideas:

1) Development/ improvement of current reactors.
2) Development of new reactors i.e. fusion reactors. (but do these count if they are not used yet?)

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Rajiv
 
Engineering news on Phys.org
The current state of the art in PWR technolgy would be the N4 plant and EPR, both built by Areva.

http://www.worldenergy.org/wec-geis/publications/default/tech_papers/17th_congress/3_2_03.asp

Avreva's European Pressurized-Water Reactor

and Westinghouse (BNFL) offers is AP-600 and AP-1000.

http://www.westinghousenuclear.com/C3a.asp


The next generation plants are Gen IV.

http://gen-iv.ne.doe.gov/



In BWR technology, there is GE's (with Hitachi and Toshiba) ABWR.

http://www.toshiba.co.jp/product/abwr/english/products/reactor/abwr.htm

UC Berkeley's Nuclear Engineeringhttp://www.nuc.berkeley.edu/designs/abwr/abwr.html page.

GE's Nuclear Plant and Instrumentation Page.


There is plenty more information, but these are a good start.

Also read this thread - https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=64525&page=1

Fusion Energy is still in the research phase, and there are no practical fusion plants for electrical generation at the moment.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
RR said:
Hi

2) Development of new reactors i.e. fusion reactors. (but do these count if they are not used yet?)

Rajiv,

Check out:

Courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory:

http://www.anlw.anl.gov/anlw_history/reactors/ifr.html

Courtesy of PBS's Frontline:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/reaction/interviews/till.html

Courtesy of the Nuclear Engineering Dept. of the
University of California at Berkeley:

http://www.nuc.berkeley.edu/designs/ifr/

Dr. Gregory Greenman
Physicist
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks for your help guys, I think there is more than enough there to get me started on the report.

Thanks again

Rajiv
 

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