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What the US needs for future nuclear power tech to get off the ground
- ZeroGravitas 4y ago> Anyone interested in the potential use of nuclear power to address climate change should read the report. While its authors clearly consider nuclear power a potential solution, they're under no illusions that it's the only or best solution. The report makes it clear that, for economic and technical reasons, nuclear will be sitting out the next decade or so of the energy transition.
- PaulHoule 4y agoSome have been built. Liquid metal fast reactors and high temperature gas cooled reactors have considerable experience and no showstoppers. (Although whether they are better than the alternatives is more questionable.). Molten salt reactors have been tested but have more serious questions around materials. The economics of all the above could be radically better if they were coupled to something like https://energycentral.com/c/ec/supercritical-co2-turbine-being-developed-smrs https://energycentral.com/c/ec/supercritical-co2-turbine-bei... although that is not a bird in the hand. Early on it was thought the sodium fast reactor would inevitably cost than an LWR because if the need for multiple cooling loops and huge sodium-water heat exchangers but a more compact heat conversion system could let many fast reactor benefits shine through such as a much small core, smaller buildings, no need to deal with high temperatures, iodine dissolving in the coolant and being trapped in an emergency, etc.