Technology Update:
Westinghouse, a company who has over fifty years of nuclear experience, has just introduced its newest nuclear reactor design: the SMR. Small Modular Reactors are described by Westinghouse as being a "compact, simplified system configuration" that due to its simplicity is easier to operate and maintain. It uses components that have already been employed in the AP1000 reactor design and therefore they have already been put through the test and proven safe.
In the end, Westinghouse claims that this reactor design will be the safest, most efficient, least expensive, and least complex design available at this time (yes, I know...those are lot of claims). Once a reach a computer that is not ancient (and actually plays videos), I will post more information on the design including videos and pics.
Please let all of your questions loose!
I have been following these quite closely as well and we have been discussing them in my reactor physics class. The SMRs are really cool and there are several intriguing types including the pebble bed module reactors and the prism module reactors.
ReplyDeleteI don't personally believe that they will be the future of nuclear power simply because the NRC. They are refusing to relax their permitting process for the module reactors and thus have to go through the same hassles as a full size nuclear power plant. This does not make them cost effective at all...
To you both...I thought SMRs could be NRC-friendly once approved, because you could replicate. You could site approve for a handful using CFR-52, and once it was approved, then you could just add more reactors as necessary. Would allow you to only build as much capacity as you needed at any given time without as much capital build-up.
ReplyDeleteI agree we're a ways off on this, but I'm fascinated by this technology. Especially with how some smaller companies are trying to market these for developing countries...yikes...