Learning This Week: Nuclear Micro-Reactors
Every week I learn something interesting about a topic.
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Two of the biggest names in tech, Bill Gates and Sam Altman, have invested and are working closely on nuclear micro-reactors. Bill Gates has bet on TerraPower and Sam Altman on Oklo. So, let’s take a look at what nuclear micro-reactors are.
Microreactors and SMRs (Small Modular Reactors)
Nuclear microreactors and small modular reactors (SMRs) are types of advanced nuclear reactors designed to generate electricity on a smaller scale than traditional nuclear power plants.
Microreactors are significantly smaller than traditional nuclear reactors, typically less than 50 MW in power output. SMRs are smaller than traditional nuclear reactors but larger than microreactors, typically ranging from 20 to 300 MW in power output.
Traditional nuclear power plants are much larger, typically producing over 1,000 MW and requiring significant land and resources.
TerraPower
The Natrium reactor, which has been developed by TerraPower along with GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, is a bit larger than most SMRs, with a generation capacity of 345 MW. The reactor also includes a molten salt-based energy storage system (ESS). TerraPower has said the ESS could increase the power output to 500 MW for a period of more than five-and-a-half hours if needed.
The Natrium reactor design will use liquid sodium as a coolant instead of water. When liquid sodium is used as a coolant instead of water it reduces the cost by half of what light water reactor plants cost.
Oklo
There are many amazing advanced nuclear technologies, but Oklo wanted to focus on the technology with the most demonstration history, with inherent safety, while having the capability to use waste as fuel.
By far, liquid-metal-cooled, metal-fueled fast reactors have the most demonstration history of the advanced fission technologies at over 400 reactor-years of operating experience worldwide.
Only fast reactors can use waste as fuel. Oklo's reactors can convert used nuclear fuel into clean energy. Today's reactors use about 5% of the energy content contained in their fuel, meaning nearly 95% of the energy content remains unused.
Summary
Nuclear power remains one of the cleanest and most abundant fuel source available to mankind. It has had safety concerns in the minds of people after accidents in Chernobyl and more recently in Fukushima.
Nuclear technology has progressed significantly since those days. The microreactors and SMRs may be the future of clean energy.
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