3 ms·
No, it won't be buried while it runs. The core can be buried, but it has to be in close proximity to steam generators and turbines. And what "end of life"? Fue
by cyberax 2y ago
No, it won't be buried while it runs. The core can be buried, but it has to be in close proximity to steam generators and turbines.
And what "end of life"? Fuel will be exhausted in 3-5 years max. And I very much don't want disposable nuclear reactors. Modern PWRs are designed to last for 50 years and can probably last for 100.
TerraPower wanted to build "nuclear candle" reactors that can last for 50 years without refueling, but they had an inconvenient problem of requiring unobtanium for the reactor vessel walls (a material that can sustain 400-500 dpa, while the best steels can maybe push 150). "DPA" is "displacements per atom".