Rewriting the script: The real story of advanced reactors

[Marlin]

Rewriting the script: The real story of advanced reactors


Advantages by design

Many, but not all, non-LWRs fall into one of three categories: liquid metal fast reactors, high-temperature gas reactors, and molten salt reactors. While no two designs are alike, many advanced reactors offer similar advantages, which may include:

Improved heat transfer efficiency from the use of coolants other than water.

Scalability to different sizes, including modular, factory-built construction.

Higher enrichment, which means increased fuel efficiency.

Operations at or near atmospheric pressure that don't require a high-pressure containment, so structures can be smaller.

Passive safety systems that rely on thermal expansion and other fundamental properties of physics and chemistry and don't require a backup power supply or human intervention to work.

On line refueling to avoid the need for refueling outages.

Higher operating temperatures well-suited to process heat applications, including low-carbon manufacturing of hydrogen, steel, and cement.

Flexibility to adapt to rapid changes in energy demand on the electricity grid.

Safeguards incorporated into the reactor at the design stage.


https://www.ans.org/news/article-3173/rewriting-the-script-the-real-story-of-advanced-reactors/