The NEXT Molten Salt Research Reactor at Abilene Christian University

Global interest in safe, clean, carbon-free and reliable power has attracted renewed interest in advanced nuclear reactor designs. The Nuclear Energy eXperimental Testing (NEXT) Lab at Abilene Christian University (ACU) has partnered with the NEXT Research Alliance (NEXTRA) to design, build and operate a research reactor at ACU. This molten-salt cooled, liquid-fueled, research reactor will be the first advanced reactor licensed for operation by a university. NEXTRA is a collaboration between ACU, Texas A&M, The University of Texas, and Georgia Institute of Technology and is sponsored by Natura Resources. This talk addressed the advantages of molten salt reactors, the status of the Molten Salt Research Reactor, and plans for commercial deployment.

Established in 2016, NEXT is building a molten salt research reactor with the ability to create safe, clean energy, provide drinkable water, and produce medical isotopes that are used to treat cancer. NEXT has collaborated with colleagues from Georgia Tech University, Texas A&M University, and The University of Texas at Austin since 2019 as partners in their work. The year 2020 was pivotal for the project as NEXT received funding of $30.5 million from Natura Resources, secured their first patent, and began talks about building a state-of-the-art research space on the former property of Taylor Elementary School. The rapid growth has been both surprising and exciting as NEXT moves toward its ultimate goal of blessing the world with this unprecedented technology.

Presenter

Rusty Towell is the founding director for ACU’s premiere research project called NEXT (Nuclear Energy eXperimental Testing). NEXT is focused on advanced reactor research and development. Rusty grew up in Texas and graduated from Abilene Christian University in 1990 with an Engineering Physics degree. Enlisting in the U.S. Navy, he rose to the rank of Lieutenant while serving as an instructor at the Naval Nuclear Power School. Upon his discharge, he entered into postgraduate work, taking up studies at the University of Texas, where he earned a PhD in nuclear physics. Rusty completed a postdoctoral research fellowship with Los Alamos National Laboratory working on the PHENIX experiment at the Brookhaven National Lab, and in 2001 he joined the physics faculty at ACU.