Research and development of new generation advanced nuclear reactors

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) USA, was awarded $ 7.5 million, as part of a new initiative by the US Department of Energy to support: technology research and development Nuclear in the next generation. Funding is provided through projects to support the US Department of Energy's Nuclear Energy Research University (NEUP), integrated research projects (IRPs) that have been promoted to help ensure that The United States maintains a leading role in nuclear energy research.

The Department of Engineering and Nuclear Science in conjunction with the Nuclear Reaction Research Lab (MIT) will work with partners at the University of California Berkeley USA (UCB) and the University of Wisconsin in Madison USA (UW) ) about the project over the next three years to develop an experimental and final reactor, a commercially cooled, high-temperature reactor (also known as a Fluid High Temperature Reactor). salt "FHR").

FHR is the new reactor concept - in the last decade. It combines graphite - a high-temperature fuel-coated thermo-frame developed for high-temperature nuclear reactors cooled with CO2 or Helium (fuel temperature> 1600 ° C), liquid salt. Developed for molten salt reactors (boiling point> 1400 ° C), and safety systems derived from quick-reacting nautical reactors.

The new combination of existing technologies ensures the creation of a large energy reactor without catastrophic accidents. The radiation leak at the Three Mile Island US nuclear plant and Japan's recent Fukushima nuclear disaster occurred as a result of: radioactive decay heat generated after the reactors were closed, fuel rods were too hot and destroyed.

The combination of the coolant and the fuel at the new reactor (FHR) to be able to control the decay temperature environment, resulted in no nuclear reactions occurring even in the case of there is a large-scale failure on the structure and system of the reactor.

"The long-term goal is to create a high-temperature commercial reactor, which makes electricity production more efficient and produces liquid fuels that cannot have a large-scale accident , " said Dr. Charles. Forsberg, a leading researcher, works at MIT's Department of Engineering and Nuclear Science. Our research objectives (with our partners at UCB and UW) are to develop full concepts to build a next experimental reactor.

MIT manages the project and will conduct testing of radiation materials and cooling liquid saline, in ideal conditions in the nuclear reactor laboratory, MIT and conduct other experiments to verify Reactor models and viability. The University of California at Berkeley will conduct hydrodynamic thermal experiments using stimulants to predict heat transfer and accident situations. University of Wisconsin in Madison will conduct corrosion experiments on potential materials. MIT and UCB will be responsible for the initial idea and design of a commercial nuclear power reactor.

"These research projects play a very important role to promote the domestic nuclear industry and maintain the global leading role of the United States in the field of nuclear energy," according to a press release. from Steven Chu, US Energy Secretary. "Through investments, we also conduct training and education on the next generation of US nuclear industry leaders, in order to build a new energy platform that is sufficiently affordable. granted to the economy ".