Nuclear Micro-Reactors
How cool is this?
Have we finally figured out a way to stop climate change? This is exciting breakthrough technology.
I hope it is further developed for everyday uses, we really need to pull out all stops to save our planet.
At the end of the article is the explanation of what MWe means.
The UK government is focusing on a real “green industrial revolution” and part of that has to do with obtaining affordable, low-carbon nuclear power. As its name suggests, the Small Modular Reactor program, developed by Rolls-Royce, wants to combine advanced nuclear technology with a groundbreaking module manufacturing and assembly system that would make the final solution cheaper and scalable. A single one of these SMR power stations could power one million homes. But in addition to providing on-grid and off-grid electricity, these modules would also support the production of green hydrogen, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and other alternative fuels for decarbonizing transportation. innovative green-tech business is now fully funded, with over $649 million secured. The most recent investor is the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), a sovereign wealth fund established in 2005 and one of the biggest of its kind in the world. With an investment adding up to over $112 million, QIA now owns 10% share in the equity.
In 2019, the Department of Defense (DoD) launched a competition for developing a pioneering nuclear microreactor. Now, the final official team in charge of bringing the nuclear reactor prototype to life has been confirmed. They will be working on delivering the first advanced nuclear microreactor for the DoD, together with BWXT, Northrop Grumman, Aerojet Rocketdyne, and Torch Technologies. Pele Project is the name of this game-changing eRolls-Roycendeavor that will most likely pave the way for broader use of nuclear energy across the U.S.
The USA's goal is to switch to zero-carbon energy, which is needed not just for the environment but also in order to diminish the dependency on fossil fuels and traditional suppliers. This microreactor concept is unique because it’s transportable.
The system’s components will be organized in modules, using 20-foot-long shipping containers. The modules can then be sent anywhere, by road, rail, air, or sea. Once they arrive at the destination, it takes 72 hours for the reactor system to be assembled on-site and to become operational. When it’s time to shut down and be transported somewhere else, it takes less than seven days to complete the process, including cooling down and disconnecting the system.
This is a high-temperature, gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) powered by TRISO fuel, which is a type of high-assay, low-enriched uranium fuel. BWXT says that the fuel was successfully tested at temperatures that are far greater than those at which the future reactor will operate. The system’s power level will range between 1 and 5 MWe.
The Pele Project team is gearing up to deliver the full-scale transportable nuclear microreactor prototype by 2024. Once completed, the prototype will be further tested at the National Idaho Laboratory. It will then officially become the first advanced nuclear microreactor in the U.S.
What is MWe?.......
Megawatts electric or MWe is one of the two values assigned to a power plant, the other being megawatts thermal or MWt. Megawatts electric refers to the electricity output capability of the plant, and megawatts thermal refers to the input energy required. Power plants are assigned two values as most are heat engines, and therefore can't turn 100% of their input energy into electricity. This idea is closely related to mechanical power, how much power an engine can put out.
For example, a coal-fired power plant rated at 1000 MWe and 3000 MWt will require supply of 3000 MW of heat from burning coal for every 1000 MW of electricity it produces. That's approximately 100 kg of coal every second. This means that it puts out 2000 MW of waste heat, usually into a large body of water or the atmosphere. 1000 MWe for every 3000 MWt leads to an efficiency of 33%, which is fairly standard for older plants.
It is good to understand the difference between the two numbers, because, in the event of a proposed project, you can understand how efficient a plant will be. The closer a power plant's MWt and MWe ratings are, the more efficient it is.
It is worth noting that not all power plants are heat engines, specifically hydroelectricity, photovoltaic electricity and wind power are not heat engines so they have no megawatt thermal rating. These primary energy flows have other types of losses associated with them though. Likewise fuel cells aren't heat engines, but are not able to convert energy without losses.
Tammy
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