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60 Years of U: Perspectives on resources, demand, and the evolving role of nuclear energy
Recent years have seen growing global interest in nuclear energy and rising confidence in the sector. For the first time since the early 2000s, there is renewed optimism about the industry’s future. This change is driven by several major factors: geopolitical developments that highlight the need for secure energy supplies, a stronger focus on resilient energy systems, national commitments to decarbonization, and rising demand for clean and reliable electricity.
Jordan Crowell, Eleodor Nichita
Nuclear Technology | Volume 209 | Number 4 | April 2023 | Pages 504-514
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2022.2135334
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Small Canadian arctic communities rely on diesel generators for their electricity needs. Providing such generators with fuel year round presents logistical challenges because of inclement weather and the long transportation distances involved. This work presents the conceptual design of a 10-MW(thermal) microreactor that can be used to provide 3.5 MW of electricity as well as district heating to arctic communities. The reactor has a lead-cooled and graphite-moderated core with 13 vertical fuel channels containing high-assay low-enriched uranium fuel enriched to 10%. The core is enclosed in a unpressurized reactor vessel and is passively cooled through natural convection. Stirling engines are used to drive the electrical generators. The hot cylinders of the Stirling engines are located in the unpressurized reactor vessel and are heated directly by the primary coolant. Preliminary neutronic and thermal-hydraulic analyses of the core indicate that the design is technically feasible and that the reactor can function for 2 years and 9 months without refueling.