How close are we to getting micro reactors?

[Josiah]

How close are we to getting micro reactors?

 

[Ssnow]

Hi Josiah, I think we are very close, U.S. there is Radiant that has projected micro-reactors for small community or industries. There are avanced project for micro-reactors of 1 MWe, with expansion until 1 GWe.
PS. See https://www.radiantnuclear.com/
Ssnow

 

[Astronuc]

How close are we to getting micro reactors?

https://www.radiantnuclear.com/blog/diu/

https://www.valaratomics.com/ward-250

In February, a Ward 250 5-megawatt nuclear reactor—small enough to fit inside a C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft—was delivered to Hill AFB, Utah, and then sent to the Utah San Rafael Energy Lab for testing and evaluation.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/two-us-military-bases-getting-nuclear-microreactors-ps-041426

The Department of the Air Force has confirmed the two future sites to be the first to receive nuclear microreactors under the Pentagon’s Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations (APNI) program. The DAF and Defense Innovation Unit announced last week that Buckley Space Force Base (SFB), Colorado, and Malmstrom Air Force Base (AFB), Montana, will serve as the initial test locations.

There is a separate program for Eielson Air Force Base

The Air Force had previously indicated that Eielson AFB, near Fairbanks, Alaska, was its preferred location for the microreactor pilot program. However, the DAF confirmed that the ANPI program “is separate from” that microreactor pilot program, which “is a stand-alone effort focused on demonstrating the feasibility and operational benefits of a microreactor at a single installation.” In other words, Eielson AFB may yet receive its microreactor in addition to Buckley and Malmstrom.

https://www.ans.org/news/article-7567/us-army-chooses-nine-sites-for-possible-microreactor-by-2030/

Meanwhile the US NRC is developing a regulatory framework for licensing and implementing microreactors.
https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-reactors/advanced/modernizing/microreactors
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/nuclear-regulators-lighten-microreactor-restrictions-NRC/751479/

 

[tech99]

Rolls Royce SMR are producing small, modular reactors, and are contracted to build the first new station at Wylfa, UK, and Temelin, Czech Republic. https://www.rolls-royce-smr.com/

 

[gleem]

@Astronuc Here is another startup for SMR founded about a year ago, and shipping its prototype to the Department of Energy's Launchpad program in Idaho to speed up small reactor development.

Deployable Energy took less than a year to produce a prototype with 20 employees and is shipping it on a pickup truck to Idaho.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/sma...n&cvid=69f36935857c450390e31810b340f8ee&ei=75

The company's co-founder says:

"we're emerging to be one of the leaders in this advanced reactor space."

• "We've eliminated a lot of the things that make reactors [have] quite [a] long lead time — large forgings, exotic materials, exotic coatings,"

• "You need welders to weld the stainless steel structures. You need machine shops. You need assembly bays — and we have all those assets," Gallagher says. "Houston is the best place in the world to put things on skids and ship them to site."

I wonder why all those other companies have spent millions and years developing their reactors didn't think of this?

 

[BWV]

we have had microreactors for decades in naval vessels, the questions should be couched as cost-effective microreactors that do not require weapons-grade uranium for fuel

This is the first one

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/chinese-smr-completes-non-nuclear-steam-start-up-test

 

[Astronuc]

Here is another startup for SMR founded about a year ago, and shipping its prototype to the Department of Energy's Launchpad program in Idaho to speed up small reactor development.

Other than a comment: Standard 5% Fuel, there is insufficient detail on their system.

Deployable's website implies some relationship with INL, TAMU, and others.
https://www.deployable.energy/

https://www.deployable.energy/technology
4.95% enriched UO₂ fuel, helium coolant, and non-exotic materials and processes mean that Unity is immediately ready to scale. Again, that's insufficient detail.

He coolant? Good luck with that. Usually, He-cooled systems uses greater enrichment and the fuel is encased in a graphite matrix.

Deployable Energy is developing the 1 MW Unity Nuclear Battery that fits in a 20-foot shipping container, which it claims beats diesel on price and performance. It is a transportable, factory-built, plug-and-play power system. The company's target is to have 100,000 nuclear batteries deployed by 2040 with a delivered cost of 5c/kWh."

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/partnership-to-develop-nuclear-power-for-shipping

Standard modules allow for flexible site layouts, 5-year refueling cycles, and rapid deployment.

Not much technical detail. I would like to see a lattice model, or an example of a fuel element and assembly, mass of fuel, operating parameters, etc.

So, 5-years at 1 MW, perhaps a 0.90 capacity factors yields 4.5 MW-years, but with what mass of fuel?

They have a reactor, but I don't see the power conversion system design. Usually, He-cooled systems need a compressor and turbine combination. I'm curious about the proposed operating temperature.