How Does A Small Nuclear Reactor Work?

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Small nuclear reactors are the heart of a nuclear power plant. They control nuclear chain reactions that produce heat through a physical process called fission.

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As climate change poses a hazard on a worldwide scale, the demand for renewable sources of energy is much more pressing than it has ever been. Nuclear power is garnering more and more recognition as a viable option in the competition to achieve net-zero emissions and lessen our dependency on fossil fuels.

nuclear reactor
Nuclear Fission Creates Heat

Additionally, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has had a seismic impact on global energy prices, which has resulted in increased expenses for both individual consumers and commercial enterprises. In Europe, annual energy expenses in the United Kingdom are at their highest levels in the past fifty years and are continuing to rise, and power prices in Germany are also at record highs.

According to Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Association, the high price of energy potentially impedes attempts to reach current climate change targets (IEA). And the global community is already falling behind in delivering the commitments it has made. According to him, if the worst effects of unchecked global warming are to be combatted in a timely manner, significantly greater investment in technology that generate clean energy is required.

Although nuclear power cannot be replenished, it can be reused indefinitely. According to the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in the UK, in terms of greenhouse gas emissions produced per unit of electricity, nuclear power is just as clean as offshore wind, despite the fact that the use of nuclear power does raise concerns regarding cost, waste management, and safety. As a result, it is one of the energy sources that emits the least amount of carbon.

What are small nuclear reactors?

All of these considerations are contributing to increased investment in the design of domestic power plants that are on a smaller size. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) considers any nuclear power plant with a capacity of 300 megawatts or less to be considered “small.” The World Nuclear Association classifies any nuclear power plant with a capacity of between 300 and 700 megawatts as “medium.”

According to the trade group that represents the sector, “small modular reactor” is the most frequent meaning of the abbreviation SMR, even if it is sometimes used to refer to a category that includes both small and medium-sized reactors.

SMRs, in the same way as conventional reactors do, make use of the nuclear fission process to generate thermal energy, which is then converted into electrical energy. In essence, they are enhanced versions of conventional reactors that are significantly more compact and have approximately one-third of the processing capacity of conventional reactors.

At the end of the month of July, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) made the announcement that they will be issuing a certification for a new design of nuclear reactor. The buoyancy-driven natural circulation model is implemented in the NuScale Power module, which is comprised of the reactor, steam generators, and pressurizer.

Model of a small nuclear reactor

According to a website that covers news about technology, Ars Technica, innovations in this field have been accepted in the past, but never with the potential for such significant operational and financial improvements.

nuclear reactor
Nuclear Energy Used to Produce Electricity

What are the benefits?

Because of its modular design, small modular reactors (SMRs) may have their off-the-shelf components constructed in a factory setting. This is in contrast to large nuclear power plants, which are difficult to construct, expensive, and run the risk of building errors due to their complexity. According to the United States Office of Nuclear Energy, this could result in lower production costs, a shorter production time, and an increased ease of monitoring.

According to Rolls-Royce, which manufactures its own SMRs, approximately 90% of the work at the company takes place in factories, which the company believes decreases the amount of interruption that occurs on-site. When it comes to selecting plant locations, having a construction footprint that is smaller means that there is more room for flexibility.

SMRs are gaining popularity for a number of reasons, including an easier and more streamlined construction procedure, as well as passive safety features. Simply put, this indicates that in the event that difficulties emerge, the systems can be shut down without the need for any active involvement on the part of staff or outside forces. There are others who believe this gives them a safety advantage over more conventional nuclear power plants.

Because of their more compact dimensions, small modular reactors (SMRs) consume significantly less fuel than traditional power plants do.

What does the future hold?

According to the statistics that were recently made public by the IAEA, there are already 438 commercial nuclear reactors all over the world, with another 56 currently under development. Even though SMRs are still in the planning stages, the Agency reports that out of the approximately fifty different designs being considered worldwide, four are already in the advanced stages of construction.

The World Nuclear Association asserts that the use of nuclear power to generate energy is a risk-free method, and that the potential for accidents at nuclear power plants is both minimal and decreasing.

Campaigners opposed to nuclear power, however, argue that the high cost of nuclear power implies that the money would be better spent on energy efficiency and renewable sources.

It is anticipated that the global market for SMRs will reach a value of up to $300 billion by the year 2040. This is in part due to the fact that SMRs are seen as making nuclear energy accessible to more countries. But the question is, can SMRs be produced quickly enough to satisfy our future energy requirements, and will the technology be able to deliver?

Conclusion

Although nuclear power cannot be replenished, it can be reused indefinitely. According to the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in the UK, in terms of greenhouse gas emissions produced per unit of electricity, nuclear power is just as clean as offshore wind, despite the fact that the use of nuclear power does raise concerns regarding cost, waste management, and safety. Because of its modular design, small modular reactors (SMRs) may have their off-the-shelf components constructed in a factory setting. This is in contrast to large nuclear power plants, which are difficult to construct, expensive, and run the risk of building errors due to their complexity. According to the United States Office of Nuclear Energy, this could result in lower production costs, a shorter production time, and an increased ease of monitoring.

FAQs

Is it possible for a home to be powered by a tiny nuclear reactor?

Small modular reactors, often known as SMRs, are individual units of nuclear power plants that are capable of producing up to 300 megawatts of electricity. At least nine states have introduced legislation in support of SMR development since 2010. A SMR with a capacity of 300 megawatts might provide enough electricity to supply roughly 230,000 houses with power for an entire year.

nuclear reactor
How Does a Nuclear Reactor Work?

What is the most compact nuclear reactor that can be built?

The EGP-6, much like the RBMK, employs the utilisation of water as a cooling medium and graphite as a neutron moderator. Power Heterogenous Loop reactor is the meaning that is conveyed when the Russian term EGP is translated into English. Although it is the smallest commercial nuclear reactor in operation anywhere in the world, smaller reactors are now in the research and development stage.

How does a relatively low-powered nuclear reactor operate?

Small modular reactors, often known as SMRs, are a type of advanced nuclear reactor that can generate up to 300 megawatts equivalent of power per unit. This is equivalent to approximately one-third of the producing capability of conventional nuclear power reactors.

Is it possible for there to be life inside a nuclear reactor?

DNA, the priceless instruction code that is integrated into every cell of life, can be harmed by the ionising radiation that is emitted when a nuclear event occurs. It was possible that any organisms that were dwelling too near to the location of a reactor would have perished in the explosion.

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